HOMILIES

Dear Audience,
For better understanding of the spiritual message behind this homily I kindly remind you to first read and contemplate the biblical texts before reading or listening to my preaching - a human reflection on the Word of God!

Easter Sunday Vigil (Year C)

Apr 19, 2025

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First Reading

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (6:3-11)

Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.

For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.

We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as being dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (24:1-12)

At daybreak on the first day of the week the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling garments appeared to them. They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, "Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day." And they remembered his words.

Then they returned from the tomb and announced all these things to the eleven and to all the others. The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles, but their story seemed like nonsense and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb, bent down, and saw the burial clothes alone; then he went home amazed at what had happened.

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

For Christians around the world today is not just another Saturday, it is Holy Saturday. It is the day Jesus, the Holy One of God, descended to the realm of the dead. It is a day of grief and sorrow, and yet as the sun sets, we gather in silence to reflect, pray, and await the glorious resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday morning. We began the liturgy plunged into darkness marking the end of the sadness and emptiness of Holy Saturday and by lighting the new fire and the Paschal candle symbolizing Christ, the Light of the World, rising in glory and dispelling the darkness of sin and death.

We then proceeded to read and relive once again, to some extent, God's saving work from creation through Jesus' resurrection. Beginning with God's "creation of the heavens and the earth", Genesis (1:1-2:2), we recalled God's deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt through Moses, Exodus (14:15-15:1), God's invitation to the Israelites to seek Him for forgiveness and mercy, Isaiah (55:1-11), God's promise of restoration of Israel, Ezekiel (36:16-1a, 18-28) and the fulfilment of God's promises to humankind through Jesus's triumph over death, sin and evil with His resurrection, Luke (24:1-12). Thereby celebrating the new and eternal life that God in His great mercy gives us through the resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ from the dead.

However, there can be no true celebration of this life unless we believe and accept Christ's offer of forgiveness of our sin. There is a story about an American man called George Wilson who was arrested for robbery and murder and sentenced to death by hanging. Some of his friends intervened on his behalf and were able to obtain a Presidential pardon for him. George, however, refused to accept the pardon saying that he wanted to die. Now, the question arose as to how to execute a man officially pardoned. Since the law was silent on this point, the matter was referred to the Supreme Court and the then Chief Justice Marshal gave the following decision: "A pardon is a piece of paper, the value of which depends on its acceptance by the person implicated. Anyone under the sentence of death would hardly be expected to refuse a pardon, but if it's refused, it's no pardon." In other words, if a pardon is rejected, it cannot be forced upon on a person. So, George remained under the penalty of death and was later hanged for his crimes.

It is hard to imagine that George was foolish to reject the pardon when faced with certain death. In the same way, the gift of God's forgiveness is not possible if a person who needs to be forgiven rejects His offer. Forgiveness is God's greatest gift to mankind. He offers this precious gift of forgiveness through the sacrificial death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ so that we can live a joyful, meaningful and fruitful life. He is always ready and willing to forgive us regardless of sin. However, He is not going to force anyone to accept His forgiveness. While He forgives those who acknowledge their sin, repent, and put their faith and trust in Jesus' life, death and resurrection, He withholds His forgiveness from the unrepentant.

In today's Epistle to the Romans, Saint Paul exhorts us to "consider ourselves as dead to sin and alive for God in Christ Jesus", Romans (6:11). Being "dead to sin" means two things:

We repent and renounce sin in our lives once and for all, implying that because of our faith in Jesus we no longer allow sin to control our lives.
Through His death and resurrection, Christ has destroyed the reign of sin in our lives. When we repent and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, God pours out the Holy Spirit abundantly on us, Titus (3:6) and Romans (5:5), who then lives within us, empowering us, teaching us, guiding us, transforming us, and reminding us daily of all that we need to know in order to continue in God's will for our lives (Galatians 2:20).

Consequently, we stand as a testament to the sovereignty of divine grace. Yes, indeed. If we are "dead to the power of sin and alive for God in Christ Jesus", He will, in His infinite love for us, grant us countless blessings.

(P) Amen.

I wish you all a Joyful and Blessed Easter!

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