HOMILY FOR EASTER VIGIL/EASTER SUNDAY

Fr Billy Swan

Dear friends. Imagine you found a hand-grenade and pulled out the pin. You had better throw it somewhere quick or run fast because in a matter of seconds, it will explode.

In the Gospels, the stone at the opening of Jesus’ tomb is like the pin of a hand-grenade. Once it was rolled away, an explosion of spiritual power burst forth that changed lives and changed history. The world would never be the same again.

It is ironic that when the women first noticed the stone rolled back at the entrance to the tomb, they assumed someone had broken in. The truth was that because of the resurrection, the One in the tomb had broken out.

Friends, that is why the resurrection of Jesus that we celebrate tonight/today, is explosive and dangerous because if God’s love is powerful enough to rise someone from the dead then everything is possible.

This revolution began in Jesus’ own lifetime. Before his resurrection, he burst out of every category that we humans made for him. They called him Master yet he had no servants; they called him teacher yet he had no degree; he had no medicines yet they called him healer; he had no army yet kings feared him; he won no military battles and yet he conquered the world; he did not live in a castle yet they called him Lord; he ruled no nations yet they called him king; he committed no crime yet they crucified him; he was buried in a tomb yet he lives today; his Kingdom is not of this world but it lies within the hearts of those who believe; he spoke of love and forgiveness and his words have transformed millions; he offers no material wealth yet we consider him the treasure of our lives; he promises no earthly power yet in his name the powerless have found strength; though he left no written words, his message has filled countless pages; in his weakness we find our strength; in his suffering, our salvation. Jesus remains the greatest man in history and invites us again into his story to offer the world new hope.

Because of tonight/today, that new hope is born for our world. On Saturday, a ceasefire was announced in the war between Russia and Ukraine to allow for the celebration of Easter. Even in the madness of it all, men of violence somehow know that Easter is about peace and that the ceasefire is a sign of hope for a peace that will last.

For all who are struggling tonight/today to see beyond a personal or family crisis, may the power of the resurrection break open a new horizon and allow you to see the light of hope. For all who are sick and feel trapped by their illness, hope is trusting that Jesus is with us in the darkest moments of the cross when we have no explanations and do not know what is going to happen next.

For those who are struggling to find a job or a home or someone to love, the hope of Easter helps us to see a bigger picture and a future even better than the one we had planned.

For those caught in the tomb of addiction, the hope of Easter pulls us away from what we are addicted to and restores us to hope and freedom.

For those who are about to die, the promise of Jesus is stronger than death for as we share in his death we will also share his life.

To conclude. In his 2016 Easter message, former British Prime Minister David Cameron described Easter as celebrating: “Values of responsibility, hard work, charity, compassion, and pride in working for the common good, and honouring the social obligations we have to one another, to our families, and our communities”. For others, Easter is just a bank holiday weekend.

If this is all Easter is, then how boring it would be!! But they are wrong. The resurrection of Jesus is an explosion, a spiritual revolution and because of that rolled back stone, hope is born again. May we not be lacking in the boldness and courage we need today to proclaim the hope born of the resurrection with the same joy and conviction as the early Apostles, saints and martyrs.