Easter Sunday of the Passion of the Lord (Year A)
The glory of God reveals his authority. His authority, unlike human authority, takes nothing and makes something. He takes the destruction and reconstructs. He rules over life and death. The audacity to believe that God has the power and the plan to make something out of nothing bewilders even the most ardent; yet, the Paschal Mystery, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, displays God’s authority to change suffering into healing, sin into forgiveness, and death into the life. How do we respond to such unbelievable display of loving authority?
Cleopas, brother to St. Joseph and one of his most faithful disciples, doubted the resurrection, leaving Jerusalem declaring: “Some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive” (Lk 24:22–23). His apostles clueless never understood what He meant when He prophesized, “The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day” (Mt 17:22–23). St. Thomas, the defender of the faith declared his loyalty before the crucifixion, stating, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16), cannot and will not believe in the resurrection until he sees, touches, and talks with Jesus.
At the beginning of his ministry Jesus telling the authorities “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn 2:19) completely confused the Jews. They thought he was talking about the temple which took 46 years to build. Whereas Jesus was taking about his body: “Destroy this body and I will raise it up in three days (John 2:19).
Despite all the confusion concerning the resurrection, authentic Christianity declares Easter, the Paschal Mystery “stands at the center” of Christianity (CCC, #. 571). All teaching and preaching along with all rituals and sacraments point to Paschal Mystery. This mystery, the resurrection of Christ, is the source of light, and “fills the whole liturgical year with its brilliance” (CCC, # 1168).
At the Transfiguration, Jesus radiated glory revealing his power and majesty to his apostles. At his death, Jesus radiated his love penetrating even the hardened criminal offering him paradise despite his sinfulness. Jesus, claiming divinity even upon the cross, forgives not just the thief but everyone, commanding his Father, “Forgive them they know not what they do” (Luke 23:24). After this, bowing his head, Jesus dies. His death, however, does not lead to despair.
After his death, the Lord of Glory went into the abode of the dead, sheol, “because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God” (CCC, #164). Jesus radiates his glory and authority into the abode of the dead where the righteous and unrighteous dwell. Those who were righteous—hopeful—see his glory, accept his authority, and rise to everlasting life (CCC # 635). His glory radiated the depths of darkness revealing his authority over all of history.
At his resurrection, after his three days in the tomb, once again, the glory of the Lord radiates. He takes back his authority over life, destroys death, and even the cause of death itself, sin. On that morning, He rolls back the stone from the tomb and declares: “I am the resurrection he who believes in me has eternal life” (John 11:25). He is the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep (I Cor 15:20), because He died, was buried, but rose and glorifies all those who believe.
Faith, illuminated by the Divine Light, penetrates the darkness of our doubt and creates eternal hope. This hope, a gift of God’s presence, penetrates the authority of the Paschal Mystery: God brings life out of death. The resurrected Jesus fulfills our hope, that anticipation to partake in the glory and authority of God, the Father.
In the beginning, God breathed life into the world. Life blossomed, becoming fruitful and multiplied. Now at the end of the age, the Old Covenant, when sin entered and flourished, causing death to reign—not life—God intervened. He promised Eve a Son from her seed that would destroy death and restore life. This seed, Jesus the Son of God and Son of Mary, is our hope. He fulfills the promises made of old.
Born of the Woman, born in time, Jesus questions everyone’s faith even those He loved, including Martha and her brother Lazarus whom He loved. Waiting for him to die, Jesus arrives at the tomb, asking,
I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? (Jn 11:25–26).
How Incredulous! Appearing as a man declaring Himself God, Jesus asks us to belief in Him. St. John’s Gospel displays the intensity of opposition to Jesus’ request.
If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father. Again they tried to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. (Jn 10:37–39).
Jesus proves his authority over life and death, sin and evil, disease and illness. He even has dominion over the wind, air, fire, and water. Yet, doubt, disbelief, denial, and distrust plagued many. They could not and would not believe. They couldn’t because their hearts hardened in pride, blinded by his light, they refuse to see what they saw and understand what they heard. They choose darkness despite the light Christ created healing the sick, calming the storms, forgiving sin, and even raising the dead.
The darkness intensified when Jesus was arrested, tried, convicted, and crucified. No greater proof of his seeming deception came when Jesus, hanging cursed as a criminal accused as a blasphemer bowed his head and said “It is finished” (John 19:30). Jesus was dead. So was the light of faith his followers had. Darkness ruled. Despair overwhelmed. Christ the Light was seemingly dead.
Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea wrapped his body in the shroud, put it in the tomb, sealed the grave with the stone, and the Roman’s guarded it. His brutal death convinced his followers to abandon Him, even despair and declare they never knew him. The light Jesus brought while alive became the black death betraying his believers as they scattered, hiding from their fate. They too were to be killed, crucified for following this false prophet who preached fairytales and fantasies. He claimed to be God, though man. He would cheat death and rise from the dead. And He did.
Cleopas saw and believed. Thomas touched and believed. Peter, the betrayer, repented and believed. Mary the Magdalene saw, spoke, and touched him, holding on him for he was alive. Blessed are we, though we have not seen, nor touched, nor spoke to Him, but we believe. We believe Jesus, the author of life and the glory of God made human. He did suffer but forgave. He did die but rose. He was buried but swallowed up sin and death. We believe, not because others told us to believe, but in the tenderness of our heart, the hand of God touched us; He whispered in our hearts; and filled us with the glory of the Lord, Jesus Christ, the Man once dead lives forever (Rev. 1:18).
Today, and every day, we sing, I believe in God. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe in the Holy Spirit. and I “look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the of the world to come. Amen” (Nicene Creed).