Easter Sunday Mass!
Homily preached April 9, 2023
by Monsignor Michael Deering

One of our Catholic School Students ... a 1^st Grader,

had a question for me about the Resurrection of Jesus at Easter.

He wanted to know why guards were placed outside Jesus’ tomb.

In St. Matthew’s Gospel proclaimed at the Vigil Mass last night, he noted that:

“the guards were shaken with fear of ( the angel) and became like dead men.”

So there were guards at Jesus’ tomb. And this 1^st grader wanted to know why.

That’s a good question. Usually guards are placed to keep a person from breaking out of a place… but this was a tomb ... and the person inside was dead!                So why were there guards outside the tomb?

You know, as much as the Jews doubted that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, and the Son of God, they didn’t want to take any chances to let the Apostles remove His body from the tomb and then go around saying that this man Jesus did indeed rise from the dead as He predicted.

So the Jews asked Pilate to put guards at the tomb to be sure the body was not taken.

They realized that if Jesus’ body was missing after 3 days, Jesus’ message would gain even more power than if they had never crucified Him in the first place.

 If Jesus was gone from tomb, that would be a powerful indication that He was indeed the Son of God, the Savior sent to redeem us.

Well, in spite of the Guards, all four Gospels record that the stone covering the tomb was rolled back and Jesus’ body was missing.

We just heard how Peter and John went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths

                                      … but Jesus’ body was gone!

Now by itself, the empty tomb would never be enough evidence to prove that Jesus really rose from the dead.

So fortunately, the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles record several instances where the Resurrected Jesus appeared to His followers.

We’ll hear of these appearances in the following Sundays of this 50 day Easter Season.

We already heard of one in our First Reading from Acts where Peter declares;

“This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible … to us.”

Taken together, the empty Tomb and the Resurrection appearances

 demonstrate that Jesus really did what He said He would do …

 that He would rise from the dead on the third day.

They demonstrate His wonderful victory over sin and death!

What does this mean to us? 

In his letter to the Romans, proclaimed at the Vigil Mass last night, St. Paul says, “If we have grown into a union with (Jesus) through a death like his,

we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.”

Wow!    Do you want to overcome the tomb as Jesus did?

Then you must enter into a union with Jesus through a death like his.

How do we do that?       We do it by being baptized!

Paul asks, “Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus

were baptized into His death?”

We don’t have to go through a scourging and crowning and crucifixion to have a death like Jesus. No, thank goodness  … what we have to do is be baptized …

we have to die to ourselves and be born again into God’s family.

God accomplishes this great work in Baptism!

Paul explains, “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.”

What an amazing promise!

Here’s how Paul words it today in our Second Reading from Colossians:

“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.”

Many of us believe in the promise and have been baptized.

Easter is the perfect time to recall the dying that took place on the day of our Baptism and to carry on with renewed hope that our union with Jesus in His death will serve to unite us with him in the Resurrection.

And I’m delighted to say that 7 more people from this community chose to initiate that union with Jesus … and underwent the waters of Baptism last night!

Yes, for the past half a year, 20 people have taken the time to formally study the teachings of the one Church that Jesus Himself started some 2000 years ago …

the Catholic Church.

And now after much prayer ...

they freely desire to live out their faith in Jesus in the Catholic Church …

with 7 entering in ... by Baptism ...

and 13 entering in ... by making a Profession of Faith.

And, they’re not alone!

In parishes like this all over the world, many men and women will enter the Church.

Some 400 people will come in … in our diocese in northern Alabama,

And some 100,000 people will come in all across the country.

What have these people discovered?

They’ve discovered the treasury of ways that the Catholic Church offers

to help them experience  that “newness of life” that St. Paul wrote of.

They’ve discovered the Mass … instituted by Jesus Himself at the Last Supper …

to be the most pleasing way that we offer our prayers and worship to the Father.

They’ve discovered the seven Sacraments, which are channels of God’s grace.

Especially the Sacrament of Confession, where Jesus forgives our sins, dispensing His great mercy that wipes away our guilt and shame and renews us in His love.

And the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, where Jesus offers His Body and Blood to nourish us with supernatural healing and strength.

All this was made available to us though the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Easter! What a happy time this is …

Jesus accomplished His great work of Redemption.

He atoned for our sins and offers us the chance to live with Him forever in Heaven.

It’s an Anniversary for many who in years past

came into the Catholic Church at Easter!

Let’s rejoice in Jesus’ love for us and carry that joy to the world ...

so that everyone will come to a union with him that will bring them Eternal Life.