On
behalf of the staff and clergy here at St. Michael parish, I want to wish you a
very blessed and happy Easter! On Thursday, as I was running around like a wild
man trying to make sure everything was ready for these holy days, I was tired,
my feet hurt, my back was sore and I was wondering if everything was set for
the Sacred Triduum. Despite these worries and weariness, I was completely happy
and satisfied, as a priest and as your pastor. There is no other job in the
world that I would rather be doing and there is no other parish in St. Louis
where I could be happier! Which got me thinking about the homily for today. We
were created for joy. You never hear someone say, “You know, this whole joy
thing is not for me. I wish I had a little bit more misery in my life.” Humans
are created for joy, but we come to realize that it’s not something we can just
buy at the local Wal-Mart, not even the one here in Shrewsbury. Think
about the most joyful moments of your life. Isn’t it true they were often
unplanned and unexpected?
Mary Magdalene had been there at the foot of
the Cross and had seen Jesus die. Crucifixion was no joke. It was such a
horrible way to die that the Romans eventually outlawed it. Mary Magdalene was
not expecting an empty tomb. She knew that Jesus had really died and when she
sees the empty tomb, she doesn’t know what to think. So she runs and tells
Peter and John. They both run to the tomb. I guess John had been more faithful
to his P90X workouts than Peter, and he beat him to the tomb. He looks in, and
then he waits for Peter. Peter was appointed the first Pope and so John wanted
to let him go in first. Peter enters the tomb, and then John goes in. What they
didn’t see surprised them.
The body of Jesus was gone. The burial clothing
was there, but the body was gone. Actually the Greek says that the burial
clothing was lying there in its folds. It seemed that the body of Jesus had
just evaporated and left the clothes lying there. Imagine their surprise. What
has happened? Then the gospel says that John saw and believed. He believed that
Jesus had risen from the dead! The surprise must have overwhelmed him. But as
he began to believe, he was filled with joy.
Joy is the best response to Easter. Who could
have ever imagined that death could be conquered? That’s what Easter means.
Your death and my death is not the end. Just as Jesus rose from the dead we
will rise from the dead. Body and soul, we will live forever. Suffering does
not have the last word. Death does not have the last word. The love of God,
given to us in Jesus Christ has the last word. This is why our psalm proclaims:
“This is the day the Lord has made, let us REJOICE and be glad!” On Easter, we should
allow ourselves to be filled with joy brought on by the miracle of the Risen
Jesus.
A nurse tells a story about one Easter Sunday
that some of you might be able to relate to if you've had to work on a holiday.
There’d been a last-minute scheduling problem at the long-term
addiction-treatment center where she worked and she was stuck with the Easter
Sunday shift. Of course, this messed up her family celebration and she was in a
bad mood. Instead of wearing her Easter best, she was wearing a work uniform.
Instead of thinking positive thoughts or praying during her drive to work, she
was caught up in self-pity and resentment that she had to be away from her
family and their celebration of Easter. She described how that bitterness continued
all day, until one of the rehab patients came up to her after dinner. This
patient quietly said, "I have something for you.” Looking down, she saw a
little cross of intricately woven palm fronds. “Thank you for giving up your
holiday to be with us,” he said.
The
nurse's eyes filled with tears as she realized her patients wished they could be with their
families too. But they don’t get to go home at the end of the day the way she did.
Most of them won’t get to go home for months. The
rest of the day she worked with a renewed spirit, realizing that God had
brought joy out of a situation where she had only seen
the negatives.
True
joy is a gift from God; it's not just smiling and acting happy. God will never
force joy on us: we have to help prepare our hearts so that this gift can take
root in us and be authentic. Here are 3 practical suggestions to help us. You might
call it spiritual GPS.
The
"G" stands for gratitude. A wise saying states that a grateful heart
silences a complaining tongue. If we’re always griping, how will the Holy
Spirit fill our hearts with joy? If we want more joy in our lives, let’s start
by being grateful. A simple way to do this is to write down a couple things we're
grateful for each day. You’ll be amazed.
The
"P" stands for prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit for the gift of joy. Joy
is the result of our relationship with Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit is the
one who makes Christ present to us.
Finally,
the "S" stands for sharing. If you’re not feeling very joyful, try to
bring joy into someone else’s life and you’ll be astounded at what happens in
your own heart. Call someone, smile at someone, do something kind. Joy flows
from these acts of charity.
I hope that today's celebration of Easter is a
source of joy for you and your loved ones. I pray that you follow the example
of the apostles and Mary and spread that joy generously to the world around
you!
