predication.net

Those who have had the opportunity to visit St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome cannot help but feel that the Roman Catholic Church is truly a universal Church, which is not hindered by skin color, nationality, age, and even millennia have not diminished its youthfulness. It is still young and alive. We know that churches and sects arise and disappear even today, yet even those reformed cannot match this Church, which considers the Pope to be Peter’s successor.

The Gospel of John tells of a failed fishing trip, even though experienced anglers were involved. After an encounter with Jesus, of whom we have no record that he has ever fished himself, that is, as a human being, he does not understand, but to the apostles, he says: “Let down the net from the starboard side of the boat, and you will find” (Jn 21:6). They let down the net and could not pull it in anymore because of many fish.

This encounter between Jesus and the apostles is the third after his resurrection. It is not just a story about fishing. Still, this encounter also answers questions that the second generation of Christians have struggled with, asking: Who is the Vicar of the Lord Jesus, and how does the glorified Christ live in the Church?
After the events of Good Friday, the apostles went back to their original craft. What else were they to do but continue the life that Jesus had called them away from and that they had left for Jesus? The seven disciples went hunting, from which they returned unsuccessfully. Jesus wanted to make them fishers of men, and they quickly returned to the fishing net as if nothing had happened.

What about us? The holiday ended, and everything returned to how it was as if nothing had happened. We quickly forget…
But Jesus does not forget his plan. He follows his apostles to the sea. There he wants to remind them of what he has chosen them for. This is their last fishing trip, which becomes a symbol of their future activity. The boat is the Church that sets sail on the world’s surface to catch people in the net of God’s word. John says in the Gospel that the boat belonged to Peter. We know that Christ built the Church on Peter, the rock, and therefore it is the Church of Christ.

Just as Christ found His apostles, He sees us. As in the encounter with the apostles, Christ comes unobtrusively into our lives. But we recognize him by his works. When we listen to his words and put them into action, we become convinced of success.

The apostles obeyed Christ and let down the net where they caught nothing. This expresses their faith, and it is to convince us. What John describes next is breathtaking. The catch of 153 fish is meant to tell us that the composition of the Church is made up of a wide variety of people. There were 153 known species of fish at that time. This symbolism is multiplicities for us that no one is excluded from the Church if he does not want to be. Yet the net is not broken, which means that the Church will have room for every person, that there will be room for all people in the Church. And with this net, they come to the shore, to their goal. All can come to the plan in the Church, which is eternal bliss. There they will meet Jesus. Both the apostles and all who persevere in Christ can sit down at the table and eat with Christ. The apostles recognized Christ, and at once, no one dared to question Him: Who are you? For they knew that he was the Lord. We will all know that He is Lord of life and death, Lord of time and eternity.

We realize that it is not the right way to live when we feel abandoned by Christ, that we must return at once to our former life. On the contrary, we are to learn and accept that we must seek Christ untiringly and, on meeting Him, take Him at once.

We know that Christ has once caught us in His net and wants to bring us in it to eternal life. We are not to fear that we may get out of this net if we do not want to ourselves. Nor do we have to be afraid when the boat begins to sink. Nor do we have to fear other fish or sharks threatening our net. We are safe and secure in Christ’s net of the actual goal.

So this reflection has brought us to the explanation that Peter’s net – the Church – is where the glorified Christ gathers His own to save them. Therefore, faithfulness to the Church is our first duty. Everything against the Church must be understood as a matter of conscience. We must not be seduced, deceived, or even intimidated or bought because this does not coincide with the teaching of Peter’s successor – the Pope.

Introduction.

He said to them: “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and spoke to them: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive will be forgiven; whose sins you retain will be retained” (Jn. 20:21-23).

Sermon.

