With Burning Hearts: The Immanuel Experience!

(Homily for the 3^rd Sunday of Easter Year A)

     The mystery of Jesus’ Resurrection is the nucleus of the fulfillment of all that God promised in the Scriptures. The Event of Christ’s Resurrection is at the center of today’s readings. In the three readings we see a convinced proclamation of the realism and thus the credibility of the Resurrection, for what was a mere figure in the Old covenant became in Jesus a reality. In the Gospel we see the Risen Lord walking and accompanying the two disciples of Emmaus, he “explains the scriptures to them starting from Moses to all the Prophets.” In the First reading, Peter in his first discourse on the Resurrection to the Jews of Jerusalem, cites the words of Prophet Joel, and there we could see a sort of an anticipation of the Resurrection of Christ, “for you will not abandon me to Hades or allow your holy one to see corruption” (Acts. 2:27). The second reading traces the divine plan of God even from eternity, “He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake” (1Pt. 1:20). The three readings proclaim incessantly the realism of the Resurrection of Jesus, as basically the work of God.

     In fact, as St. Augustine would have it, “The New Testament is found hidden in the Old Testament”, as such he indicated the process of continuity in the Revelation of God, in the course of Salvation history. Little wonder, Jesus explained the Scriptures to the two disciples of Emmaus, what Moses (The Pentateuch) and the Prophets said about His Event. What could be the texts that Jesus was alluding to when he was speaking to these disciples? Even though St. Luke does not mention any here, but reading through the Old Testament we can make references to Deut. 32:39, where God is revealed as the One “who gives death and life”; Amos 9:2, where it is said that “God has power even over Sheol”, and in Psalm 16:10: “for you will not abandon me to Sheol, you cannot allow your faithful servant to see the abyss” etc. In as much as we talk about continuity in Divine Revelation, we cannot but emphasize that the New Testament surpasses the Old Testament, mainly the passage from the presentation of  Resurrection as a mere figure, to the reality itself of Jesus’ Resurrection in the New Testament. The mystery of the Resurrection was hidden in the heart of the Father, and he left a spark of it in the Old Testament in order to reawaken hope in his people. In the New Testament the Father reveals His Heart not by mere words, but through facts and actions, by rising Jesus from the dead. An insuperable mystery that surpasses the strength of reason and the revelation of the Old Testament, as it continues to be “scandal”, for the Jews and for unbelievers. But for us, who believe, it is the power of God and the wisdom of God (cf. 1Cor. 2:1-5).

     In the Gospel (Lk. 24:13-35) St. Luke presents one of the most interesting narratives in the New Testament and the most beautiful of all the appearances stories. It is indeed, a Gospel in a Gospel. Jesus in this encounter sums up the whole history of salvation and shows us two major ways of recognizing him: through the word and the breaking of the bread (the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the Eucharist, as it takes place in every Mass), two elements that are intrinsic to his person, identity and mission. Truly, this story warms the heart; it makes our heart burn also. The narrative revolves around two disciples, popularly identified as the disciples of Emmaus, who were on a retrogressive journey to their Land. On their way, they were talking and discussing, but shrouded in doubt and fear, with some dints of unbelief. “Jesus drew near and went with them” (v.15). Now in their midst, he walked with them, He accompanied them (A God who is a companion of man), he reminded them of His words and taught them the Scriptures. Yet, his appearance did not take their doubt and fear away, rather something was gradually happening deep within them, which they will confess at the end.

     If we paid attention we see that St. Luke talks about two disciples, but he mentioned the name of one of them Cleopas, and the other is unknown to us as far as the Lucan Gospel is concerned. There is a traditional belief that it could probably be a man Cleopas and his wife. But in my reflection I would like to consider the idea of not mentioning the second name as symbolic, for the unknown disciple is a representation of all mankind, you and I. While Cleopas represents the specific disciples, the other disciple is you and I. For the Event of Jesus is to reach the whole of the earth, to cover the whole world, and to touch all mankind. It has to reach geographically everywhere. It has to cover socially all human affairs and conditions. And above all, it has to touch spiritually the deepest depth of man, his heart, mind and conscience. Drawing the issue further, I would like to remember another interpretative key to this narrative given by Bishop R. Barron in his homily with the caption: “Emmaus and Genesis”, he considered the journey of the two disciples as a journey away from the Garden, from salvation, like Adam and Eve they turned to walk in a wrong direction. No matter what we do God comes to walk with us, like in Genesis he comes seeking us out from our hideout.

     The Lucan episode of the appearance of the Risen Lord to the two disciples of Emmaus serves in no small way as a help for Christians of all times, to be on the move towards the discovery and rediscovery of the presence of the Risen Lord. This is one of the most suggestive passages of the Gospel of St. Luke. The two disciples on their way to Emmaus were downcast and disappointed, they were already conjugating their hope in the past, “We thought he would be the one to set Israel free” (Lk. 24:21). Like them, sometimes we are so heavy burdened by fear and unbelief that we begin to conjugate our hope in the past. “I thought, I was thinking, Had it been, But” etc. Certainly, they were aware that some of the women and the apostles talked about a vision of an Angel who affirmed that He is alive, they were also aware that some of the apostles ran to the tomb and they saw the tomb empty. This certainly must have been a trying moment for the apostles, but instead of scattering, they gathered together in Jerusalem, yet after hearing all this, these two disciples set out on a journey of separation from the community of believers. Here we see the Devil at work, as the one who divides and scatters. Practically they did not believe in the Resurrection of Christ, disappointed as they were, they wanted to distance themselves from Jerusalem, from the other disciples. But incredibly, the mystery of Jesus’ Resurrection is a “moving mystery”, as they try to run away from it, the mystery goes to meet them. He walks alongside them, he flanked them, but they could not recognize him.

     Along the journey Jesus rebuked those two disciples for their disorientation and lack of understanding. They were walking with the main Actor of their discussion and story without recognizing Him. But they needed to open their hearts and see with the eyes of faith. However, we see a gradual knowledge of Jesus by the two disciples in that journey. They distanced themselves from the rest of the disciples. Here there is a movement towards Emmaus, distancing themselves from the Holy City, but they will embark on a converse journey, going back to Jerusalem, this second movement is a journey of conversion, leaving their old life and reality and going back to the new life that the Risen Christ offers in the midst of the brothers. As we can see, Jesus called the two disciples to a change of destination, from their houses and the plan of going back may be to their former life, to go and be united with the other disciples in Jerusalem. So that they will be part of the movement for his Mission. Today Jesus is still meeting and accompanying us on our different existential roads, and he continues to call us to be part of the movement for his Mission. Today, some of us are heading towards wrong destinations but he is calling us back, we pray to have the Immanuel experience so as to rediscover his presence and turn towards the right destination.

