April 21, 2019

Jesus shows the way to victory, says Bishop Rozanski in Easter homily

REGIONAL
Staff report

Springfield Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski celebrates Easter Mass at St. Michael’s Cathedral. (IObserve photo/Taylor Blake)

SPRINGFIELD – Following is the text of the homily delivered by Springfield Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski during today’s Easter Sunday liturgy at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Springfield:

Early last week we all witnessed the horrible fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Later in the week, photos of the destruction were in every paper and news story, telling of the effects of the conflagration. And yet, even as the fire still burned, French president Macron was promising that Notre Dame would be rebuilt in his words: “even more beautiful than before.” 

That great landmark church, a place of pilgrimage in its great beauty, could not be abandoned in ashes of destruction. Over the centuries, when similar or worse disasters threatened great cathedrals in Europe, there was always the resolve to rebuild. Our human spirit longs for making whole that which is destroyed; we yearn to make things complete and even restored again.

Isn’t that what we celebrate this very day? Not the restoration of a building, but the restoration of life for us in Christ Jesus. When all did seem lost and finished, God has given to us the Resurrection of his son, Jesus, our Savior, to restore us not only to this physical life here on earth, but to the promise of rising from the dead just like Jesus himself has done.  

What a wonderful promise of hope and joy! Indeed, we can rejoice with our Alleluias and hymns of praise because of what Easter day means for us.

We began this journey with Jesus over 40 days ago, on Ash Wednesday, when we were signed with the ashes that remind us we are dust and unto dust we shall return. The beginning of Lent is a stark reminder to us that no matter how comfortable we may be in this world, there is the promise of something much better. We may return to the earth from which we were formed, but death does not have the last word over us. It is because of what we celebrate today, this joyous Easter day, that we know our stories do not end in physical death, but remain in the hope of our Lord’s own Resurrection from the dead. 

Our sins, resulting from our pride and disobedience, do not have the final word on our ultimate destiny. Because of Jesus’ resurrection, our destiny is inextricably tied in with his.

The story of Easter is one of good news that could not be kept to a chosen few, but rather shared with the whole world. Mary Magdalene races from the tomb to tell Jesus’ disciples that the body she expected to find sealed behind the stone was not there. Simon Peter and John went running to the tomb to see for themselves.

One of the most well-known of painter Eugene Burnand’s works is “The Disciples Peter and John running to the tomb.” The original is in the Musee D’Orsay in Paris. Peter, clearly the older man in the painting, is clutching his chest as he struggles to keep up with John, the younger disciple. John runs with clasped hands, worrying over what has happened at the tomb. Anxiety is written on the faces of both disciples. What would they find; where was the body of Jesus?

“The Disciples Peter and John running to the tomb” by Eugene Burnand

The confusion and upset of the day give way to the news that they finally were able to discern: Jesus indeed had risen! The most crucial words of this Easter Gospel is the short phrase referring to John: “He saw and believed.” With that belief, anxiety melted away in the face of faith. All that Jesus had promised to His disciples was now fulfilled. Betrayal, denial and abandonment, the worst of human behaviors, could not contain the fullness of God’s love to the dark tomb.  Death itself cannot hold back the love that is perfect.

My dear friends, on this Easter day we do believe that eventually Notre Dame will shine forth as a beautiful place once more. We know that it will take much effort and sacrifice to restore that cathedral to its former beauty. How much more, then, can we marvel at what God has done for us? We are not meant to die with the ashes, but rather be raised with our Savior. Where he has gone, we hope to follow. 

No matter what destructive forces the world or evil can throw at us, our Savior has shown us the way to victory. It is not found in the dark tomb, but rather in Jesus himself, raised from the dead so that we may share forever in his life. Amen! Alleluia!