3rd Sunday After Easter Homily

Today we observe Mother’s Day. Therefore, I offer my prayers to all mothers who are in our midst. I thank you for your “yes” which was made to the gift of life. May each of you stay close to the Blessed Mother for she is also the mother of us all. Devotion to her will guide us in this life in order that we may better come to know her Son and the joys that He always ushers into our life.

As our Blessed Lord instructed in our Gospel, “A little while, and now you shall not see Me: and again a little while, and you shall see Me: because I go to the Father.”

Here the Lord in making reference to His death and burial, and how He will return in glory through His Resurrection. As the Lord continues to dwell with the apostles He will soon return to His Father who is in Heaven. We know and profess that He ascends to Heaven and is seated at the right hand of His Father.

The reality of His death is something that is painful because death seems like it is a form of defeat. As Saint Paul states, “Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 

Despite the sorrow that is held through death we must hold onto the joy that is to come through His Glorious Resurrection. There is always something that lies in store for us in the midst of all of life’s struggles. With the Lord’s Resurrection held in firmly in our sight we can hold onto this hope.

So many take the struggles of their everyday life and refuse to align these struggles with the cross. The cross cannot be rebuked because it is a central part of our life of faith. Just because we have the cross does not mean that we deny His Resurrection. As Fulton Sheen had summarized concerning the cross’ importance, “Keep your eyes on the crucifix, for Jesus without the cross is a man without a mission, and the cross without Jesus is a burden without a reliever.”

Thankfully Christ Has died, risen, ascended to His Father, and will come again. Liturgically we have the opportunity to be reminded of these important events in the life of Christ. The Church has recently celebrated His cross, continues to celebrate His resurrection, and will very soon proclaim His ascension into Heaven. These mysteries are mentioned to us in the Roman Canon which tells us, “Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed Passion, the Resurrection from the dead, and the glorious Ascension into heaven of Christ, your Son, our Lord.” 

Let us look upon the cross and from it see the great joys that spring forth for us through His Resurrection.