Acts 10:34, 37-43; Col 3:1-4; Jn 20:1-9
A woman and his
bad-tempered husband went on vacation to Jerusalem. While they were there, the
husband suffered a heart attack and died. The undertaker told the wife, “You
can have him shipped home for $5,000, or you can bury him here, in the Holy
Land, for $150.”
The woman thought
about it and told him she would just have him shipped home. The undertaker
asked, “Why would you spend $5,000 to ship your husband home, when it would be
wonderful to be buried here and you would spend only $150?”
The woman replied,
“Long ago a man died here, was buried here, and three days later he rose from
the dead. I just can’t take that chance.”
(The story is from an unknown author)
Today the whole Christendom commemorates with great joy the day of
the Lord’s resurrection. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead is something
that we proclaim in every celebration of the Eucharist. And yet, we also assign
a special day to tell the world that our Lord conquered death once and for all,
that the tomb could not hold on to Him who is the very source of life.
We rejoice in the Lord’s resurrection because it is a powerful
reminder that Jesus triumphed in the end, not the power of darkness and sin.
For a while, it seemed that evil had the final say and darkness had
overshadowed light. Evil succeeded to falsely accuse Jesus and to condemn Him
to death. The power of darkness also managed to cast doubts and fears in the
hearts of Jesus’ disciples which led them to desert Him. But not until the time
of the resurrection when Jesus showed the world that he is the sovereign Lord
of life.
The good news of the resurrection is important because sometimes
we are tempted to think that evil is more powerful than the good and that the
wicked are more fortunate than the righteous. We are made to think this way
whenever we see bad people living in affluence and good people suffering from
poverty. We need to remind ourselves that things aren’t always what they seem.
What appears to be a good life may not really be good; and what seems to be a
bad situation may not in fact be bad. As believers of the resurrection, we need
to trust that the righteous will always be at peace in their hearts, but not so
the wicked. God is happy with the upright and He will grant them the reward of
eternal joy in heaven.
The Lord’s resurrection reminds that we will not end up in the
grave but in everlasting life. The sacrificial death of Christ on the cross is
followed by his sitting at the right hand of the Father (Heb 1:3) and in him,
we gain a mediator per excellence who will intercede eternally on our behalf
(Heb 2:18). We are now hopeful of walking and passing thru the same gate that
leads to the Father’s home (Heb 6:20). As St. Paul says: “For since we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him
those who have died” (1 Thes 4:13). Now, we can face physical death with full
confidence that the Risen Christ has swallowed up death in victory and will
awaken those who have died at his coming (1 Cor 15:51-56). Like Paul, we now
have the courage to say, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is
your sting?” (1 Cor 15:55). Therefore, a believer’s death should never be seen
as a tragedy because “the Christian who unites his own death to that of Jesus
views it as a step towards him and an entrance into everlasting life” (CCC,
1020).
If we really believe in the resurrection, then we have to live our
life in preparation for the life to come. This is the clear invitation of Saint
Paul in our second reading: “If you have been
raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at
the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things
that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in
God” (Col 3:1-3).
What a powerful
reminder this is for all of us! How many of us live lives as if there is no
tomorrow? We work and work as if there is no tomorrow. How much money is
enough? How much possession can satisfy us? Sometimes, we also eat
and drink as if there is no tomorrow. We don’t care about our health as long as
we enjoy life now or as long as we get much money today. Obviously, this is the
attitude of people who do not truly believe in another life to come.
What are things that are above? They are nothing but the values of
the kingdom of God that Jesus would like us to keep. Some of them are described
by Saint Paul: “Put on then, as God’s chosen
ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness,
and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a
grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace
of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one
body” (Col
3:12-15).
