IT’S  EASTER  TIME! 

RISE  AND  SHINE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “It’s Easter Time! Rise and Shine!”

We’ve all heard the song or hymn, “Rise and Shine! Give God the Glory.”

“It’s Easter Time! Rise and Shine.”

WHAT IF’S

Life is filled with lots of “What if’s…?

What are yours?

I became a priest with the hope of being a foreign missionary and get stationed in Brazil. It never happened. Instead, my first assignment was the Lower East Side of Manhattan - during the hippie revolution.

So at times, I’ve wondered what didn’t happen in my life as a result - what that would have been like - thinking and speaking in Brazilian Portuguese. Don’t we all wonder about the “What if’s?” in life. The latest issue of Sports Illustrated has about 25 What if’s. What if Babe Ruth was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1920 instead of the Yankees? What if Tiger Woods followed his dream in 2005 and became a Navy Seal? So  I’ve wondered what Easter and Christmas are like - in the Southern Hemisphere - Easter in the Autumn and Christmas in the summer time.

Well, we’re in the Northern Hemisphere and Jesus rose from the dead in the Spring - in Palestine - which certainly makes for a more logical understanding of this feast day - Christ Springing and flowering into new life in his resurrection.

I’ve never been stationed in Florida - so does the geography and ecology and environment of being in 4 seasons affect our dispositions and our spirituality - and our way of thinking - more than 2 seasons - warm and warmer.

I remember asking my brother after he and his wife had a 2 week vacation in Barbados one February - what it was like - and his answer, “Well, they certainly didn’t invent the computer down there?” I hope there is nobody here from Barbados - but if there is, my brother is long dead if anyone wants to correct him.

LENT IS OVER

We began Lent some 40 days ago - and the Ash Wednesday readings - the Lenten readings - urged dying to self  during Lent.  Overcome selfishness  and self-centeredness - and rise to new life.

Are we any different today - April 16 - Easter Sunday - than we were last  Ash Wednesday - March 1^st?

Hopefully, some new life broke through the ground of our being - like crocuses in our gardens - like cherry blossoms on our trees - now that Winter is over and Spring is here. Did Lent 2017 make a difference in our way of living and doing life?

Spring is the season to spring into action - working our lawns if we’re blessed to have a front yard or a back yard.

Easter is a time to see and hear the scream and song  of birds and flowers and enjoy April Showers.

Did we get some deeper spiritual growth going on in the garden of our soul this Lent?

We heard the Preface of Lent: “For you will that our self-denial should give you thanks, humble our sinful pride, contribute to the feeding of the poor, and so help us imitate you in your kindness.”

Did it?

Hopefully some of that happened to all of us a bit better this Lent, this year - a  bit better than last year - 2016.

It’s Easter time…. Rise and Shine.

A HOMILY IDEA: MOVING THE STONES

In today’s gospel Mary of Magdala went to the tomb early in the morning - while it was still dark.  Surprise the stone was removed from the tomb. She ran to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved.

They ran to the tomb.

Surprise the stone had been rolled back and the tomb was empty.

For a homily idea, how about looking at the stones that weigh us down - or the stone that blocks the way out of our tomb - here and hereafter.

We’ve all heard stories about people being trapped in buildings that caved in - because of an earthquake or a bomb blast or what have you.

Rescue teams get cranes and jack hammers - and this and that - are used to lift the stones and cement slabs that are locking and blocking a person from being rescued.

The gospels tell us that Mary of Magdala and the other disciples were wondering how to move the stone when they would get to the tomb. Who will move the rock?

Listening to people as priest, I hear people tell me about what’s weighing them down.

About a month ago about 10 or 15 people asked me if everything was okay.

I said, “Yeah, great.”

But when the 16^th person asked me, I asked myself, “Is everything okay?”

It hit me that I was worried about a few people with cancer - especially a niece. I was feeling “ug - ug - ugly!” about some people - including family who were not talking to each other.”

So I realized. I admitted to myself. Some things were weighing me down. I was carrying some heavy stones on my mind and they must have been showing up on my face  - pushing outwards from my talking brain.

Are you okay?  Do you have any family or work stones or life stones weighing you down?

All of us are weighed down by our past - usually some major mistake. Or we’ve been hurt or what have you.

Who can take away the hurts or our world?

Who can take away the stones that weigh us down?

Who can take away the sins of our world?

This gospel text gives us great hope.

Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of our world.

Jesus is the stone remover - the rock roller.

Jesus is the Savior of our world.

Now right at this issue of who will remove the stone, we have a clear example of a great theological issue: who does what?

Is it all God?  Is it all me?

I have a collection of statements from various religions, which brings out that it’s an issue of co-operation.

I love the saying, “Pray for potatoes, but pick up a shovel.”

The Muslims say the same thing.  “When you camp for the night, pray to Allah - God - that your camel doesn’t run away - but make sure you tie him to your tent pegs.”

You’ve heard the funny one, “Pray to win the lottery, but make sure you buy a ticket.”

So we humans have our problems, moral,  physical, and mental struggles, issues and addictions.

We have to do our part  - all the steps necessary to take for recovery.

We can get help when things are weighing us down - physical help, psychological help (counseling, therapy, talking to a friend, or a priest or someone who is a good listener).

We have to do our best to get the best help - and ask the priest to come and anoint our dad or mom, etc.

Take the stones of gossip and talking about others.

People are rock throwers - they haven’t heard Jesus’ words about, “Let the one without sin cast the first stone.”

Or  take the stones of jealousy and envy that can weigh us down.

Jealousy and envy- words that are often mixed up.

Jealousy has to do with having something and not wanting to lose it.  It can be another. It can be money. It can be our brain power.  We are nervous of dementia as we get older. That’s jealousy - this worrying about losing what we have - because of aging.

Then there is envy - which is a funny thing. We want something we don’t have. Yet even though it weighs next to nothing, wanting it can wear us out and weigh us down.

So we need Christ to help us in these inner struggles - with these heavy inner stones.

CONCLUSION

Death is somewhat the same. Easter can obviously trigger the issue of death. That’s a big stone - the tombstone of death - even before we die.

Fear of dying, not trusting God can wear us out.

But unlike getting a shovel to dig up potatoes, in death we have to totally let God dig us out of that one.

The act of faith is that  we’re dead in death - but God is alive.

At Easter we make the act of faith that God is at the other side of death - not us - because Jesus rolled away the stone of death.

Easter announces that. St. Paul said, What if Jesus did not rise from the dead. All else is dumb - without that faith . Resurrection is the great What if.

What if Jesus rose from the dead.  Now that makes the difference for us for all eternity.

I’m assuming after we die, we’ll be wasting away or what have you or however this happens for us - and we’ll hear the words on the other side of death, “It’s Easter Time. Rise and shine. Give God the Glory!”

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Russian Icon on top: 15th Century