Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord Year C

Acts 10:34a- 37-43

Ps. 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

Colossians 3:1-4

or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8

John 20:1-9

We are in Easter! Jesus is Risen! The spring season is back, the season when life, well, springs! Or does it? 

I was born and raised in the Southern hemisphere of the earth, concretely in the Argentinian Patagonia (Río Colorado, Río Negro). You can hardly think of any other region farther south in the entire world. It is where the penguins live (as a matter of fact, not far from my hometown, there is a colony with over a million penguins).

Over there, the seasons run in a contrary way. This means that when nature is coming back to life after the winter season is over in Ohio, in my hometown we are bracing ourselves to cope with it (temperatures can go down to –17°C = 0°F). Most people over there are of European ancestry; hence, we all know of Easter eggs, Rosca de Pascua, or Easter Ring Bread, and so on. But nature is a whole different story. What here is taken for granted, over there it is the exact opposite. Hence, what is left? It is the sheer, naked historical fact, the fact that supports our faith, sustains our hope, and strengthens our love, the fact that Jesus is Risen! This fact must be celebrated!

I have very fond memories of the Easter Vigil celebration on late Saturday evening, but I do not remember ever having witnessed a baptism in that celebration. The reason is simple. At that time, virtually all babies were baptized in the Catholic Church. Hence, there was nobody to receive the sacrament then. However, we still had the liturgy of the water. Thus, the effect of Jesus’ resurrection in our lives was plainly recalled. The wealth of readings on this day of Easter (counting the Easter Vigil as well) provides a lot of input for it.

The Psalm that we hear today, Psalm 118, is the typical Psalm used throughout the Easter season. It ends the Egyptian Hallel sequence of Psalms and, by singing it, the Jews close their celebration of Passover. This is the Psalm that was sung by the crowds on Palm Sunday (see Mark 11:9). It likely was the Psalm sung by Jesus and the apostles before heading to the Garden of Gethsemane (see Mk 14:26). And we keep repeating from it, over and over again, a few words in every re-presentation of the Paschal Mystery of Christ that is at every Mass. Those words are “Lord, Hoshia-na‘ (= grant salvation!) … Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.” (In Ps 118:25-26; by the way, the term hoshia-na‘ reminds us of the name Ye-hoshua,‘ that is, Jesus, “Yahweh saves.”) In fact, God has granted salvation!

The Gospel passages read this day present an empty tomb. This was the first step for the apostles to come to terms with this astonishing and mesmerizing fact: death has been defeated! “Death and life contended in a spectacular battle: the dead leader of life reigns alive,” sings the Paschal Sequence (literal translation).

However, the best was reserved for last (see Jn 2:10). The Gospel of John spells it out in clear terms. You may remember that, on the first Sunday of Lent, the evangelist pointed out that “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert” (Lk 4:1). Now, Jesus, on the same day of His resurrection, tells the apostles “Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn 20:22), the Promise that makes our thirsty hearts spring rivers of living water (see Jn 7:37-39), the Glory Jesus gives us to make us one as He and the Father are one (see Jn 17:22). Hence, our prayer rises unceasingly: “As we celebrate the memorial of His Death and Resurrection, we offer you, Lord, the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation … (and) we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit” (Eucharistic Prayer II).

What we need to do is to stay tuned to Jesus, that is, to stay alive, as the reading from St. Paul indicates: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory” (Col 3:1-4).

as God’s people. We are called to faith in Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life. He brings us to new life.