In the week after His resurrection, Jesus met with several people through whom He left us essential truths for our salvation. The women from the empty tomb announce the first resurrection to the disciples. Christ did not rise from the dead just for the elect. Just as he died for all sinners, so all – who believe in his resurrection – have the hope that they too will be raised to eternal life. Upon receiving the announcement that the tomb is empty, the apostle’s Peter and John rush to the grave. John wrote of himself: “The other disciple also went in, he who came to the tomb first, and saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture, that he should rise from the dead” (Jn. 20:9). The implication here is that Christ requires personal initiative on our part. Faith is a gift that we are to earn. Next, Jesus appears to the disciples on the road to Emmaus in the afternoon. Recognizing him, they confess, “Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” (Lk 24:32)? Jesus indicates the importance and necessity of opening our hearts to the Word of God. The call is addressed to all people. Jesus wants them to desire him and reward their desire; he promises that they will not only know him and experience him, but he will also change their lives. We must not forget that the disciples who went to Emmaus came to know Jesus by breaking the bread. Receiving Christ’s body and blood is a moment of grace. We are united with Christ, receiving the grace of greater love and knowledge of our God in our neighbors and ourselves. On that same day, Sunday, Jesus appears to the apostles, “… when the disciples were gathered behind closed doors for fear of the Jews” (Jn. 20:19). Fear plays a severe role in faith. By putting himself amid the fearful apostles, Jesus is saying that he will take care of those who believe in him and turn their fear into joy. We know from the history of the Church about the fear of popes, bishops, priests, and the faithful, but when it came to the duty of confessing faith in Christ, they did not betray. Remember the great multitude of martyrs and confessors from every state, age, and station. Eight days later, He appears again to the disciples, among whom Thomas is present. Thomas was not present at the first encounter. So in his pain, his grief, his disappointment at the events that had taken place around the Master, he expressed to the disciples that they had seen the Lord, “Unless I see the marks of the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the nail wounds, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (Jn. 20:25). In this encounter, he no longer repeats his condition and responds to the call of Christ, who recounts his words: “My Lord and my God.” (Jn 20:28). Christ’s love teaches, explains, forgives, lifts gives hope… The events of the first week after the Resurrection speak of this. Jesus conditions this with words of peace. Already at his birth, the angels addressed people of goodwill. Jesus died for our sins, which are the restlessness of the soul. In their encounter, the apostles receive the promise of the Holy Spirit, who, after Jesus’ ascension, will remind them of all they have heard and received from Jesus. They receive the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins, to grant forgiveness and peace through the ministry of the Church. Apostles receive the power to forgive and the power to withhold sins.

With its historical events, the past week addresses us to be responsible with our lives for the duties and tasks that Jesus entrusts to us. In purity of heart, in peace with God, we are to develop our relationship with Him. It is not enough that we have been present at the celebration of the Resurrection; we also have the duty, arising from our baptism, to live and carry Christ’s words into the world as the most important message of human history. Even today, many do not know God, Jesus Christ. Two-thirds of the people in the world are. There are disagreements among Christians. The movement of ecumenism plays a significant role among them. It is an effort to unite Christians. We Catholic Christians must be concerned about our beliefs’ habitual, superficial, and indifferent attitudes. The name Christian obliges us to follow Christ in our lives. We are not to seek evasions from duty, make light of obligations, undervalue the Beatitudes, or fail to observe the Ten Commandments. Thus, we do not respond to Christ’s first address after His resurrection, “Peace be with you.” (Jn 20:19). Easter is a tough time for us to prioritize the values that God has determined, that Jesus has reminded us of and that the Church teaches today.

We are offered many guides. One of them advises:
1) Rather than getting angry, I first lift my gaze to heaven and remind myself that my place is to be earned.
2) Then, I will fix my gaze on the earth and reflect that the day will come when I will be dead.
3) And only after such reflection will I look around and consider whether there are not still many people in the world who are far worse off than I am. After such reflections, I conclude that it is necessary to be silent if there comes any cross, difficulty, or setback. Again, with a smile, without grumbling and bumbling forward.
Perhaps we have tried and tested ways of achieving peace of mind. We need to work on our sanctification, strengthen ourselves in love for Christ, extend love to our brothers and sisters, and be more protective of our peace of mind. For this, the Lord Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit after His resurrection. And our response to this year’s feast of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus? The Easter Alleluia belongs not just to one day, one week, but to the whole year. We need one another to be strengthened in the faith that leads us to eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

We can take encouragement from the experience of Mrs. Arsenevna, who found herself in a secret police prison in Moscow. My cellmate whispered to me one evening, “Do you know what tomorrow is? Tomorrow is Easter.” “Is it Easter already?” I sighed. “Easter brings joy to all humanity. Only we are excluded from that joy.” I walked hopelessly around the cell. A loud cry suddenly broke the disheartening silence, “Christos voskrese!” “Who dared to shout the Easter greeting?” I looked at my companion. Her large eyes shone on her pale face. The answer began to echo from every cell, “Voistinu voskrese!” The guards were clueless. They pounced on the young girl and dragged her away with them. After four days, she returned to her cell. Her face was haggard and worn. She had to spend Easter cold and hungry. “Yet I managed to communicate the Easter message. Everything else is unimportant,” she said, her eyes glistening.
In that prison, it was worthy of admiration, of courage. What did this young Christian woman feel in her heart? She overcame her fear, and the joy of the Easter message prevailed. How much courage she must have had! How many she gave hope, courage, strength in a brutal prison. She confessed her faith and awakened, perhaps, the faith of others.