     In this passage we see in the Risen Lord a God who goes to encounter man in his doubt, unbelief and even desperation. A God who does not impose himself, rather he proposes to man. Even, in the journey he respected the pace of each one. Little wonder, he respected their doubts, their unbelief and their fear, even though he reproached them and reminded them of His words concerning his Event. He re-explained to them the Scriptures and when they approached their destination, they invited this unknown stranger to stay with them. The Lord accepted their invitation and manifested himself conspicuously in the breaking of Bread. To crown it all, at table “he took the bread and blessed and broke it.” Certainly with a gesture well known to them and so typical of him; lo and behold, all fears, all doubts, all unbelief, all desperation disappeared. Now no more doubt! It is He! They now understood why their hearts were burning. Jesus is recognized at the breaking of the bread, not only with his explanation of the Scriptures. Therefore, we may well affirm that the sacrament illumines the word of God. In this encounter, the two disciples had a personal experience of the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. After the breaking of the Bread, and when Jesus disappeared from their midst without hesitation they began their journey back to Jerusalem, to go and share with the apostles what has happened, and there they found all attesting that “truly the Lord is risen and he has appeared to Simon” (Lk. 24:34). They went back to Jerusalem in order to rediscover the value of community, being together and sharing the Immanuel experience. Indeed, the highest spiritual experience is to feel and have the assurance of being accompanied by God. And that is the Immanuel experience. When Christ walks alongside with us, even when we are erring, he will redirect our steps to the Father. In the Immanuel experience the presence of Jesus revitalizes, vivifies, redirects our steps and sets us on the move!

     By means of this life changing event on the road to Emmaus, St. Luke intends to communicate to us as he did to the early Christians that Jesus the Risen Lord is alive, and he is in our midst even today. And one may ask how? ●We encounter Him in the Sacred Scriptures, little wonder St. Jerome opined that “ignorance of the Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” ●We encounter Him in the celebration of the Eucharist, “at the breaking of the Bread”, as did the two disciples of Emmaus. ●We encounter Him in the Christian Communities that professes her faith around Peter and with Peter. ●The Risen Christ is encountered in the community that works in his name, sanctifying souls through the sacraments and healing bodies by the power of his name. We remember the miracle at the Beautiful Gate by Peter: “In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” (Acts. 3:6).

     In the first reading (Acts 2:14.22-33) we see part of the kerygmatic speech of Peter on the day of Pentecost. It introduced the central events of the death and resurrection of Jesus, with a reference to the earthly ministry of Jesus and ends with the proof of the resurrection. For Peter the faith in the Risen Christ cannot be closed up in the private, deep within the individual consciences, rather it has to explode in a joyful and courageous proclamation. He is a prototype a true Christian, a splendid example for every disciple of Christ. A Christian is one who proclaims with a high voice his faith in Jesus Christ died and raised, he or she proclaims it courageously and publicly.

     In the second reading (1Pt.1:17-21) St. Peter affirms rigorously that God raised Jesus from the dead. And this is the fundamental nucleus of our Kerygma. This is always the joyful proclamation: The crucified and risen Christ. However, St. Peter invites each and every one of us to recognize and be conscious of the price that was paid for our Redemption. A call therefore, to be value his Presence, the Immanuel experience! In that bid, he affirmed that in the Christ Event “we were ransomed by the blood of the lamb”, thereby interpreting the death of Christ in terms of the Passover. And again, blood alludes to the event of the cross, where Jesus surrendered himself totally to the Father for our liberation.

     Above all, in today’s Gospel passage St. Luke intends to give us a consoling message, his intent is to help us to rediscover the presence of the Risen Lord, to be conscious that he walks with us, He is our companion in our earthly and spiritual journey, especially those moments we are disoriented, confused and at the verge of giving up, especially at this particular time in the world history. He is close to us with his Words (The Scriptures) and the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. Invariably this narrative of St. Luke is replete with a message of hope for us, the present disciples of Jesus, and that is the fact that Jesus is alive, he has risen and he is present in the world. He is present in different ways: The Scriptures is the first way of discovering the presence of the Risen Lord in our midst. The breaking of the Bread is the second way. Then the third way is what they two disciples did, by inviting Him: “Stay with us Lord, because it is evening”. This invocation is at the heart of the Immanuel experience. Their caring heart and gesture occasioned the breaking of the Bread. If they had not invited him, they would not have recognized Him. Lastly, the fourth way is in fraternal communion with the brethren (little wonder they went back to Jerusalem). May we all join our voices together to those of the disciples in saying: “Stay with us Lord”, in our life, in our families, and in all that we do! Let us thank the Lord Jesus for making Himself available to us, for being so ready to accompany us in our daily life and equally desirous of giving himself to us in the Eucharist. May the Risen Christ help us not to remain slaves to our interpretations and world views. May He open our hearts to welcome his words and his presence in our life. Happy Sunday Friends!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)

An Encounter with The Merciful Lord!

(Homily for the 2^nd Sunday of Easter Year A)

Divine Mercy Sunday

     If the last Sunday, Easter Day underlined the mystery of the Resurrection, this present one is more of the human response to the mystery of Christ’s Resurrection and his Absence-Presence. The “apparitions” or rather appearances of the Resurrected Christ to his apostles and disciples are not mere apparitions, but they are encounters, meetings with the person of the Risen Lord, because the concept of “apparition” tends to limit the event to an appearance of a ghost. But it is the concept of “encounter” that depicts very well the realism of the Resurrection. Having established the credibility of this realism, he sends his apostles out. As we read in the Gospel, Apostle Thomas is probably the paradigm of every man in the journey of faith: a passage from incredulity to faith in the Risen Christ, from the search of evidence to the joyful profession of faith, from skepticism to certitude of faith, occasioned by the immensity of Divine Mercy. In the first reading, the community of Jerusalem proclaims her faith in the Risen Lord, when they reunite every Sunday to listen to the teachings of the apostles and to celebrate in fraternal communion the breaking of the Bread: sign of the mystery of Christ’s Death and Resurrection. In the second reading St. Peter applauds those who believe without seeking for evidence: “You have not seen him, yet you love him, and still without seeing him you believe in him” (1Pt. 1:8).

     Today being Divine Mercy Sunday we are called to celebrate God's Mercy, for the whole world is enveloped in and by the mercy of God. Indeed, it behooves us today to affirm and reaffirm that Mercy is the most eloquent attribute of God. Mercy is the interpretative key to all the Mysteries of God and to all the Events of our Lord Jesus. For instance: ●The creation of man is a sign of God's merciful love. ●The incarnation of Jesus is purely a manifestation of the Divine Mercy. ●The signs and miracles performed by Jesus are equally splendid manifestation of God's mercy. ●The Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ are maximum expressions of Divine Mercy. ●The Resurrection doubtlessly is also an ultimate manifestation of God's mercy. As Pope Francis would say, Mercy is another name of God. In her Diary, St. Faustina attributed the following words to the Merciful Lord: “Encourage souls to place great trust in My fathomless mercy. Let the weak, sinful soul have no fear to approach Me, for even if it had more sins that there are grains of sand in the world, all will be drowned in the immeasurable depths of My mercy”. Indeed, the responsorial Psalm picks up this theme of the endless mercy of God: “His mercy endures forever.”

     It is reassuring to all of us sinners to know that God’s mercy is beyond our imagination and the human doubt. Jesus invited Thomas to the Sacred Heart and He is doing same to us today. The story of Thomas no doubt is so appropriate for this Divine Mercy Sunday. The words of Thomas reveal to us a journey of faith and the journey reaches its apex in the mercy of our Lord. Even though he was one of the apostles but nothing much was known about Thomas, however he spoke and intervened four good remarkable times in the Gospels: ●First, when Jesus received the news of the death of Lazarus and wanted to go there even after the threat of the Jews, he said: “Let us go also and die with him” (Jn.11:16). ●Second, when Jesus says he was going to the Father, he spoke up: “Lord, we do no not know the where you are going; how can we know the way? Jesus answered I am the way and the truth and the life” (Jn.14:5-6). ●Third, is his famous doubt in today’s Gospel passage: “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (Jn.20:25). ●And lastly, his surrender and proclamation of faith: “My Lord and my God” (Jn.20:28). These four interventions of Thomas depict four emotions that characterize a journey of faith: frustration, questioning, seeking proof and proclamation of faith.

