March 31, 2013: Easter Sunday
After one of the masses, one of the parishioners remained to ask me a difficult question. She said, “I remember from the Apostle’s Creed, the words ‘He was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell.’ I don’t see that in the new translation of the Creed. Did he really descend into hell?” I told her I would have to talk to her later for I couldn’t put together a satisfying answer within a minute. After that I was thinking about that question. If I mention the word, ‘hell,’ what images come to our mind? Let me mention some words and see if these apply: peace, harmony, friendship, faith, hope, love. These words don’t fit do they? I think the most fitting description of ‘hell’ is willful separation from everyone especially God.
I had an experience early this week that gave me a glimpse of such a place. Three priests including myself were inside a jail to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I was led into an area, but the only suitable room available for confession was an empty solitary confinement cell. A guard informed me that the cell is used to house men who cause discord and inflict injury on other inmates. The door to the cell is made of heavy gauge solid steel with a slot for a meal tray and a small opening with metal grill. First I sat in complete darkness, for the light in the room is controlled by the central security desk. Once the light came on, I noticed the stainless commode and two benches that form the bed for this small 8 feet by 6 feet cell. I could not shake the feeling that Jesus wanted to enter into these solitary cells and reach the hearts of Heavenly Father’s sons and daughters who willfully separated themselves from their family and friends. Jesus does not want to leave them here, in that tomb-like place; he wants them to be freed from their spiritual death caused by selfishness, addiction, and hatred.
What these inmates experienced in that cell after the Sacrament of Reconciliation gives us a glimpse of what the women and Peter experienced when they approached the empty tomb. For Peter the guilt and shame of his denial of Jesus weighed heavy the morning after Jesus’ body was put in the tomb. His heavy guilt was no different than the heavy steel door behind which inmates are locked in solitary confinement. What a surprise then for Peter when he heard the fantastic news from women who had come back from Jesus’ tomb. They had encountered an angel who said, “He is not here, but he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day.” Peter was no longer preoccupied with his three denials of Jesus, and he began to ponder all the times that Jesus had told him about how he would die but then rise again. Peter began to see with his eyes of faith; Jesus was risen just as he had promised and he would be with them until the end of the world. Peter came to realize that Jesus had not give up on him. Peter was set free from self-imposed hopelessness.
The shock caused by his passion and death on the cross was so great that the apostles were slow to believe in the news of the Resurrection. Where does all this leave us? We can’t be present like the women and Peter at the empty tomb. We must live by faith, not by sight. Yet if we would believe in Jesus we must see him somehow. What must we do to believe?
It’s harder for us because twenty centuries have gone by since Jesus walked the earth. At the end of the day, however, all disciples--whether those that lived in the time of Jesus or the present day--are essentially equal. All have to make the leap of faith.
The inmates had a profound encounter that day as they heard the voice of living and Risen Jesus speak to them personally through the mouths of priests. “I absolve you from all your sins, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” There may be moments that that we feel abandoned in our time of need or we may be beaten down by our past sins and by the world and evil ways. Let us remember that no earthly trials, not even crucifixion or any other earthly death is able to crush our Hope for Resurrection in Christ Jesus our Lord.
