  Easter
Sunday
Sacred Heart Cathedral
March 23, 2008
Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead! He is Light of the
World and raises us up to newness of life both now and forever! Alleluia!
Alleluia! This is the Good News proclaimed on this sacred day. This is the Good
News that must penetrate our hearts and renew us in faith. This is Good News we
are to proclaim enthusiastically to others!
If the Good News is to penetrate our hearts, then we must understand the meaning
of the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in our lives. We must
be convinced of His love for each one of us, a love that knows no end or limits.
We must be convinced that He was pierced for our offenses and was crushed for
our sins. We must be convinced that He embraced all that the world had to offer
– ridicule, denial and great suffering -- and was not defeated. As proclaimed
today, He was raised from the dead and proved victorious. Evil was defeated,
darkness was dispelled and even death was conquered.
Thus, if we are carrying heavy crosses, we do not do so alone. We do so with the
strength that comes from the Lord. If we are burdened by the darkness of sin and
temptation, we find the grace to walk in the light through the infinite mercy of
God, who forgives and allows us to begin anew. If we are mourning the death of a
loved one, we do not despair. We find our hope in the pledge of eternal life
that Jesus promises to us and to all who follow Him.
Look at all the visible signs in the Cathedral this morning that point to these
realities. The beautiful flowers radiate the new life that is ours in Christ.
The Easter candle helps to proclaim that Jesus is the Light of the World. The
baptismal water reminds us that we who die to Christ die to our old way of
living. We rise with Jesus Christ. Soon, we will be privileged to renew our
baptismal promises as part of our ongoing commitment to live in the light and
life of Christ.
Yes, there are many signs this day of the truths that unite us, most especially
the Eucharist we are about to celebrate. In this holy sacrament, God’s love for
us is perfectly revealed in His most beloved Son. In this most precious gift,
the source and summit of our lives, He gives us His Body and Blood as a pledge
of the life He offers us now and forever.
Just as the Sacred Readings proclaimed, we are called, compelled and
commissioned to proclaim this Good News to others, not only in word but in deed
and through the example of our lives. Always with God’s grace, we must strive
daily for holiness and integrity of life; we must be consistent in the practice
of our holy Catholic faith and true to God’s Word even when others do not accept
it.
As we are reminded in our Second Reading, we must let go of old habits,
practices and patterns, including malice and bitterness, and put on the new life
that is ours in Christ. Through the generosity and goodness of our lives, the
weak must be supported; the needy must be helped; the oppressed must be
liberated and all must be loved. If this is the witness of our lives, then, with
God’s divine assistance, we will attract others to follow Jesus and to embrace
our faith not only at special moments but in the daily practice of their lives.
Dear Sisters and Brothers, allow the truths that unite us on this sacred day to
penetrate your hearts and to renew you in faith and, as true witnesses,
enthusiastically proclaim to others that Jesus Christ has been raised from the
dead! He is Light of the World and raises us to newness of life both now and
forever. Alleluia! Alleluia!
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