     In the Gospel (Jn. 20:19-31) we are presented with the account of the two appearances of the risen Lord: first, to the disciples on Easter evening, and second to Thomas a week later, and the latter is peculiar to St. John. In this episode the purpose of the appearances of the Risen Lord is now seen as a way of establishing his identity. Prior to this, the earlier tradition presented the Risen Lord from a more spiritual dimension, here instead, we see an emphasis on the physical reality of the risen One, and this preserves the truth, the realism and the identity of the crucified – risen Christ. St. John underlines with vigor that Christ who appears and who is in the midst of his disciples is a living and real Being, the same Jesus  that was nailed on the Cross, for this he shows the hands and the side, those are the signs of martyrdom (v.20). He equally underlined the different ways of manifestation of Jesus before and after the Resurrection. There is a profound difference: He enters now unexpectedly, even when the doors are locked. Indeed, this Gospel periscope is replete with many themes, ranging from apparitions of the risen Lord, faith of the apostles, to the gifts of the Risen Lord to his people.

     However, the episode of the Gospel is equally situated in the context of a Christian community. Let us take into consideration the two great gifts that the Risen Christ brought to the first Christian community of the apostles reunited in the Cenacle: Jesus gave them the gift of peace “Peace be with you”. Peace biblically embraces all the divine promises: grace, blessing, divine benevolence, interior serenity and salvation. Secondly, he gave them the gift of the Holy Spirit. “He breathed on them and said: receive the Holy Spirit”. Upon this, he gave them a mandate as well: “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained” (Jn. 20:23). The Holy Spirit was given to the first Christian community and to the entire church, specifically for the remission of sins, and for the regeneration of men in the life of grace. Having received this Gift are we regenerated?

     Thomas wanted to see him in his presence before he would believe in his absence. After his appearance he disappeared. Every time he was recognized off he was. In fact, in a way the Easter story is much more a story of his disappearances, than of his appearances. Indeed, it was as if he wanted to tell them something, to tell them: Now up to you, even though I am alive, but I will be absent, so it is up to you, little wonder he breathed on them and gave them the Holy Spirit. Anyone who has the Christ experience must have a change or transformation of life. And the attitude of Jesus towards Thomas the unbelieving apostle, reflects greatly God’s faithfulness and mercy, who condescended to accept the incredulity of man, in order to bring him to an unwavering faith, to a solid and definitive faith: “My Lord and My God”. This has become an uninterrupted confession of faith of the Church in the Resurrection of Christ.

     The evangelist wants to present Jesus to the Church in the new existential condition of the Risen, as the one to whom “every power in heaven and earth” (Mt.28:18) has been given to, and he transmits this power to his Church, the first is to forgive sins and second, the proclamation of the Lordship of Christ, and this is truly the real meaning of Easter, “It was for this purpose that Christ both died and came to life again: so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living” (Rm. 14:9). In order to express their certainty in the presence of Jesus, the first disciples of Jesus, were using the title Lord, in Greek Kyrios, Jesus is the Lord, this was the oldest and simplest form of the profession of faith of the Christians, “if you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and if you believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rm.10:9). The Lordship of Jesus is founded on his resurrection, and he continues to reign. And it is the Holy Spirit that empowers us to make this proclamation of faith, for “nobody is able to say, Jesus is Lord except in the Holy Spirit” (1Cor. 12:3).

     The episode of today’s Gospel relative to the two apparitions of the Risen Christ teaches us also the importance of faith in our relationship with Christ. In fact, Thomas that was not present in the first appearances, did not believe the testimony of the other apostles. He wanted to see Him personally, touch Him, he wanted to have a direct personal experience with Him. And he was satisfied when Jesus appeared the second time, after eight days. This time, Thomas was present, but Jesus does not applaud the unbelieving apostle, rather He says: “You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (Jn.20:29). As such, we should not ask for the tangible demonstration or sensible experience, as Thomas did, rather the grace to grow in a pure and genuine faith. To believe entails confiding and entrusting oneself to Christ and the testimony of the apostles: a faith that wants to see, touch, and experience is not a true faith, but distrust and diffidence to Christ and the first witnesses: the apostles. The Risen Lord declared blessedness for those who believe without seeing, and it does not mean that they (believers) will be immune to sufferings and trials.

     The First reading (Acts 2:42-47) gives us indications on how we can express and nourish this faith. As exemplified with the experience of the first Christian community, “they were assiduous in listening to the teachings of the apostles, in fraternal communion, in sharing of bread and in prayers.” Therefore, listening to the Word of God, fraternal communion, Eucharist and common prayer were the principal nutrients and the authentic expressions of our Christian faith. Faith has to be translated into works of charity. And indeed, in the first Christian community “they sold their goods and possessions and distributed the proceeds among themselves according to what each one needed” (Acts 2:45). Is this working among us today?

     The first reading presents the first Christian community in her specific characteristics, as we have seen. They are the characteristics that should distinguish every Christian community. Do we see these characteristics in our own Christian community? May be in part yes, we gather to listen to the teachings of the apostles and of Christ (even though we may not be really assiduous and faithful like the first Christian community), we break together the Eucharistic bread in the celebration of the Mass, we gather together, and also there is certain level of fraternal communion amongst us. However, of all these elements the one that is majorly lacking in our communities is that which makes a Christian community to be what it really is, not just an anonymous assembly of people. And that is fraternal union, being one heart and one mind, being a family of God’s children. Even though, there may be some objective difficulties: big population (human rapport becomes difficult). But to actualize this, there is need to conquer individualism and spiritual inertia that block the gestures of opening up to others. We cannot be Christians without being brothers and friends; we cannot be strangers to each other. As it happens, sometimes during kiss of peace, some people bring out their hands like corpse, no interest, no warmth, and no concern! Where then is the fraternal communion?

     The second reading (1Pt. 1:3-9) on its part addresses the experiences of a Christian community and of a Christian community of the future, that will come to believe in Christ unlike Thomas: “You have not seen him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him you believe in him and so are filled with a great joy so glorious that it cannot be described” (v.8). This is the birth of a future Christian community that loves, believes and announces Jesus Christ and his Resurrection. St. Peter encourages a Christian community that has to pass through trials, difficulties and persecutions, but nevertheless joyful: “This is a great joy to you, even though for a short time yet you must bear all sorts of trials” (1Pt. 1:6). What is great joy for them? Even in the midst of their trials, from where comes this joy? As we can see in the preceding verses it springs up from three motives: ● The consciousness of being regenerated, the new life received by virtue of the faith in the Resurrection. ● The living hope to attain salvation and to gain the eternal inheritance promised by Christ. ● The conviction that trials serve to purify and fortify our faith. Therefore, we have a lot to learn as a church, as a Christian community and as individuals. Sometimes also we face trials and we are persecuted in all angles. However, let us not be melancholic or attempt to withdraw into ourselves, rather we should have peace of mind and interior serenity, with the conviction that also trials and persecutions fortify and purify our faith. Above all, the joy of this community springs from the fact of being proclaimed blessed (cf. Jn.20:29) for not seeking for evidence before believing: “You have not seen him, yet you love him, and still without seeing him you believe in him” (1Pt. 1:8).

