Easter Sunday Homily

Now that the stone has been rolled away from the tomb we must ask ourself what it is that we expect to discover on the inside. Easter is about the Resurrection of the Lord and thus it is also about coming to discover new life. As Christians we cannot be content with the old ways of our life, but instead we must be willing to surrender all that we may truly go forth to love and serve the Lord. The Lenten season was about aiding us in our journey towards the tomb of our Lord and aiding us with what it would be that we would come to discover when the stone was rolled away. It was for this very reason that we set out to pray, to fast, and to give alms because through each of these actions we came to embrace conversion and thus too we can finally see Christ for who He truly is. After all of this work that we have accomplished in these forty days what we discover inside of the tomb should be no surprise for any of us because we have taken the time necessary to be prepared for what we will come to discover when the stone is rolled away.

What we come to discover inside of the tomb is a great hope that only Christ, who is God made man, can usher into the world. This shining light which glows brightly from the darkness of night brings hope to us that sin and death cannot win, but instead this light shines forth from the darkness of these many encounters to where only the mercy and new life which Christ alone can bring into the world may shine forth.

In each of the four Gospels what was expected to be found within the tomb was nothing more then death. In Mark's Gospel they come to anoint a dead body instead of coming to rejoice with Christ who was resurrected. In John's Gospel Mary of Magdala goes with haste to inform Peter and the beloved disciple that they have removed a dead body from the tomb. In Matthew's Gospel they are said to come in order to contemplate the tomb. Finally, in Luke's Gospel they are told the most striking words of all by the lips of two men: "Why are you seeking one who is alive, here among the dead?"

This question from these two men is worth our further reflection. So often we are content with our life and in return would never desire to let go of anything because we would rather have Christ conform to our needs. Of course if we desire Christ to conform to us we are left searching for Him among the dead instead of among the living. If we truly desire to discover Christ resurrected as we come to proclaim today we cannot continue to search for Him among the dead, but instead we can only do so by searching for Him among the living. We all needed the Lenten season because it helped us to put to death all that which needed to be so and in return has oriented our life towards finally being able to live. When we roll away the stone of the tomb what it that we desire to discover? Are we seeking one who is alive among the dead?

Therefore my brothers and sisters in Christ may we come to realize that Christ is the God of the living. He has come and has conquered over the weight of the cross because of the Resurrection. Every time our own life is forced to embrace the pains of the cross we cannot allow ourself to be found among the dead, but instead among the living. Coming to realize and embrace the very fact that Christ risen from the dead signals to each of us a great hope. This hope is that no matter how awful our life may seem to be, no matter the loss and pain that we must come to embrace, no matter the travesty taking place in the world such as what happened in Kenya, and no matter how deeply entrenched in our sin that we may be; that we come to discover Christ among the living not the dead. If we rolled away the stone and discovered Him among the dead we would never be able to encounter hope because this pain, loss, hardship, and sin is all that we would discover. But, instead we roll away the stone and we come to find Christ among the living which is to say that new hope always shines forth from each of the darkest moments in this world and within our own life.

Therefore today may we never regress to our past which leaves us trying to find Christ among the dead. May we also continue to search for Him among the living with every single burden that befalls us. Today we gather here to profess this reality and to proclaim with great faith that Christ has conquered over the grave and has risen again. This news is life changing and always brings forth hope from life's darkest moments. With this great discovery that we make this day may we not turn back to find Him among that which has been left for dead, but instead may we continue to allow our cries of "alleluia" to rise to the Heavens for He has truly risen.