DEATH & RESURRECTION
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Death and Resurrection.”
Death is a deep reality.
And for most of us, death is the deepest reality – so sometimes we bury the thought of it – down deep in the ground – down deep in our soul.
Then another’s death – or a near accident – or cancer or a news report – or a scripture reading or a homily wakes us up to the reality that we only have so much time and we never know what’s next and if there is a next.
We’ve all see horror movies or Shakespeare’s plays or The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, for example here in Annapolis – plays when death is personified as a character appearing on stage – or in dreams – and Death asks questions. The Grim Reaper – a skeleton in cape – with a scythe in hand – is quite scary. In Hindu scriptures it’s a character named "Yama" who rides a black buffalo - holding a big rope to tie a person up and bring that person back home to his dark place in the underworld.
DRIVE BY
What are our thoughts as we drive by a cemetery? What are our thoughts as we come into town and go by St. Ann’s Cemetery. It’s a bit hidden – but can be seen off Rowe Boulevard. What about going up West Street and going by St. Mary’s Cemetery or the Military Cemetery? What are our thoughts when we’re driving and we spot a row and flow of cars in a funeral procession?
THE LENTEN GOSPEL READINGS
Two Sunday’s ago we heard the gospel story from John about a woman who came to a well for water and she met a man who knew everything she ever did. That’s kind of scary. She met a man who changed her life. That’s good news. She met a man who got her to ask those whom she went and found, “Could he be the Messiah? The Savior? The One we’re all really thirsting for?”
Last week’s gospel story from John was his story of the Blind Man – who brought us face to face with the issue of light. Do I see? Or am I blind? Am I in the dark? Have I discovered Jesus to be the Light of the World? Do I know or am I still walking down nameless streets doing nameless nothings? When am I going to experience a life eye opener?
Lent tries to get us to see where we’re blind, what we’re thirsting for. Have we climbed any mountains this Lent to get the big picture and discover Transfiguration or are we still down in the valley eating forbidden fruit – still dealing with temptations – still back there in the first week of Lent?
So on this 5th week in Lent we have another big issue to reflect upon: death and resurrection. Today’s gospel from John challenges us about Life. It’s one of John’s three key themes – all beginning with the letter "L" in English: Light, Life, and Love.
As you also know this week our parish is offering a Parish Mission – a series of possible eye-openers. Check the bulletin for details.
TODAY’S READINGS
Today’s readings obviously bring us to the question of death. Is death it? The screen says, “The End.” The curtain closes. Or is there life, resurrection, after death? What’s on the other side of the curtain? What’s backstage? What’s on the other side of the Exit door?
Today’s gospel [John 11:1-45] presents on stage the very dramatic story of Lazarus – dead for 4 days. Back in those days people were buried rather immediately. Notice the comment, “Lord by now there will be a stench; he has been dead four days.”
Notice the tears – the weeping – the sadness – not only on the part of Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, but also by Jesus who considered Lazarus a good friend.
Notice in the first reading from Ezekiel 37: 12-14 that the Lord God says through Ezekiel, “I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel.”
Is Ezekiel speaking about people who are buried in graves – or is he talking about the people of Israel who felt dead because they had gone through Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the deportation of many people into slavery?
Notice in the second reading from Romans 8:8-11 that Paul is talking about death by sin – and that the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us – and can lift us up – resurrect us – as well.
Death and resurrection, here and hereafter; these are big, big themes
THREE KINDS OF PEOPLE
There are 3 kinds of people.
First of all, there are those who see death as, "Well, that's it!" The End. There are no sequels. That’s all there is.
Secondly, there are those who believe in some sort of continuance after death for some or for all – but it’s very mysterious and vague. It could be reincarnation. It could be we’re floating in something somewhere or morphed and amalgamated into a world soul or what have you.
Thirdly, there are those Christians who believe that through and with and in Christ we can rise from the dead and experience new life in a hereafter. There is heaven and hell. There is judgment. There is hope – because of Jesus. Jesus gives images and metaphors to explain this new reality – but the bottom line is St. Paul’s comment: “Eye has not seen. Ear has not heard. Nor has it entered into the human heart what God has prepared for those who love him.”