     Beloved as we celebrate His Mercy today, let us take to heart the invitation of Jesus: "Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate" (Lk.6:36). As such, we are called to be objects and subjects of God's mercy. As daily recipients of God's mercy, we are called to be merciful to others. Another striking element is that after the Resurrection the wounds of Jesus remained, the wounds reveal the victory of his Resurrection and the fact that he is forever fixed in the act of loving for which he died. And when we reflect on this in the light of the present pandemic, it shows that his mercy does not seek to cover the harsh realities of life or to remove suffering, but gives us courage to persevere and win. In this period more than ever, Jesus is present in our midst saying: “Peace be with you”, receive His Peace and be made whole. May God continue to show us his mercy especially in our world today, torn apart by the presages of war, violence, hatred, fear and despondency. May the freshness of his mercy (Lam. 3:22-23) heal us and heal our world. For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world! Jesus our trust is in You!! Amen!!!

(Fr. Vitus M. C. Unegbu, SC)

In His Resurrection Is Our Hope!

(Homily For Easter Sunday Year A)

     Today we celebrate the great mystery of our redemption, and it launches us into another liturgical season. In the new calendar, Easter season is a journey of 50 days in which we are invited to reflect upon the post-resurrectional appearances of the Risen Lord, the consequences of Easter event in the life of the Church, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the promise of eternal life. The season does not run forty days to Ascension, but now fifty days to Pentecost. This could be linked to the fifty days in which the Israelites enjoyed the fruits of the land. Similarly, the church this season reflects in these fifty days on the fruits of Christ’s Resurrection. As I have opined in my previous reflections, the Event of the Resurrection is foundational to our Christian faith, for its realism gives credence to our faith. As a matter of fact, only in the New Testament we encounter about 213 references on the death and Resurrection of Christ. In fact, in Pauline letters alone we have about 81 references; this in no small way reveals the importance of this event in the life of the Church. In the first reading Peter preached to Cornelius and to his entire household, that “God raised him on the third day”. While in the second reading St. Paul opines that the Resurrection of Christ and the consciousness of this mystery is the foundation of Christian ethics, for this he invites us to seek and look for the things that are above. In the Gospel, St. John seems to center the whole story on the empty tomb, because it resonates the faith of the “beloved disciple” on the Resurrection, but the credibility of the event is founded on the apparitions.

          In the first reading (At. 10:34.37-43) we can see that the Easter appearances are revelatory encounters which founded the Church and launched the Christian Mission. Our Easter faith and the credibility of the Resurrection depend majorly on the testimonies of the first witnesses. Indeed, the credibility of the realism of the Resurrection is by no means an irrational leap of faith. In this passage, we heard about the formidable discourse of St. Peter, where he situated the realism of the Death and Resurrection of Christ at the centre of his preaching. The apostles too declared themselves witnesses of the Resurrection: “Chosen witnesses”. They are indeed witnesses, who ate and drank with Jesus after his Resurrection. They had a first hand and direct experience of the Risen Lord. More than that, the apostles are witnesses with their life, for the Resurrection completely changed and radically transformed them. They really demonstrated the reality and the efficacy of Christ’s Resurrection with their life, for later, they all paid with their blood and martyrdom.

     The Gospel of today (Jn. 20:1-9) invites us to join our voices together to that of Mary Magdalene in shouting “Christ my hope is risen”. Upon encountering the Angel, three tasks were given to the women: ●To believe in what Jesus has already said concerning his death; ●To share the message to the apostles and to others; ●And to rejoice (chairete), for the Resurrection is a message of great Joy. We have to affirm with vigour and conviction our faith in the Risen Lord. That Jesus Christ is truly risen is a given fact, a historical fact, indeed the realism of this event cannot be jettisoned. Concerning the realism of the Resurrection, the Gospel makes reference to the apparitions of the Risen Lord to the women, and to the apostles, and as St. Paul would testify, that Jesus appeared to more than 500 disciples gathered together, some of whom were still alive when Paul was writing (cf. 1Cor.15:16). So, the empty tomb alone does not exhaust the question of the credibility of the Resurrection. It remains a pointer, and even more, a reason of our hope and joy. When they could see Him and find His body, Jesus was alive and victorious.

     Besides, in the gospel of John we have two accounts or stories on the Resurrection. The first in the twentieth chapter, while the second in the twenty-first chapter. In the second account, John shows us that the Risen Lord encounters us in our moments of fragility and in the futility of our everyday life (Jn. 21:1-14).The disciples laboured all through the night, but they didn’t catch any fish, when they were already disappointed and weary. They saw a man standing at the bank. He spoke to them in a lovely manner and invited them to go once more to cast the net. “They cast the net and could not get it in again because it was so full of fish” (Jn.21:6), then the disciples recognized that “it was the Lord” (Jn. 21:7). The Risen Lord can turn our helplessness and hopelessness into an avenue of and for blessing and favour.

     In the Second reading we have two alternative readings (Col. 3:1-4 or 1Cor. 5:6-8) and both of them accentuate the ethical implications of the Resurrection. This is evident in the imperatives: “seek” the things that are above, “set” your mind on them. Drawing the issue further, in the words of St. Paul, we too are spiritually risen with Christ and in Christ, we are buried with him and risen with him (Eph. 2:6; Col. 2:12). With and through our baptism we are made partakers of the gifts of Resurrection: ●We have passed from death of sin to the life of grace. ●We have passed from the condition of death through our original sin, to the condition of being alive in Christ and for Christ. It is upon this consciousness that St. Paul invites us to walk in the newness of life, to which the Risen Christ has put us (1Cor.5:6-8). We are called now to “look up” to the Risen Christ and to where he has ascended to, at the right hand of the Father. That is our goal! Let us take to heart the words of St. Peter thus “For you know that the price of your ransom from the futile way of life handed down from your ancestors was paid, not in anything perishable like silver and gold, but in the precious blood as of a blameless and spotless lamb, Christ” (1Pt. 1:18-19).

     The passage from the epistle letters points out few existential indications on how to render the Resurrection of Christ evident in our life and actions. In the words of St. Paul “Brothers, if you are risen…” (Col. 3:1-4). Indeed, we are risen effectively with Christ in Baptism, we are risen anytime we turn from our sinful ways to the life of grace in God, through the sacrament of reconciliation. Brethren, let us pray and ask God the grace to live and to walk in the “newness of life” following the example of the Risen Christ. For through his Resurrection Christ renews, recreates and restores creation to Himself.

     As a matter of fact, our reflection on Christ’s Resurrection cannot but draw us closer to the total self-emptying of Jesus and as such an entrance into Kenosi, to the extent that he was subjected to all sorts of evil. On the cross all sorts of evil befell on Jesus. How did Jesus die on the cross? He died with the profession of the great Hope: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”. Even in the midst of all these evils Jesus did his profession of hope. Little wonder, on Good Friday the Holy Mother Church proclaims the Cross “sign of hope”. Here Jesus transformed the cross to an icon of love and hope. The Resurrection of Jesus is the response of the Father to the hope of Jesus. For St. Paul, Jesus does not only teach us hope, he is our Hope (cf. 1Tm. 1:1). On the other hand, the silence of the Father reveals that the paternity of God is not a paternalistic paternity. Little wonder, his absence during the crucifixion was apparent. Why was it unshakeable the hope of Jesus?  Because it was founded on the communion with the Father. At the basis of the communion in question, there is the Holy Spirit “Vinculum comunionis.” Jesus dies abandoning himself to the Father who brings the dead to life and calls into existence what does not yet exist (Rm. 4:17).