We are not in prison, yet it is a challenge to us! How many people have forgotten the resurrection of the Lord after just one week? They have forgotten the holiday custom of attending liturgy, the Easter ham, the bathing, the visiting, and perhaps they no longer have the headache of noise, more alcohol. These people and we need to experience something not on the outside but the inside. We need to experience the peace of Christ. We realize that we need peace in our hearts, our families, our workplaces, and our nation. We received forgiveness at Easter confession, and perhaps we have forgotten it too? Let us believe Christ because that is what Jesus is telling Thomas about: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (Jn 20:29). The remembrance of Christ’s resurrection is that we receive, live, and pass on peace. And this we cannot and do not want to have removed from our hearts. That would be a great betrayal of the risen Christ. For us, faith is not a scientific hypothesis or conjecture, for it would have died long ago or been trampled underfoot by violence. For us, faith is not a superstition or a fabrication of men, for science would long ago have banished it. Faith is not an invention of exploiters to enslave people; it would have lost itself long ago when social justice and equality prevailed. We realize what St. Augustine said, “Unsatisfied is the human heart until it rests in God.” The Feast of the Resurrection has revived these thoughts that Christ wants us to be full of himself. Our clear response is that we want to be Christ.

Let us give thanks in the depths of our hearts for the events we have been reminded of during these days. This is what St. John wrote about in today’s Gospel: “But all this was done so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and that by faith you may have life in his name.” (Jn. 20:31).

Those who think logically about the Church today and see in it a continuation of the work of Christ will conclude that the Gospel today is essential for us. The chronological sequence of events leads us on. The disciples of Emmaus tell how they met Christ on the way and how they came to know him in the breaking of the bread. Luke further notes: While they were speaking, he stood in their midst and said to them: “Peace be to you!” (Lk 24:36).

In what are we to see the importance of this Gospel? If the Emmaus disciples’ encounter with Christ closes, he wants to tell us that Christ has risen from the dead with his body. He is thinking here of the body the apostles see and by which they know him. If only the spirit had been raised from the dead, they would not have seen Christ. Therefore Jesus deliberately appears to his apostles, showing them his hands, feet, and body. They can convince themselves that they are genuine and not some counterfeit. The body of Jesus they see is his and no one else’s. Even though it has a different quality, that is, no laws of nature apply to it, it can pass through closed doors, and yet it is his body that died on the cross in agonizing torment. This encounter is therefore essential because Jesus must convince them that he is indeed alive and already with a body of blessedness which they will see in eternal glory. Further, let us also note that the death of the Lord Jesus was foretold in the Old Testament and refers to Jesus as the Messiah. This is necessary for the apostles to understand. Therefore, the glorified Christ appears to them to convince their own that it is He who has died, and His work continues. We know that everything about Christ, his passion, death, and resurrection, was revealed to men in the Old Testament. And now Christ’s resurrection will illuminate these predictions of the prophets of the ancient and near past. Here we see that Christ is the center of history, that he is the true center for all people. Therefore, Jesus must prove to the apostles the truth of the Easter events.

This event, then, opened the gate that the Church and the work of Jesus Christ go on. It is growing and will be multiplied throughout history by others who will believe in Christ and do works of repentance. The apostles and the whole Church are to participate in this mission as witnesses to Christ’s suffering and death, and resurrection. That is why we do not look at the resurrection of Jesus as an event that happened some two thousand years ago and does not concern us. On the contrary, it affects us all. The words of the Lord Jesus apply to us: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (Jn 20:29).

Our faith in Christ’s resurrection is essential for our life because it strengthens us to walk firmly towards the eternal goal and to follow Christ in his sufferings so that we too may embrace the eternal glory. There is no other way to eternity than the way of Christ. Christ’s resurrection illuminates this way. Without this light, our earth would be clouded with sorrow and despair. And not only the world but every person and all human history.

For us, this is a beautiful reassurance. We believe that we, too, gain our goal through Christ’s death. Since that most significant event in the history of the world, when Christ conquered death and rose from the dead, our journey has become a journey that leads not to the unknown to uncertainty. Still, the eternal homeland, to the arms of the Father, to the state we call heaven or eternal bliss.

Therefore, let us pray: ‘Lord, enlighten us with the light of your resurrection so that we may not lose our way on the road to you, but may persevere, and one day enters with you into eternal glory.

