Easter Homily - 7:30 P.M. - Vigil                                                     
April 3, 2010
Rev. Gregory Sakowicz

The majestic lion roamed his forest kingdom.

             "Who is the most powerful animal of the forest?"  the lion roared at the rabbit.

             "You are, O great lion," the cowering rabbit replied.

The lion then swaggered over to the wolf,

"Who is the most powerful animal of the forest?" the proud lion roared.

"You are, of course, O great lion," the wolf whimpered.

To the antelope, the lion roared,

"Who is the most powerful animal of the forest?"

The antelope bowed, "You are the most powerful, O great lion."

Swelled with self-satisfaction, the lion then confronted the elephant.

"Who is the most powerful animal of the forest?" the lion yelled.

The elephant looked down and said nothing.  The elephant nonchalantly grabbed the lion with his trunk and repeatedly slammed him between a tree and rock like the clangor of a bell.  Then the elephant effortlessly dropped the lion to the ground.

Regaining consciousness, the bruised and dizzy lion looked up at the elephant.  "Look, just because you don't know the answer, it's no reason to be so testy!"

Jesus is our eternal hope - our answer -  our point of reference.  The great faith question that faces us is not "Do I believe in God?"  Rather it is "Do I believe in a God who believes in me?"  Do we believe in a God who entrusts us with his creative work?  We are a pilgrim people - a church of sinners who are struggling to be saints.

Easter is more than an event - Easter is an attitude, a perspective.  Easter is a light to guide us along this path of stones we stumble along.  It is Easter whenever we realize love in the midst of our fear and despair.  It is Easter whenever love pulls us out of our tombs of hopelessness and alienation.  It is Easter whenever love illuminates our winter hearts and exhausted spirits to behold that we are embraced by God.

There is the story of a simple 85 year old farmer in Hawaii who knew he was close to the end of his life.  So one day he walked outside his farm house - grabbed a handful of dirt - returned to his living room - laid down and died.  He met St. Peter at the heavenly gates.  St. Peter said, "Welcome" - and asked the old farmer what he was holding in his hand.  The farmer said, "Dirt from my farm back in Hawaii."  St. Peter said, "We have a rule here in heaven that says  you can't bring anything into heaven with you."  So the man walked away to think about it for awhile.  The farmer decided to let go of the dirt he'd clung to so dearly and once again returned to meet St. Peter at the gates.  The farmer said to St. Peter, "I let go of the dirt, may I now enter?"  St. Peter lovingly smiled and nodded "yes."  The farmer entered heaven and stretched before his eyes to his total amazement were all the Hawaiian Islands.

The point of this story is that letting go and surrendering and not always worrying about being in control with our lives can be an enriching surprise and not a diminished compromise.

It goes without saying that we are only able to live risen with Christ if we believe that Christ is risen.  This is not a tricky play on words, but an obvious conclusion.  It's one thing to make our way to Easter faith and quite another to discover that Easter faith has made its way to us.

Clearly, on that Easter morning, something happened to Jesus.  But something happened to his disciples, too.  They went into hiding after the crucifixion, but after the news of Mary Magdalene, Mary and Salome, and the resurrection appearances, they walked back into the world.  The disciples became braver and stronger; they visited strangers; they healed the sick.  They risked all.  It's not only what they saw when they experienced Jesus, or how they saw it, but what was set free in them.

Which is harder to believe?  That there is a God  or that for us there is life after death?  It's the latter, without a doubt.  Believe it.  Join with Mary Magdalene, Peter and the Beloved Disciple and celebrate the good news of Easter.  Join with the other disciples who "rejoiced when they saw the Lord."  Join with the doubting Thomas who said, "My Lord and my God!"

In the end, the Resurrection is not about newly discovered bones but about the transformation of one's life.  No one can go back and start a new beginning.  But anyone can start today and make a new ending!  Alleluia!