          Dear brethren in the Resurrected Lord, even in the present economic, moral, political and religious crisis we may be experiencing and with the present plague (COVID 19) that is ravaging the world, together with St. Paul it is my utmost desire to reawaken in you the knowledge of the nature of the hope founded on the God of hope (cf. Rm. 15:13). On discovering this, St. Paul averred: “Our hope will not disappoint us, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us” (Rm. 5:5). Therefore, “we should always have our answers ready for those who ask us the reason for the hope that we have” (1Pt. 3:15). Our Hope is Jesus and the Resurrection is the reason for that hope. Yes, Christ among us, is our hope of glory (Col. 1:27).

          In which ever situation we may find ourselves, I repeat we should not give in to sadness and desperation, as the Resurrection is the response of the Father to the cry of Jesus on the cross. The Resurrection is an act of God, indeed God raised Him from the dead (cf. Acts. 2:24; Rm. 10:9; 1Cor. 6:14). Similarly, in the Resurrection of Christ we find the answer to all our questions for meaning. We only have to allow ourselves to be drawn and attracted by Him, as St. John affirmed “They will look to the one whom they have pierced” (Jn. 19:37). Let us look up to Him. The love of the Risen Lord does not leave us indifferent, He Himself confirmed it when He said “when i am lifted up from the earth i shall draw all people to myself” (Jn. 12:32). Let us allow ourselves to be drawn and attracted by the spectacle of the Cross and the Resurrection.

          Beloved in Christ, let us rejoice for Jesus has giving and consumed himself in love and out of love for humanity. He is the Love of the Trinitarian God manifested to us. Therefore, in the Easter season irrespective of the ravaging pandemic and the consequent panic, let us not give room to sadness and depression. Let us rejoice for the Faithful God has risen His Faithful Son from death. Jesus Christ the Crucified-Risen has healed our infirmity of sin. He lowered Himself so that we might rise; he lowered Himself for our salvation. The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ is an event beaming and anchored on hope. In fact, it is ad rem to affirm that the life of Jesus is a life anchored on hope. His was a life lived in a total abandonment in the hands of the Father. More than anything else, the cross is the icon par excellence of Jesus’ hope, and indeed from his cross we learn how and what it entails to hope. The Resurrection should reaffirm our faith and reanimate our hope in Jesus. The Resurrection is indeed an affirmation that the Cross is only a provisional collocation according to Don Tonino Bello, which means is not a permanent place. Even the common cross that the entire humanity is carrying at this period in her history and your own personal cross is provisional. Jesus through His Resurrection is emptying any form of tomb in our lives, in order to set us free from bondage. As the Father listened to his voice and answered him with the Resurrection, may the Risen-Lord hear the cries and lamentations of the entire humanity and raise us from the death-tomb experience of the current plaguing pandemic. May He restore and reanimate our hope. Amen! Lord in your Resurrection is our hope. A wish of a Continuous Resurrection!! Happy Easter to you all!!!

(Fr. Vitus M. C. Unegbu, SC)

He Is Not Here! He Has Risen!!

(Homily For Holy Saturday Year A)

     This according to St. Augustine is the Mother of all vigils, because this night we Christians relive the fundamental event of our faith, the passage from death to life, to life in Christ, the passage from darkness to light, the Holiest of all nights. We celebrate the triumph of our Lord Jesus Christ over sin and death. The Risen Lord is the Eternal Light that dispels the darkness of the world, the darkness that obscures our existence. The Liturgy tonight and the different texts chosen for the readings all revolve around the theme of life, of new life springing up from the power of God. The Liturgy of Light and the renewal of baptismal promises intone a hymn to the new man, risen together with Christ. The Easter proclamation focuses on three major themes: the deliverance of Israel in the Exodus, the baptismal deliverance of the new Israel (Christians); the Resurrection of Christ. The biblical readings for the Easter Vigil recall the saving acts of God like: the creation of the world and of humanity (Gen. 1), the abundant blessings of Abraham (Gen. 22), the liberation of Israel from slavery of Egypt (Ex. 14), this is considered to be the most important reading, because the crossing of the Red sea is a type of Christ’s Death and Resurrection, the restoration of Israel (Is. 54:55; Bar. 3; Ez. 36). In the light of all these readings, the resurrection of Jesus is presented as the climax of the proclamation that God indeed is not the God of the dead but of the living. From the New Testament, we see the text from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans (6:3-11), where St. Paul invites them and us to lead a new life, because Christ is risen from the dead by the power of the Father. In the Gospel of Mark (16:1-7), we see the holy women in search of Jesus, and later the involvement of the apostles in the amazing event of the Resurrection.

     The message of the Resurrection of Jesus or better the Paschal mystery in its triple moments: of Passion, Death and Resurrection, is invariably the central nucleus and the predominant theme of the Christian faith. Through His descent into hell we reach truly that amazing and fascinating summit of the event of Jesus. An early Christian story says that Jesus entered the place of the dead with his cross, the weapon of his victory. Having released all those who were inside he decided to leave his cross standing in the centre of hell, a sign that even those who pass that way do not find themselves in a place which is unknown to him. On Holy Saturday, we see the radicality of love that offers itself, even till the extremity of the same love. This is exactly what Jesus did for us.

     Jesus in that great silence lived the solitude of the apparent absence of the Father. Here, the hot-button question resounds: “where is God?” This is the interrogative point of Holy Saturday. But interestingly, to this silence and cry of abandonment by Jesus, the Father will respond with and through the Resurrection. For St. Paul tells us that “God…brings back the dead to life and calls into existence what does not exist” (Rm. 4:17), elsewhere he affirms that God raised Him from the dead (Rm. 10:9, cf. Acts. 2:24; 1Cor. 6:14). And it is today that the unprecedented message reaches us with a profound question “why do you look for the living among the dead?” And here, we hear for the first time the mind-blowing response, “He is not here, He has risen”. Yes! Christ has risen as he said. This event reveals that there is no darkness that cannot be transformed into light, no human misery that cannot be transformed into an avenue of mercy and favor. Dear brothers and sisters, we can never have enough voice and courage to repeat or better to shout aloud that Jesus is risen, but let us allow ourselves to be overwhelmed with joy that springs from this event.

     Reflecting deeply in tonight’s Gospel narrative, according to St. Mark, it is eminent the part the three women (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome) played. They made headway to the Tomb, and this fact of going to the Tomb reveals that their hope was shaky. Certainly, they must have placed their trusts in Him, but his death shook the very foundation of their hope and trust in Him. However, they had the courage to go and pay homage to the corpse. The Marcan account reports that on arrival at the grave of Jesus the women were asking themselves: “who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?” Afterwards they discovered that the stone was rolled back, then they entered the tomb, and saw “a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed”. And the young man said to them: “Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here”. And behold, their reaction was characterized by fear, joy and uncertainty. Here, from the theological standpoint, the white clothing of the young man is suggestive of the fact that it is an angelic figure. Indeed, the women’s response was a typical reaction to an Epiphany: fear, wonder or silence. It is interesting to note that, the young man in white rope proclaimed the Resurrection of Christ, first to the women and invited them to go and “tell the disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him”. Galilee in Mark’s symbolism indicates a place where the proclamation of the Good News begins (cf. Mk.1:14-15).