“David Friedrich Strauss, the most important and enlightened rationalist of the 19th century, openly admits: “The center of all centers, the true heart of Christianity, is the resurrection of Jesus.” Strauss didn’t say anything new. Even Paul, nineteen hundred years ago, was aware of the significance of this event. He wrote to the community in Corinth: “And if Christ has not been raised, then our message is empty, and your faith is also empty.” (1 K 15,14). Yes, Paul dares to imply, “But if Christ has not been raised, those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.” (1 Cor. 15:17ff.). This statement of the apostle is not only true in the dogmatic sense that our entire faith in salvation and our hope of redemption rests on faith in the resurrection, but it is also true in the apologetic sense: the miracle of the resurrection is the most important miracle of Christ, which confirms everything. The Resurrection is the great seal of God, which proves that Jesus is the Savior sent from God. If the disciples, who did not come from the capital city, were not convinced that Jesus did not remain in death, it would have been incomprehensible that they gathered in that city. Above all, it would have been utterly incomprehensible that they committed themselves to “Christian” preaching in the holy city of Judaism. “Something must have happened, therefore, which brought about a complete change in their thinking in a short period, but which also fitted them for new activity and the founding of a community. This ‘something’ is the historical core of the Passover faith.” (Gerhard Kroll) THE HISTORICITY OF THE RESURRECTION “I know of no fact in the history of mankind that has been better proved and has more evidence than that Jesus Christ died and rose again.” (Thomas Arnold, historian) Anyway, here we have FOUR INDISPUTABLE FACTS: 1. Jesus was tried, condemned, crucified, and proved to have died on the cross. We’ve already discussed this at length here. 2. Shortly after His burial, His tomb was found empty. This, too, is a fact that no one has ever – not even Jesus’ opponents, especially the Jews, have ever and in any way disputed, not even in the 1st century itself. 3. The disciples – including the skeptics (Thomas, James, the Elder), claim to have met Jesus alive, real, flesh and bone, talked with Him, touched Him, and ate with Him. 4. All of them were willing to die for this belief, but they did (except John). What options do we have to explain this? There are a few theories: – THE APOSTLES DID MAKE IT UP ONCE: This would explain points 1 and 3, but no longer 2 and 4. In addition: o What would be the motive? They did not make anything out of it for themselves; on the contrary, they were persecuted and eventually killed for this witness of theirs. “When you read the New Testament, you cannot doubt that the disciples sincerely believed the truth of the resurrection and proclaimed it until their deaths. The idea that the empty tomb resulted from trickery or conspiracy on the disciples’ part cannot be defended today.” (William Lane Craig) o WHAT ABOUT THE WITNESSES? The disciples proclaimed the risen Christ demonstrably right after these events! As early as A.D. 35, Paul receives a confession of faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Jerusalem Christians! Why were the witnesses never convicted of lying? – THE APOSTLES STOLE JESUS’ BODY FROM THE GRAVE: The testimony of the guarded tomb casts doubt on this theory. This theory fails to explain why they were willing to abandon everything for their invention, endure hostility and persecution, and ultimately die for the sake of… a corpse they stole? At least the 4th fact remains unexplained. The 2nd is also the earliest because something like that is impossible in the case of a guarded grave. “This theory no longer has any supporters today.” (William Lane Craig) – JESUS did DIDN’T DIE; HE JUST FELL ON A CROSS INTO A COMEA AND WOKE HIMSELF IN HIS GRAVE: Probably the weakest possible explanation: ‘I tell him that’s out of the question. … Those soldiers 100 percent didn’t go to any medical school, but let’s remember that they were experts at killing people – it was their job, and they did it very well. They knew when a person was dead, which is not hard to figure out. Moreover, if any prisoner did manage to escape, the soldiers in charge paid for it with their own lives, so they had a big enough incentive to make perfectly sure that each one of the victims was dead when they were taken down from the cross. … It’s a fanciful theory without any real basis… the cross could not have survived in any case. If the cross had survived, how could it have walked with both legs driven through with a wedge beforehand? How could he have appeared just a short time later on the road to Emmaus and walked long distances? How could he move the arms that were dislocated at the cross? And let us not forget that he had deep wounds all over his back and on his side. … a man in such a sorry state would never have inspired his disciples strongly enough to go into all the world and proclaim that he was the Lord of life who had triumphed over the grave. Do you understand what I am saying? After enduring such horrible treatment, with catastrophically great blood loss and trauma, he would have looked so miserable that there is no way the disciples could have considered him a glorious victor over death; “The theory of “fogging” dates back to the 19th century. Some researchers wanted to explain the resurrection that Jesus fainted on the cross from exhaustion and fainted in the humid air of the tomb; he came to himself again. Even the Gospel account that Jesus sweated blood is said to be only pure fantasy. Recent research, however, completely disproves this theory. The observed phenomenon that Jesus sweated blood is a microcirculatory disorder in modern medicine.
They are associated with extreme psychological stress. Stressful states of great fear can lead to the capillaries in the sweat glands bursting and the sweat and the blood penetrating the skin’s surface. The scourging alone must have brought Jesus to a complete breakdown. The leather straps with metal balls and bone fragments tied to the end of the whip could, in the opinion of the physician Alexander Metherellus, tear the skin on his back so much that it partially exposed the spine. The flogging created such deep wounds in the flesh that they reached as far as the skeletal muscles and strips of spasmodically writhing and bleeding forces. To this was added an excessive loss of blood, which led to death before they could be crucified in many of the tortures. Crucifixion was associated with such indescribable pain that a particular word was invented for it, cruciate, which translated as “to crucify.” It already referred to the nailing of the wrists, in which the so-called nervous medians are punctured so that it is crushed. The exposed back was digging into the rough wood with every inhale and exhale. According to John’s tale, when Jesus finished breathing, one of the soldiers needed to assure his death by piercing him with a spear.
The stab went through the ribs on the right side of the rib cage, pierced the lung’s right lobe, and hit the heart. From the wound oozed “water and blood,” an unmistakable sign that death had occurred. Theologians have called this fluid the water and blood of Christ, which cleanses and saves the world. Physicians know it as the discharge from the pericardium and pleura, the fluid that collects in the heart region when the heart wall ruptures, resulting in necrosis of the heart. Dr. Metherell states that there was no possibility, Dr. Metherell says, that Jesus could have survived the crucifixion: “Jesus was absolutely and beyond the shadow of a doubt dead.” The thesis of the apparent death of Jesus, who then woke up in the tomb, ultimately also overlooks the fact that a crucified man, whose legs were pierced with thick nails, could not walk even if he survived.” (Peter Seewald)
– THE DISCIPLES, OVERCOME WITH GRIEF, HAD DELUSIONS AND HALLUCINATIONS:
Hallucinations are never collective. If several saw the same thing at once, it cannot be a hallucination. Skeptics and enemies – including Saul (Paul), met and saw resurrected Jesus. It doesn’t explain the fact of the empty tomb either. The 2nd and 3rd facts are unexplained.
O “Hypnosis occurs as a unique phenomenon; it does not affect several people at once. Fanaticism cannot be accounted for in the Gospels. Jesus with his disciples never manipulated his disciples and always respected their freedom of personal choice, as we see in the Judas’ case. The success of Christianity, which took a short time, spread throughout.
An argument was first used by the German theologian David Strauss in 1835, and no one has been able to refute it since. The Roman Empire was not achieved by armed force and military technology but
through the spirit of Christ’s missionaries. The apostles and disciples would hardly have laid down their lives for the fictional story. Jesus’ post-Easter revelation was the final proof of the truth of the prophecies. Now Jesus was opening up to them already as Christ and Teacher and as the incarnation of the living God.” (Peter Seewald) 

