File name: Sermons 2009
April 11, 2009 Cycle B
One of the great riddles of the Gospel is presented tonight: How did the three women who came to the tomb on Easter, plan to move the massive stone that sealed the entrance? Their compassion and their kindness trumped common sense. The women desire to provide their beloved Jesus a proper burial made the rock almost inconsequential.
As we peer then with Mary Magdalene and her companions this
Easter night into the empty tomb, we might find ourselves perhaps as confused and scared as them. This night changes everything, but we allow the angels Good News to open our imaginations to the possibilities. We let the angels Good News allow the light that illuminated the tomb, that can no longer hold Jesus, illuminate our hearts to see our lives transformed in God’s grace.
This transformation comes to us in all sort of extraordinary ways, but most especially it takes human form with those brothers and sisters tonight who are about to join our Catholic family of faith. There are three adults who stand before us tonight: Steve, David and Jan, and six children: Lisa, Christian, Kamryn, Tyson, Joey and Jacquelyn. They represent many many others around the world who will enter the Catholic community tonight. Some estimate that it is the population of a medium sized city. Somewhere between 80 to 100 thousand people who are coming into the Catholic family of faith this evening.
What is most consoling to us is that not all these converts are in the developing world, as good as that would be. Despite the terrible scandals we have all had to confront in recent years they are, thank God, adults in developed countries too who still want to find a home among us. And for these eleven that stand before us we wish them a warm welcome.
The ceremonies around baptism and reception into the Church are one of the most moving rituals we have. Just when we begin to take our faith in the Risen Christ for granted, or become discouraged at our inability to live out Jesus’ love, justice and peace in our Church and in the world, along comes these intelligent, reflective, and searching people who stand before us and say they want what we have.
Our catechumens and converts are not coming into the Church all starry eyed about who we are. They know we are a community of loved sinners who are struggling to live out the Good News of Jesus Christ. They know that sometimes we get it right, that outside government, our Church remains the widest provider of welfare, education, health care, and trained personnel for the developing world. That, collectively, we give more money to all to alleviate disease, poverty, and injustice, than any other nongovernmental organization in the world. These candidates who stand before us tonight, see the real strength of the Catholic community is found in you, our lay people, their family members as well, who in nearly every corner of the globe bring the love of Jesus to bear in your own homes, work places, and local life.
For our six children present, they begin an adventure in trust and faith with Jesus as their friend and brother.
Steve, David and Jan know that sometimes we get it dreadfully wrong, that we don’t practice what we preach, and that we have to hold each other to account for our sinfulness and failings so that we can all be converted again, and again, by the Risen Christ’s love.
And so just when we might take the gift of faith in Christ, or our membership in the Church for granted, Jesus sends us the witnesses of our catechumens and converts to challenge and console us. Like Mary Magdalene and the other Mary in the Gospel, they have gone on a search for the Lord, and sometimes though, through events that seem like earthquakes, or in much more gentle ways, they have found a pointer to the meaning, direction and new life they were seeking. And in this search they have met Jesus.
It is Jesus who has calmed their fears, called them by name, and showed them the way, the truth and the life. With great joy Jesus sent them to join us where we gather and to announce to us, again, the Good News that we all need to constantly hear: “Christ is Risen just as He promised. The reign of sin is over, death is no more.”
Tonight is a holy night because of God’s faithful love that has given all of us the gift of resurrection faith in Jesus Christ the Risen Lord.
Amen! Alleluia! Amen! Msgr. Tom Adrians, Pastor Christ the King