     The phrase: “He is not here”, indicates a new presence, Jesus is alive and active. Mathew in fact, accentuates the new life of the Risen Lord. This is also seen in the book of Revelation (5:6) where the image of the crucified and risen Lord was represented with the figure of a Lamb standing that seemed to have been sacrificed. Indeed, the Crucified-Risen Christ is the Living One: “Do not be afraid; it is I, the First and the Last; I am the living One, I was dead and look, I am alive for ever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and of Hades” (Rev. 1:17b-18). And He alone is capable of transmitting new life to entire humanity. Our Creator God is a God of life. The mystery of the Resurrection is directly linked to the mystery of creation. It is all about life, life to the full.

     Indeed the belief in the Resurrection of Christ is not incumbent primarily upon the empty tomb. The Resurrection is by no means identical with the empty tomb, however, the fact remains that the empty tomb plays an essential role in the New Testament witness of Christ Resurrection. Be that as it may, the empty tomb is a symbol that the appearances of the Risen Christ are not mere spiritualist visions. In and through His resurrection Christ overcome death and opened up man’s destiny beyond the grave and death. Let us pause and ponder a little while on the “Pro Nobis” of this event. In fact, in the second reading from the antique homily in the office of readings this morning, there we see that the phrase “for you” reoccurred several times. Hence let’s ponder on what Jesus has done for us. The Resurrection reveals Jesus as the Redeemer of mankind, and here subsists the “Pro Nobis” of His Death and Resurrection. For with the Resurrection of Christ, man is not only redeemed, but he has a divine destiny. He is called to a continuous resurrection, to self-transformation and social transformation.

     The Resurrection impacts the credibility seal on our faith, for without the Person of Jesus, without his death and Resurrection, our Christian faith would not have been credible. For this St. Paul affirms “we preach the crucified Christ” (1Cor. 1:23). In the same letter, he posits: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is without substance, and so is your faith” (1Cor. 15:14). Yes! Because the centre of our faith is the Person and the Event of Jesus of Nazareth. Christianity without the Crucified-Risen is empty. Without Christ our life will be devoid of meaning, Christ is the reason of our existence. In all, it behoves us to reaffirm with St. Paul that, “Christ has been raised from the dead, as the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep” (1Cor. 15:20). It is because he rose that we can say “In him we live, in him we move, in him we have our being” (Acts 17:28). For the realism and credibility of His Resurrection, St. Paul questions, “who can bring any accusation against those that God has chosen? When God grants saving justice who can condemn? Are we not sure that it is Christ Jesus, who died, yes and more, who was raised from the dead, and is at God’s right hand, and who is adding his plea for us?...Can anything cut us off from the love of Christ?...we come through all these things triumphantly victorious, by the power of him who loved us” (Rm. 8: 34.35.37).

     Above all else however, the Easter event restores the hope of the disciples and commissions them to proclaim openly the saving works of God in Christ, through his Death and Resurrection. And this is a mission which we are called to continue today, as a Church and as individual members. The saving work of the Risen Lord is and will continue to be an ever-present reality in the Christian community.

A wish to you all of a Continuous Resurrection!

He has risen as He has said!!

Happy Easter to you all!!!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)

His Passion: The ‘Reality-Show’ Of Our Redemption!

(Homily for Good Friday Year A)

O dear Lord, what can I say to you on this holy night? Is there any word that could come from my mouth, any thought, any sentence? You died for me, you gave all for my sins, you not only became man for me but also suffered the most cruel death for me. Is there any response? I wish that I could find a fitting response, but in contemplating your Holy Passion and Death I can only confess humbly to you that the immensity of your divine love makes any response seem totally inadequate.

      The above words of Henri J. M. Nouwen in his book, A Cry for Mercy, introduces us well into the context of today’s celebration, which culminates in the saving Passion of Our Savior and the Veneration of the Cross, the symbol of our redemption. Our finite human minds cannot comprehend nor explain the enigma of Jesus’ suffering on the Cross. Jesus died to set us free, to raise the fallen humanity, and to save man created in the image and likeness of God. But to do this, something needed to be done. It was obvious that only God can save man, for man cannot save himself. Then the issue is: Can God do this by means of a gesture of benevolence from heaven? But we know that no one has ever seen God. Can it be accomplished through the angels? But the mission of angels is that of a messenger, not a savior. It was only possible through a man who is at the same time God. And behold, God sent his Son Jesus Christ to come and redeem man. For in the Cross of Christ man rediscovers his real identity, his authentic self, his origin and his destiny. He is the unique Savior, only him can save man integrally and radically, in time and in eternity. Thus demonstrating in a most radical way, the extremity of God’s love towards us.    

     In today’s liturgy the pronoun “We” and the adjective “Our” resound in an unprecedented manner, they resound as the unique and authentic motive of the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ. The first reading (Is. 53:13-53, 12) is insistent on this, when it says: “Yet ours were the sufferings he was bearing, ours the sorrows he was carrying…whereas he was being wounded for our rebellions, crushed because of our guilt; the punishment reconciling us fell on him, and we have been healed by his bruises…Yahweh brought the acts of rebellion of all of us to bear on him” (Is. 53:4-6). In this three verses of the prophecy of Isaiah we can see how many times the words “we and ours” reoccurred. In the Passion account according to St. John (Jn. 18:1-19,42), which has as a background the fourth song of the Servant of Yahweh, however, at the beginning and at the end, it tried to deepen the import of the Passion with two prophetic texts. The first prophecy is the one of the high Priest Caiaphas: “It is better for one man to die for the people” (Jn.18:14), and the second is taken from the prophecy of Zechariah: “They will look to the one whom they have pierced” (Jn. 19:37; cf. Zech. 12:10), this refers to the conversion and the salvation of the nations by means of the redemptive work of Jesus. It was equally at this backdrop that in the second reading (Heb.4:14-16; 5:7-9), the author of the letter to the Hebrews, urges them: “Let us, then, have no fear in approaching the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace when we are in need of help…he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation” (Heb.4:16; 5:9).

     Furthermore, the first reading is suggestive of three important elements to the understanding of Christ’s death: his suffering was innocent, vicarious and redemptive. The second reading, instead, reveolves around the High Priesthood of Christ. The author enumerated the characteristics of the High Priest thus: he can sympathize with our temptations and infirmities because of his identification with man in the Incarnation; he prayed for deliverance and he was heard (at Gethsemane deliverance is not an “escape from” but to “save from”), he learned obedience. Indeed, we may well affirm that the Incarnation was so real that Jesus fulfilled the will of the Father, not as an automaton, but through struggle and temptation and an experience of learning.

     Today, we reflect on the Passion narrative of St. John. And each evangelist has his own perspective of the Passion, and at the heart of John’s  narrative is the perspective that the Kingship of Jesus shines through his humiliation. Jesus sets the Passion in motion, for he voluntarily came forward to be arrested. We can see how the temple police who were terrified by his personality fell back. Peter tried to stop the arrest, but Jesus intervened. On the Cross Jesus made his last will entrusting his mother to the disciple and his disciple to his mother. In the Gospel of John, Mary is seen as the symbol of the Church. We may say that the Passion narrative of John elucidates the words of Jesus in John 10:18 “I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord”. For Jesus decides the moment of his death: “He gave  up his Spirit”.

