Homily Second Sunday of Easter Year B Mystery of the Resurrection
Homily for
Second Sunday of Easter Year B
First
Reading: Initial conversion is a beautiful time in one’s life. Initial
conversion manifests a special fervor in one’s relationship with God. Here we
have a glimpse into the life of the first Christians following Pentecost, when
some 3000 were baptized.
We are told
they came together for further apostolic instruction, for community life and
sharing, for prayer, personal and communal and at the heart of their life was
the Eucharist, the breaking of the bread. We have the first five chapters of
the Acts of the Apostles conveying the idyllic scene for us.
They were of
one heart and one mind. This is the ideal which we are called to live and it is
lived in the initial stage. It is like the honeymoon time for young married
couples. They were sustained by a deep love for one another, enjoying being
together.
The early
Christians saw that what they possessed was not theirs to use in a selfish way
but to be shared with those more in need. Up to this time, there was no
negative reaction to them from the outside. Then comes the first sign of
persecution. They turned to the Lord for his protection. They were committed to
proclaiming the message of salvation centered on the death and resurrection of
Jesus.
What
disrupted their bliss was not external but internal pressure. They began to see
certain faults in others in the community. Similar to what ends the honeymoon
stage of a marriage. The couple become more aware of each other’s faults, which
become a bone of contention. They lost the idealism of one mind and one heart.
This is what must be sought after again. We are not meant to live in the ideal
but to seek it.
Second
Reading: What enables us to regain the ideal of one mind and one heart? John
says it is the centrality of Jesus in our lives and loving the way he has loved
us. Centering our lives on Jesus and truly loving God and others will give us
the power to overcome the external and internal pressure of community, whether
that is Church or family.
Is Jesus in
fact the Lord of our life? Do our lives revolve around him in every aspect? Are
we motivated by love in all we do? Do we see ourselves as victims or victors?
Do we conquer our passions are do they control us?
We have been
begotten by Christ in the waters of baptism. We have received the renewal of
the outpouring of the Spirit in baptism and confirmation. What does the Spirit
testifies about us? How committed am I to walking with Jesus on this journey?
How committed am I to living and acting in love in my family? Even though the
reality of one mind and one heart seems distant, am I committed to follow Jesus’
plan so that it may become the norm in my relationship?
Gospel: The Resurrection
of Jesus is a mystery of faith. No one witnessed the actual event itself. But
many were witnesses of the Risen Christ himself. Here we have disciples who
witnessed and later affirmed their experience.
The
Resurrection is a mystery because it is beyond our natural comprehension. The
characteristics of a glorified, risen body includes not to be limited by space
and time, to be different in external appearance but the same person. Jesus was
initially not recognized in his appearances but in his words and actions.
But there are
other aspects of this mystery. Why would Jesus appear to those who did not at
first fully believe, those who betrayed him and abandoned him? Why did he not
chastised them rather than greet them with peace? Mystery.
The commission
he gives them seems impossible. As he was sent by the Father as Savior of the
world, so they will be sent to bring this message to the world in the power of
the Holy Spirit. Mystery. Whose sins you forgive in my name will be forgiven;
whose sins you retain in my name will be retained. Mystery.
How was it
that Thomas, who was angry and hardened in heart, who sought a personal
encounter and the ability to put this experience to a test, becomes the first
person to proclaim in faith: “My Lord and my God”? Mystery
Jesus
extends the mystery when he says: “Blessed are those who believe in me without
seeing me. It is the mystery of faith. Through belief in Jesus we have divine
life in the name of Jesus. In him alone can we be of one mind and one heart. In
him can our life make a difference in another person! The gift we have received in mystery we are to
give as a gift in the Holy Spirit.
About the Author
0 comments