So we don’t know for sure. All we know is, “I believe in Jesus Christ – the Resurrection and the Life.” Christ is the way, the truth and the life – eternal life.
So today I’m asking: What’s our take on life and death? Do we believe in life after death? Do we really hope for resurrection – and eternal life – after our death? We proclaim it by our mouths in the Creed at each Mass – and by our bodies by being here.
Am I a person of belief, hope, awareness, and acceptance of resurrection or am I the opposite? The position we take has an enormous impact on how we live and see life.
That’s what I hear today’s readings challenging us to face today.
Next Sunday is Palm Sunday – when Jesus begins to face his last week of life – when he walks into Jerusalem – then gets up on a donkey – and by the end of the week he is killed. Would he have gotten on that donkey or would he have walked the other way – if he didn’t believe in his Father’s Plan for eternal life for all?
That’s not a flippant or nonchalant question. In the garden he’s going to struggle with going forward. On the cross he’s going to scream, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
THE END – A CONCLUSION & A SIDEBAR
Lent is a time to walk with deep questions.
This Sunday we are called to reflect upon death – our death and the death of loved ones – as well as the death of each person.
One sidebar. As you might have noticed, this year we commemorate the beginning of the 150th anniversary of our Civil War. This Tuesday and Wednesday - April 12-13 - mark the bombardment of Fort Sumter in South Carolina - on those days in 1861.
What hits many countries hit us: self-destruction from within – by ourselves. In our lifetime we have heard about North and South Vietnam, North and South Korea. Now we’re hearing about the split in Libya and the countries that are in-fighting in the middle east and around our world.
Well, some of the things they are going through, we went through in our own Civil War – the war that took place 150 years ago – 1861.
Annapolis didn’t have any Civil War battles – but it certainly was impacted heavily during the war years. This Tuesday evening there is a presentation at St. John's College Annapolis on the Civil War in Annapolis 1861. Check it out on line - for time and specifics.
Check out on Google: United States Civil War. There is much to learn. If you get a chance watch Ken Burns' Civil War whenever it appears on Public Television.
I hope to drive up Sharpsburg, Maryland on a day off to learn about the September 17th 1862 Battle of Antietam. Sharpsburg, Maryland is only about 2 hours from here. I noticed it's between Frederick and Hagerstown. It's listed as the Bloodiest Day in the Civil War. I expect that it will have an impact like I felt when I went to Gettsburg and other Civil War battle sites.
Check out the 1862 Annapolis National Military Cemetery on West Street and Taylor. I have gone by it 1,000 times – but it wasn’t till yesterday that I did a bit of research about it. It’s listed that there are 2271 known dead buried there and 211 unknowns. So we have our own tombs of unknown soldiers here in Annapolis.
I found out that Annapolis was a hospital center during the Civil War.
I also found out a bit about where soldiers were encamped around Annapolis during the Civil War. I also found out about the fascinating parole system during the civil war. When soldiers were captured, some were paroled and allowed to go home right after a battle or capture. At other times some were brought to places like Annapolis.
The first big parole camp for 3000 captured soldiers was on St. John’s College Green. The date listed was September 1st, 1861.
The second much larger parole camp was for 20,000. It was on a farm on the south side of Forest Drive between Greenbriar Lane and Bywater Road.
Then there was Camp Parole – where Parole Shopping Center is today. It was set up by September 1863. One reason for this last big parole camp was because so many got sick and were freezing to death during the winter of 1862 and 1863 at the Forest Drive camp. Some of these dead are buried in the military cemetery on West Street – that was established in 1862. I think about these men who died far away from home, I think of all those who were killed in the Civil War - America’s bloodiest war – mowed down and left to die and their bodies were buried in mass graves here and there – never to be heard from again.
Thinking about that I hope and pray there is resurrection and new life – forever and ever – in the fields of paradise – because living 18 or 19 years – getting a tiny bit of training and then being sent into battle and killed – seems to be big time unfair. There better be resurrection and new life.
Please God. Yes.