     Today we see an expression of Love displayed on the Cross by our Lord Jesus Christ. It is on account of this that our Lord Jesus said in the Gospel of John (15:13) that “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. This is indeed what this Friday stands for. So we thank God it is Good Friday because on this day we received the highest expression of God’s love. On this day, we received superabundance of God’s love. On this day God gave us His most ‘precious possession’, namely His Son. This Friday is good because finally our redemption is accomplished and the price of our sins fully paid (tetelestai). The word “tetelestai” (it is finished, accomplished, fully paid) occurred only in two places  (Jn. 19:28.30), and these are the only two places it is found in the New Testament.

     Through his death Jesus obeyed the Father, in the sense of pardoning his enemies. He submitted whole heartedly to the will of the Father, who does not desire the death of a sinner, but that he repents and lives. Christ accepted to die, in order that his enemies that led him to the Cross might live, hence he forgave them. On the Cross Jesus revealed this profound mystery of God’s mercy and love. He emptied himself and was humbler yet, even to accepting death on a cross (cf. Phil. 2:7-8).

      Through his event on the Cross, Jesus conformed to the will of the Father. Little wonder, it is said of Jesus that: “He was insulted and he did not retaliate with insults; when he was suffering he made no threats but put his trust in the upright Judge” (1Pt. 2:23). He did not put his trust in the Upright Judge so that he will punish his enemies and wrongdoers, but it was for the purpose of saving them, irrespective of their freedom. “He made no threats”, for he was not harbouring in his heart words to oppose his adversaries; he was not looking or considering those that are making him to suffer, but for those he was suffering for. What a Love in its extremity! St. Peter further expressed: “He was bearing our sins in his own body on the cross, so that we might die to our sins and live for uprightness; through his wounds we are healed” (1Pt. 2:24; Is. 53:5).

     At Getsemani Jesus touched suffering with his bare hands and lived it on his flesh. Suffering for him was not a hear-say experience. In fact, he “learnt obedience through suffering” (Heb. 5:8). Jesus exclaimed “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mk. 14:34). Jesus lived the highest point of suffering, what the mystics called “the dark night of the Soul”, to the extent that He became sin, “For our sake he made the sinless one a victim for sin, so that in him we might become the uprightness of God” (2Cor. 5:21). When Jesus on the Cross cried out “My God My God why have you forsaken me” (Mt. 27:46), this was because he had the experience of the apparent disappearance of the Father. It was as if the Father left Jesus alone on the Cross, after he must have condemned sin and passed judgement on the world. However, in this traumatizing episode, man could learn what it means to do without God, to reject Him and to Sin. If Jesus could feel his apparent absence on the Cross, what more when we decisively reject or abandon Him ourselves?

     As a matter of fact, we see the total self-emptying of Jesus and as such an entrance into Kenosi, to the extent that he was subjected to all sorts of evil. On the cross all sorts of evil befell on Jesus: ●PHYSICAL EVIL: The death on a cross is the highest form of physical suffering and corporal torturing.●PSYCHOLOGICAL EVIL: Jesus was abandoned by all, he was denied and betrayed. He suffered solitude. We cannot but remember the ingratitude of those who wanted Barabbas instead of Jesus. There was the wickedness of those who gave him vinegar while he was thirst.●MORAL EVIL: The injustice of Pilate who suffocated and sacrificed the truth at the altar of unfounded consensus. The condemnation and death of an innocent.●SPIRITUAL EVIL: Then here comes the pertinent question: where is God? Here we see the seemingly absence of God, and Jesus feels this abandonment: My God, My God why have you forsaken me?

     To us, as we meditate and ponder on and on, on the event of Jesus on the Cross, is as if He whispers to the ears of our heart: “I did not love you, just for joke”. Hence, our meditation on the passion of Christ has to inspire us to contrition and pains for our sins, but also to hope. A word of Hope, for us and for our brothers and sisters, for those that are humiliated, offended, oppressed and those their dignity has been dragged to the mud, even the present pandemic that has plunged the world into panic. This existential experiences bring us closer to the Jesus of Good Friday. However, the Cross of Christ is a Word of Hope! Let us not hide this hope from anyone. For we have this assurance of faith that: “If we have been joined to him by dying a death like his, so we shall be by a resurrection like his” (Rm. 6:5).

      Today being Good Friday, is not a day to express sympathy (eeee yaaaa), no room for passivity, rather his suffering and death should raise questions for meaning in our hearts, and thus lead us to conversion. Today is not the day to admire the courage of the few women that followed Him to the Cross, to condemn the acts of the Jewish religious leaders, Pilate, the crowd and the disciples, or a day to merely sympathize with Jesus, rather it is a day to empathize with Him. It is a day we should allow the reality-show of his death to inspire us like the Centurion to proclaim who He is in our life. For the Centurion: “Truly this man was the Son of God” (Mk. 15:39). It is a day we are called to allow ourselves to be transformed by His saving death. The visible sign or fruit of the death of Christ in our lives should be that of transformation, in every individual and in the sinful social structures of our society.

         For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have Mercy on us and on the whole world!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)

Jesus The New Passover Lamb And The Priest For Love Of Us!

(Homily For Holy Thursday Year A)

     Today marks the beginning of the Paschal Triduum, and it is indeed a celebration beaming with joy and gratitude for what God has wrought for humanity. In this evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper we gather to open the Paschal Triduum in preparation for the commemoration of the Lord’s Resurrection. Today being Holy Thursday, in a glaring manner we recall Jesus’ act of self-giving, orchestrated in the gift of His Body and Blood; the gift of the ministerial priesthood in the context of the Last Supper, in order to perpetuate his presence in our midst. That fulfills his promise to his disciples “I will be with you till the end of time” (Mt. 28:20). Jesus, indeed, is The Priest of the New Covenant, who unlike the priests of the old covenant offers himself and his blood, and not the blood of animals. The scene around which revolve the readings is the context of the supper where few persons reunited. However, the text and the context reveal that it is not just any supper like others. It is all about a unique supper, of great importance for all the guests. In the first reading, those that reunited were members of an Israelite family, who with the supper celebrate the liberation from slavery in Egypt. In the Gospel, those reunited for the Supper are Jesus and his disciples, and it was a dramatic moment, that pre-announces the Passion. Similarly in the second reading, we see the Christians of Corinth who were reunited first for supper, and later to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

     Our celebration today culminates in the rediscovery of the essence of Christ’ self-giving (the institution of the Holy Eucharist), the gift of his ministerial priesthood (the institution of the Holy Orders), and in the midst of these he continues to invite us to rediscover the value of service and of fraternal love (as exemplified in the washing of feet). We would like to make considerations on these three events: ●Institution of the Eucharist: Institution here does not mean enactment of a new rite. The institution is the investment of an existing rite with a new and profound meaning. This earthly banquet enacted by Jesus looks forward to the eschatological banquet. We may therefore, affirm that the Eucharist has both backward (the event of the Cross) and forward (eschatological banquet) imports. ●The establishment of the ministerial Priesthood: Be that as it may, the ministerial priesthood and the common priesthood of the faithful derive their priestly character from the nature of the Eucharist. ●The commandment to love: this is exemplified in the episode of the washing of the feet and the words of the Lord that accompanied it. In synthesis, we may well affirm that at the center of our celebration this evening are two symbolic elements: the Table and the Towel. It was at the Table of the Last Supper that God revealed the immensity of the divine love in concrete terms: a Towel and a Table (Bread), that is, in service and in total self-giving. A service orchestrated in a profound humility of washing his disciples’ feet. In fact, the act of kneeling before another, points to the voluntary poverty that Jesus embraces. Through the Table and the Towel He manifested how deep his love for humanity is, it is indeed an extravagant and endless love (cf. Jn.13:1), not just too much love, not just excess love, but endless love!

