Working at Montclair State University as the Catholic University Chaplain continues to be a very unique experience. Not the least of which is encountering, getting to know, and working with people of every religion – including some of which I had never even heard of before coming to MSU (like Bahai). A few years ago, I was excited to participate in a Passover Seder with the Jewish student group on campus Hillel, which was led by a devout Jewish professor (who also had tremendous knowledge and deep appreciation of Christianity so he was sure to highlight some meaningful things to Christians for myself and some of our students). It was such a profound experience that I had never had before, to participate in this ritual that is over 3,000 years old, that 2,000 years ago Jesus and his 12 apostles would be celebrating His Last Supper before His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.
Thanks so much for stopping by to read my homily for EASTER SUNDAY THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD – April 17, 2022, for sharing it on your social media posts and your feedback and comments… I’m also grateful for all those who’ve asked for the audio version and share them as well at SOUNDCLOUD click HERE or from ITUNES as a podcast HERE. May the Lord be glorified in your reading and sharing Sincerely in Christ – Father Jim
Not long after that, I was having a conversation with a professor who had very clearly identified that he was Jewish – but that he was an atheist. I’ve learned very quickly not to ask too many questions. There are too many spiritual land mines that you can wade into in a very secular environment, and as a Catholic priest, I’m aware of times when I’m being set up so I could be accused of being judgmental, or something in an attempt to be “canceled.” So I kept my mouth shut. But in subsequent meetings and interactions with this professor, we were able to become, I wouldn’t say friends but friendly acquaintances. So a year later, I was kind of taken aback when he dropped into conversation that he and his family were going to a Passover Seder. Those of you who know me, know I don’t have much of a poker face, so he said “Father Jim, you know I’m Jewish…” and I just kind of said, “yeah, I just didn’t know as an atheist you would be celebrating Passover…” He explained that a lot of it was more of a cultural thing, a familial thing that he felt connected to… The thought that this was something that connected him to his parents, his grandparents, his great-grandparents… The connection to relatives lost in the Holocaust, and other trials and struggles that he hadn’t researched deeper but imagined were a part of his story. I was kind of fascinated about it and appreciated his sharing this deeply personal thing so I went for it and asked – “don’t you see God’s hand in all of that though?” And it was the saddest thing because he only saw the trials, the sufferings, the oppression… for him the “Passover” where the Jews were freed from slavery – it was something like a lucky break that they had gotten that had become elaborate myths in the people’s minds that they held onto. I kind of resisted going any further in the conversation or asking any follow-up questions. But then he added, “I guess there’s a part of me that wants to believe that’s all true.”
What’s even harder to believe as a Catholic priest is how many atheists celebrate Easter. For some, they see Easter as something that they connect to on a cultural level – particularly for us who no offense to my Jewish friends, we have much better food at Easter celebrations whether it’s Irish, Polish, or of course Italian. Or that they have deep family memories and traditions that are connected to it that they maintain. But they have a hard time believing that Jesus Christ, was fully human and fully divine, they would believe that he lived and yeah he died – but that three days later He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven 40 days later – they find that too good to believe. It seems that for some Christians, it’s not so different than that Jewish atheist. The trials, the sufferings, and the oppression are easier to accept for human beings, probably because they are all so relatable, aren’t they?
Whether it’s something we see on our screens or in real-time in our neighborhoods and homes… Whether it’s something unprecedented and historic like a global pandemic or scenes of war – or far more common but equally as diabolical examples of abuse, of anger, and hatred…
Whether it’s the sickness of others or an illness we’re struggling with…
When it’s death itself – taking friends and loved ones from us – Good Friday is very relatable…
Easter just seems too good to be true. But it seems too good to be true because, too many treat Easter like a story, like an elaborate myth that has blown up in people’s minds and imaginations in the 2,000 years since. This is why these readings are so powerful to me and in particular one individual for us to focus on: Simon Peter. Think about what happened on Good Friday, just a chapter earlier in the Gospel of John. Simon Peter who had been one of Jesus’ closest friends, the one who he had called “the rock” on which Jesus would build His Church, effectively making Peter the first Pope Peter promises Jesus at the Last Supper he would do anything for Jesus, would go where he would go, would even die himself to protect Jesus – to a few hours later falling asleep while Jesus was praying in Gethsemane… to moments later taking a sword and cutting off a guards ear as they had come to arrest Jesus – which Jesus has to fraternally correct him telling him once again (as he had several times earlier) that He had to suffer and die in order to destroy sin and death and rise from the dead.
