Homily: Tuesday in the Octave of Easter 2022
Tuesday in the Octave of Easter 2022 (John 20: 11-18) “Let Go and Spread the News”
I have always been struck by Jesus’ words to Mary Magdalene at the tomb on Easter Morning. “Stop holding on to me….”. First, these words remind us again that Jesus is not a ghost. We do not wrap our arms around a ghost. Jesus was present to Mary body and spirit. The interaction between Mary and Jesus affirm that Jesus lived in a completely new form.
The words also strike me as strange because if I were Mary I certainly would want to hang on to the risen Lord. Why would she want to let go of such a wonderful encounter? I would want to stay with Jesus forever. Isn’t that our goal, to end up with Jesus for all eternity? Yet, Jesus says let go.
Jesus seems to be reminding Mary that she still had work to do on the earth. She has an encounter with the risen Lord, but she cannot selfishly use that for her own edification. She is charged as an apostle to tell others what she has seen and heard. Her vocation is to win souls for Christ. What if every Catholic Christian took that seriously? The joy of the resurrection would be spread far and wide.
Jesus is alive. Easter season is a time to pay attention to his presence among us. Do we have resurrection experiences? This Sunday was a resurrection experience for me. It has been three years since we had a full church at Easter. There were people present that I had not seen since the pandemic began. There seemed to be a different spirit in the church. I think people were aware of what they had missed by not being able to attend Sunday Mass.
We could sing. We could celebrate our faith. I saw a lot of smiling faces. I could have stayed in the church forever enjoying the true presence of Jesus. But that is not my vocation or yours. We need to tell others about what we experienced. There is so much sadness in the world. Can we strike up a conversation and say… “Guess where I was Sunday.” Maybe our palpable joy will cause others to see and believe.
Reflection Questions:
- Have I shared a religious experience with others? What was that experience?
- Do I tend to view religious experiences as something that are a private matter? What holds me back from sharing them?
Dear Parishioners,
If you have not turned in your Rice Bowl donations, please do so soon. Just bring the money back to church and we will pass it on to Catholic Relief Services. The money will eventually help those who are suffering in Ukraine.
This Sunday our confirmands will be receiving the sacrament from Bishop Tylka. Please pray for them as they make their final preparations. This should be another wonderful Easter celebration.
May Our Lady of Peace pray for an end to wars throughout the world.
Fr. Mark