   In the first reading (Ex 12:1-8, 11-14), we see a fascinating description of the first Jewish Passover meal. In that event it was customary that a lamb has to be sacrificed for each family. Afterwards, its blood was put on the doorposts and lintel of the house to protect and protect its occupants (the Israelites). This served as an identification of the houses where the Israelites were. Then the houses without blood were for the Egyptians and when Yahweh passed over that night the firstborn of the Egyptians were massacred. Here, God promised the Israelites: “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood I will pass over you” (Ex. 12:13). The first reading therefore, is a narration of how the tradition of the banquet of Paschal Lamb began. It was a memorial sign of the passage from slavery to freedom (called the Passover). While the blood of the lamb protected and saved the Jews during the first Passover, now it is the Blood of Jesus that saves and liberates us. His Blood is the seal of the New Covenant, not the blood of an ordinary lamb. He is therefore, the New Passover Lamb. Be that as it may, we would like to make a few considerations: First, the Passover as an annual memorial of God’s great redemptive act. For a devout Jew believed that when he celebrated the Passover he was actually there coming out of Egypt with his forefathers. This indeed, is a strong realism. This type of realism tailors the Christian Eucharist. Second, the shedding of the blood of the lamb is a sort of prefiguration of the death of the Lamb of God. And for Christians, blood shedding is more than a mere ritual or cultic act, it is above all a moral act (cf. Heb. 10:5-9). Third, the Passover was eaten in haste and expectation. In the same vein, in the course of time, this sense of urgency has been transformed into the great expectation of the Messiah. On the other hand, the responsorial Psalm emphasized on the two aspects of the Eucharist: the sacrifice of thanksgiving and the communion among believers.

     The Gospel tonight (John 13:1-15) narrates an unexpected fact that is only seen in the Gospel of St. John: the washing of feet by Jesus. During their Supper Jesus rose from the table and removed his outer garment, with a towel around his waist and He began to wash the feet of his disciples (Jn. 13: 4-5). This was an incredible scene in the sight of the disciples, for this was the task of slaves. In fact, some biblical scholars have it that, even during that time it was not the slave that washes the feet of the guest; rather the slave brings a basin with water and a towel for the guest to wash by himself. Contrarily, Jesus went lower than a slave. Afterwards, He called the attention of the disciples to the moral implication of what he has done: “I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you” (Jn. 13:15). As such, what should characterize our identity as Christians is the humble service rendered to our brothers and sisters in need. Our presence should be a refreshing, enlivening and cleansing presence. He did not do it just to impress the disciples or to win their admiration; rather he did it in order to show them and to show us the example to follow. The washing of his disciple’s feet is a symbolic act. First, because through it Jesus shows how he bowed down to humanity by means of his Incarnation and his death on the Cross, Christ’s self-abasement. Second, is its moral implication: “I have given you an example, so that you may do as I have done to you” (Jn. 13:15). Jesus has given them and us a model of love: serving others. After washing the feet of his disciples, He asked them: “Do you understand what I have done to you?” (v.12). This question of Jesus still re-echoes even in the Christian assembly after so many years. Have we really understood the import of what Jesus did and how it has to shape our rapport with each other? He is still asking us even in the context of this liturgical celebration: “Do you understand?” We fail to understand when we do not love and care about those around us, when we are self-centered and think that the world revolves around us alone, when we are unable to cultivate and appropriate the virtue and value of humble service.

     Drawing the issue further, a deeper reflection on the feet washing reveals that this gesture of Jesus could be considered from two perspectives: Symbolic and Exemplary. First, the symbolic perspective maintains that the laying aside of his garments by Jesus is a sign of humiliation or better his self-emptying and kenosis (v.3). Second, the exemplary perspective, which is seen in verse 15: “I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you.” On the other hand, the washing of the apostles’ feet by Jesus can also have other imports; let us pause a little on the words of Jesus: “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me” (John 13:8). Jesus says to Peter that he will have no inheritance if He does not wash his feet, which implies that Jesus will be Peter’s inheritance but only if Peter allows Jesus to wash his feet. For instance, it can be seen as a symbol of baptism; for when we are baptized, our sins are washed away, Jesus becomes our inheritance. May we also allow Jesus to wash us, to wash our feet, that part of us that is always stained.

     In the second reading (1 Cor. 11:23-26) St. Paul presents a detailed description of the Last Supper. Indeed, it is worthy to note that this is the oldest account of the Last Supper. It was written even before the Gospels, for St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians around the mid 50’s of the first century. Unlike in the Passover meal, in the Lord’s Supper Jesus added two more symbols (Bread and Wine). He took a loaf of bread, said the blessings and broke it and gave it to his disciples saying: “Take, and eat it, this is my body which is broken for you, do this in remembrance of me” (1Cor. 11:24). Similarly, he took the Chalice and said “This cup is the new covenant in my Blood, whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me” (1Cor. 11:25). And indeed, with the above words the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist was enacted. As such, Jesus anticipated the sacrifice of himself on the Cross as he handed the Bread and the Cup to his apostles. The hot button message of this old Pauline text is the fact that Jesus is the True sacrificed Lamb, not the animal of the Jewish Passover; but Jesus who is both the “Offering and the Offerer”. As it was in the tradition of the Jews to confirm covenants with blood, now Jesus declares the shedding of his Blood as a confirmation of the New Covenant. For this, St. Paul expressed with a sublime conviction, “Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God” (Eph. 5:2). Likewise in Paul (as in the Synoptic), the Eucharist looks both backward (to the salvific event on the Cross made present) and forward (to the second coming as anticipated here).

     In all, as we can see, within the context of the Last Supper Jesus instituted the Sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and of the Priesthood (Holy Orders). He passed it on to his apostles: “Do this in memory of me” (Lk. 22:19; 1Cor 11:24). In and with those words Jesus gave us the mandate to continue to celebrate it in commemoration of Him, and that we do each time we celebrate Mass. Here we have to pay attention, for the command “do this” (plural) is addressed to the Christian community as a whole. The Eucharist is an action of the whole church and the eloquent expression of the Eucharistic priestly character (cf. 1Pt.2:1-10; Rev.1:6). He who presides at the Eucharistic celebration is the mouthpiece of the Church’s priesthood. On the other hand, the one presiding exhibits the priesthood of Christ to the Christian community. Jesus instituted this sacrament for the commemoration of his Passion and Death (The One and Living Sacrifice), so that each time we gather to celebrate it, we relive in an unbloody manner the event of Christ, particularly the offering of Himself in a bloody manner on the Cross. It is not by chance that Jesus instituted these two sacraments in the same context, and this goes a long way to reveal that the two sacraments are intimately tied together. Indeed, Jesus is The Real Passover Lamb (the Eucharist) and The Priest (The Priest of the New Covenant) For Love of Us (He demonstrated this in the washing of feet).

Thank you Jesus for the Eucharist, Your Eternal Presence!

Thank you Jesus for the Priesthood, That makes You present in our midst!

Thank You Jesus for calling me to share in your Priesthood!

Lord Jesus, the Eternal High Priest may we never depart from your Eucharistic table and help us to commit ourselves to a life of humble service. The Table and the Towel are signs of liberation; Jesus set us free from darkness and this present deadly pandemic. Amen!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)