26th April 2009 :: 3rd Sunday of Easter
The Secular world has moved on from the celebration of Easter and is now gearing up for the Summer Holidays. However in the Liturgy of the Church the mystery of Easter is continuing to take center stage. In today’s gospel reading from St Luke we once again hear about one of the post Resurrection appearances of Jesus and yet again he greets his disciples with the words ‘peace be with you’. He then shows them once again the wounds of his passion, and then as if to give final confirmation he asks them for something to eat.
This gospel passage is important for us who live in the very scientific 21st Century. Some commentators have in the last number of decades attempted to water down the whole bodily resurrection of Christ, saying that Jesus did not really rise from the dead, and that the reaction of the disciples was one borne out of sheer grief, they somehow got themselves together and began the biggest lie ever, that he had risen from the dead. However as St Paul says to us if Christ is not raised from the dead, our hope is in vain, in other words you may as well all leave right now, everything we do here each Sunday is a deceit. For me the transformation in the disciples of Jesus speaks volumes. These fragile men, who all fled bar St. John at the arrest of Jesus suddenly boldly were able to proclaim the resurrection of the Christ. Each of them would rather die rather than renounce what they knew to be true. Would we die for a lie? Surely some of us would cave in to save ourselves, but they did not.
For me St Peter is a great model of someone who was so changed by the resurrection. This humble and impetuous fisherman made the journey all the way to Imperial Rome and there witnessed to the one who had called him by the Sea of Galilee. In Pagan Rome he never flinched in proclaiming the truth of Christ, and the reality of the resurrection. May his courage help us when we doubt; and his example continue to inspire us. Amen.
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Homilies Archive
17nd May 2009
26th April 2009
3rd Sunday of Easter
12th April 2009
Easter Sunday
9th April 2009
Holy Thursday
29th March 2009
5th Sunday in Lent
22nd March 2009
4th Sunday in Lent
17th March 2009
St Patrick's Day
15th March 2009
3rd Sunday in Lent
8th March 2009
2nd Sunday in Lent
1st March 2009
1st Sunday in Lent
25th February 2009
Ash Wednesday
22nd February 2009
8th February 2009
1st February 2009
25th January 2009
18th January 2009
11th January 2009
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
6th January 2009
Feast of the Epiphany
4th January 2009
2008 HOMILIES ARCHIVE
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