April 4, 2021: Easter Sunday B
April 4, 2021: Easter Sunday B
Audio Homily: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/paulyi777/4-4-21_Easter_Sunday_B.mp3
It was Easter Sunday 1951. A group of eighty men gathered inside a bombed out church. The previous day they had cleared the area of debris so that they could hold an Easter sunrise service. Fr. Emil Kapaun, the Catholic priest from Kansas who was the presider, looked around at the men gathered there. Some wore dirty, tattered American uniforms, some wore British uniforms, and others simply wore whatever garments their captors provided them. The priest managed to celebrate Mass without a chalice, a patten, hosts, or wine, for there were none to be found in this church in the Chinese Prisoner of War (POW) camp in frigid North Korea. He preached about the Way of the Cross, describing Christ’s condemnation, torture, and death. The captives who had been mocked, tormented, and beaten by captors in the POW camp listened intently to the priest. Fr. Emil then held up a Rosary and reflected on the Glorious Mysteries--the mysteries of Christ’s resurrection, ascension, and his victory over death for all time. He finished his homily reflecting on Jesus reconciling us to the Father through the forgiveness of sins. Fr. Emil then baptized a catechumen; the soldier was so inspired while in the prison camp by the hope he found in Christ through the witness of Fr. Emil, that he desired to become Catholic. At the end of the Holy Mass, someone started singing the familiar ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic’: “In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me. As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free, While God is marching on.”
We heard from the Gospel that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. She represents all of us who have lost something precious and are grieving. She was so full of hope when she followed Jesus; yet on Sunday morning as she walked to the tomb, she remained numb, suffering from grief and from uncertainty of what to do next.
We are no strangers to suffering as each of us has experienced unique challenges and tragedies throughout our lives. Yet, we have received from Jesus hope that transcends mere optimism or empty encouragement. We gather (tonight) today as men and women who are transfigured by Christ’s death and resurrection. Pope Francis said,
“Jesus plants in our hearts the conviction that God is able to make everything work unto good, because even from the grave he brings life. The grave is the place where no one who enters ever leaves. But Jesus emerged for us; he rose for us, to bring life where there was death, to begin a new story in the very place where a stone had been placed. He who rolled away the stone that sealed the entrance of the tomb can also remove the stones in our hearts.”
The empty tomb of Jesus tells us that there could not have been an Easter without the pain and sacrifice of Good Friday. So the empty tomb should rally our spirits and encourage us to trust and believe that with Jesus, even in our darkest moments, his light can shine in the least expected and most hidden corners of our lives.
Shortly all of us will be renewing our baptismal promises, to remind ourselves of the newness of life that we have received from the Resurrection. Whoever dies with Christ will rise with him for eternal glory. Let this day (night) be a new beginning for you. If your relationship with Christ has been lukewarm, let this be a new beginning for you. People who encounter the Risen Christ are never the same, for those who encounter the Risen Christ become a new person, a new creation in Christ. Let us go forth to tell others about the Risen Christ. Let us be the instruments of God’s grace and forgiveness. The men who survived the POW camp received a treasure at the Easter celebration with Fr. Emil Kapaun. Even in the deepest pit, the Risen Christ was with them. Please join me in singing the refrain of ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic.’
“Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! His truth is marching on.”