As much as Peter had followed Jesus and listened to him, and loved Him – in a lot of ways all of that sounded too good to be true. Now as he sees Jesus arrested, having been betrayed by Judas who was one of the 12, would’ve been like a brother to Simon Peter – none of this makes sense. Evil seems to be on the march. Things seem to be spiraling out of control. Jesus is being marched around, mocked, ridiculed after just days earlier being welcomed in as the long-awaited Messiah, a king. Simon Peter’s shocked and horrified… maybe even questioning himself, why did he follow Jesus in the first place – but all those things Jesus said, all those things He did Peter’s remembering them and trying to reconcile that with Jesus’ silence now in the face of these liars, these unjust accusers. He’s so turned inward that as Simon Peter is watching all this unfold from a bit of a distance that as these nameless individuals come upon him and say “aren’t you one of his followers” his impulse, his fear just makes him say “no.” He doesn’t even realize it till the sound of a cock crowing echoes that Jesus’ devastating prediction that Simon Peter himself would deny Him has come true.
That’s the last we heard of Simon Peter until this Gospel account. After the brutality of the cross and death, the finality of the tomb, and the agonizing silence, here it is the third day. Mary Magdalene comes back having gone to the tomb in mourning and finding the stone rolled away. Simon Peter heard the news is probably thinking this is just another desecration another horror after what has been a horrifying few days. He’s thinking it’s another atrocity – as if there was anything worse that could’ve been done to Jesus. As he’s running to the tomb after 2 days of abject sorrow, 2 days of obsessing over his failure; 2 days of playing over and over and over again what did I do – – what didn’t I do? And Simon Peter comes upon the scene. And that’s what makes this so dramatic. Yes, indeed the stone is rolled away. The burial cloths are wrapped up in a separate place. This wasn’t some loose towel. They were linen that had been wrapped around the body of Jesus like a mummy and covered in myrrh – a kind of embalming glue. Had someone come to steal a body, they’d have to have knocked out the Roman Guards and would’ve simply run away with the body, not carefully unwrapped and folded the cloths.
We’d expect to hear this dramatic encounter with the Risen Christ, which in truth, comes later. But Easter starts with us seeing Simon Peter coming onto the scene and taking this all in, and the Gospel ends with this reflection “they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.” Easter begins by upsetting our expectations. It comes with the gift of a hope that surprises and amazes us. Yet it is not easy to welcome that gift. At times – we must admit – this hope does not find a place in our hearts. (Pope Francis) Easter happened, and Jesus has risen from the dead. Whether they believe in that or not would still be a choice for them – and for each and every one of us.
It’s very easy for us to recount Good Friday and to relate to the betrayals, the pains, and sufferings. It’s easy for us to find others to unite and commiserate with and join the chorus of the world that sees the latest examples of the devil’s handiwork and people who cooperate in works of darkness.
It takes courage to be Easter People. To not simply utter some distant hope that “wants it to be true” and instead to open our hearts to the wonder and amazement of these witnesses. Like Peter, yes to acknowledge our sorrows, our failures, our sins and still go to the tomb believing in God’s extraordinary message of triumphing over death. To see how our God continues to call us out of our own tombs of brokenness, indifference, unbelief and see how in Christ Risen from the Dead, God brings new life – and even more importantly calls us to new life
Calls us to experience His freedom and to bring His freedom…
Calls us to experience His healing and to bring His healing…
Calls us to experience His forgiveness and to offer His forgiveness…
Calls us to experience His eternal love and to offer His love…
It’s when we dare to believe these witnesses, that Easter moves from something that we just do, a cultural, family thing and we begin to encounter the Risen Christ ourselves. HAPPY EASTER
