Happy Easter Friends—this is a day of joy and “Alleluia” truly is our song!  There is much mystery around this feast—we accept the resurrection of our brother Jesus on faith for the most part.  In modern times, our time, we might use the term, “magical” to explain what the Scriptures present as truth.  For us who have believed all of our lives, perhaps this isn’t much of a stretch—or perhaps we don’t even question the story that on Good Friday, our brother and friend, Jesus of Nazareth was put to death through the will of the powers-that-were at that time in Church and State, and that on Sunday, he rose to new life.  I believe to truly get the importance of what Easter was for those alive when Jesus was, we have to try and put ourselves in their shoes, so to speak. 

   Jesus’ apostles, when they could get their heads, and better yet, their hearts around what was truly happening, would recall that their rabbi, their brother had told them that indeed, after his death, he would “arise” in three days.  And having never experienced a resurrection, they had nothing to compare it with.  They all witnessed Jesus bringing Lazarus, “back to life,” and when he came out of the tomb, with his burial wrappings still on, and the same were removed, they recognized him. 

   Now, going back to the Scriptures, we read that those who saw Jesus, in his new life, didn’t recognize him until he spoke familiar words, or performed familiar actions, that would show his identity. 

   In John’s gospel today, in the longer version, Mary Magdala—Mary, the Tower of Faith, knew her friend and rabbi only when she heard him say her name, “Mary” in only the way that he would say it.  Another Easter reading tells us of Jesus, walking with others on the way to Emmaus, and of them not recognizing him until he stopped, at their home,  and “broke bread with them”—something that he commonly did with his followers. 

   So, my friends, it is good for us, who have heard these stories so many times, perhaps not even, really hearing them, to understand that what Mary, Peter, John, and the others witnessed was something entirely new to them—something out of this world! 

   And it is precisely for this reason that John’s account of what he and Peter found upon entering the empty tomb, is so revealing.  Remembering that the dead in Jesus’ time weren’t embalmed, but simply, “washed, and wrapped with spices” and put into a tomb, John’s account of finding the burial wrappings in one place, and the face covering neatly folded in another place, doesn’t speak of a grave robbing, as the Jewish hierarchy feared.  Someone stealing a dead body would hardly unwrap it first for obvious reasons. 

   John is trying to tell us, in so many words, that what they found in the empty tomb, was something out of the ordinary—Jesus had truly risen—whatever that meant to them!  John simply says, “they saw and believed!” Alleluia! 

   The other very important human notion for all of us to understand, more than 2,000+ years later, is how bereft and saddened Jesus’ followers felt.  We all within our community here can understand these truly human feelings as we grieve the loss of friends and family who have passed on. And just as we can still, hardly believe that someone is gone, once they die, Jesus’ followers felt the same.  For many, he was the answer to a lifetime of prayers.  Many saw him as their “King,” in the very best sense of that word — someone who would defend them against their enemies –bring peace to their land.  Even though we, in our time have a very negative view of the idea of a “king,” there were good kings in history who cared for all their people. 

   Also, the idea that Jesus hadn’t been vanquished by death was a new concept for his followers to understand.  So, if Jesus wasn’t someone who would rout out their human enemies, what was his earthly purpose?

   They would go back to this earthly question again and again until they fully understood.  Some of what they came to know is laid out quite well in today’s Scriptures. 

   The first reading from Acts, speaks about a Roman centurion, a Gentile, named Cornelius, whom Peter is speaking with, sharing the message of Jesus, the Christ—a message that Peter comes to know was truly meant for all people, all who would listen.  These first apostles came to know that Jesus’ true purpose in coming to be one-with-us, was not about “power over” others, but more so, “power for” –strength, goodness, justice, for all. 

   The 2^nd reading, Paul’s letter to the people of Corinth, speaks about this “new way” to be in our world, for ourselves and others, in a way that the people would truly understand, and for present-day, “bread makers” as well. 

   Paul uses the idea of “yeast” and how just a little bit in a measure of flour, causes the dough to rise—to grow.  The effect that yeast has, can bring about good, as well as bad, in the case of when the yeast has gone flat. We know throughout Scripture that Jesus always wants us to take the message a bit deeper.  If we start with the “dough” of goodness and truth, that is what will grow and multiply.  Likewise, if our “dough” is made up of selfishness, unkindness, injustice, power over others, that is what will grow.  I think we see this, unfortunately in our world today.

   Our brother Jesus came for one purpose—to show us how to live and to love and to grow and share that goodness with others throughout our one, beautiful, human life.  And in that sense, he becomes our savior! It would seem that when we all, each one of us learn how to do that, we will have realized that “heaven” is here, now!  Alleluia!  This year, we watched Jesus of Nazareth, by Franco Zefferelli, throughout Holy Week, and in one section, Jesus is trying to help the people he is teaching understand that what they long for, the [kin-dom], is here, now, if they can but recognize it!

   In closing my friends, just a word about why I always use the longer version of the resurrection narrative from John.  If we had stopped at verse 9, as the universal Catholic church does today, instead of going on through verse 18, we would have missed the most beautiful encounter between Jesus and Mary Magdala, the “Tower of Faith” (true meaning of “magdala”).

   In this day and age, within our Church, where the hierarchy seems to feel that women do not “image” Christ, Jesus gives the lie to that notion! Easter calls us all, my friends, “to be our best,” in the footsteps of Jesus! The “kin-dom,” which actually was what Jesus came to establish in deference to a “kingdom,” comes when we realize that we have the power to make it so, now! And, in light of these words, I would challenge, our bishop, Robert Barron, to reconsider his silence this past week in standing by the president of our country at an Easter luncheon where the president was praised and likened to our brother Jesus, and this was done as the spewed hate and meanness toward officials in the state of Minnesota, that Bishop Barron supposedly leads. It is time that he became the prophet he was anointed to be. Amen? Amen!  Alleluia!