3rd Easter Sunday Homily-B
My dear parishioners and friends in Christ,
Last Sunday we were given by the Church a clear portrayal of the greatness of divine mercy, showered upon us through God’s beloved Son. Today the Church wants us to reflect on how God’s remarkable Mercy works in us, who firmly believe Jesus, as our Lord and Savior.
In today’s Gospel, we hear from Luke, depicting an event happening in the Apostles’ life. At the sudden and surprising appearance of the risen Lord, we find them, being startled, and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. But Jesus raised them up from their downhill feelings. He did it, first by his usual and lovable greeting ‘Peace with you’; second, by lending them his hands and feet and requesting them to touch him and feel he was not a ghost; moreover, he accomplished it, by making them encounter his risen status in the ritual of the Breaking and Consuming of the Bread; above all, by expounding the Scriptures and enlightened them.
From the onset of the Church-history, we discover the Apostles, like Peter (Acts 3: 13-19), and other disciples till this day, committed to Jesus’ command, inviting all sinners to repent, and believe his Gospel of healing, both by their own repentance, conversion, and paradigm shift as well as by their preaching and other religious and charitable deeds. John the Apostle also vehemently but very lovingly urged us by his letter (1 Jn. 2: 1-5) saying: “My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is expiation for our sins and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world”.
It is now three weeks since we celebrated Easter. Do we still experience the same joy and peace of that Easter Sunday? The Easter story does not stop at Easter Sunday celebrations. It just begins there and moves on Sunday after Sunday. It is not something we celebrate one day and forget all about it; for it is the day that changed the destiny of mankind. Every celebration is meant to help us to believe that Jesus is the Risen Lord, and He is alive. Jesus says in the Gospel, “You are witnesses of these things” Luke 24:48. Words are not enough to witness and explain that we are Christians. The resurrection of the Lord invites us to live a new life in Christ. The world of nonbelievers has a right to touch us and see if we are real people of God. If you and I don’t live and preach the message of hope, love, peace, and service of Jesus nobody else will do it. Jesus called us to be light and salt of the earth. Let our light shine before others; let them give glory to God.
Let us pray,
God of mercy,
you have filled us with the hope of resurrection
by restoring man to his original dignity.
May we who relive this mystery each year
come to share it in perpetual love.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever.
– Amen.
Wishing you the grace and peace of the Risen Lord,
Father Valley