Who has come back from the cemetery and has not fully and completely believed the words of Christ: I am the resurrection and the life – was sad, if not completely hopeless. Why? Because death was the end of something beautiful and great. But those who left the cemetery with faith in Jesus Christ took away the hope of an eternal reunion with those who have gone before us into eternity.

When two of Jesus’ disciples left Jerusalem for the settlement called Emmaus, they were sad, full of questions, disappointed in their hearts… And yet, this encounter between Christ and the two disciples, described by Luke and captured artistically, answers whether it is possible to encounter Jesus today. Luke answers yes and speaks of an event when such an encounter can occur.

What has changed in two thousand years? Even today, many a Christian, after failures or having misconceived his faith, is like the two Emausite disciples. A believer must never imagine Christ in the wrong attitude or light because he will be disappointed. However, one in such a state of disillusionment as the two disciples begin to think again about all that has caused the sadness or disappointment may feel a glimmer of light. In the case of the disciples, this light was brought into their thinking by the stranger along the way, pointing to the correct idea of the Redeemer. At his words, they begin to remember the terms of the Lord Jesus, for he had spoken on this subject while he was among them. They are words that neither time nor age has taken away from their actuality and timeliness: ‘Ye unintelligent and hard-hearted believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was not the Messiah to suffer all this and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26).
After the interpretation is given, the light comes. The disciples begin to suspect that Jesus is alive, that He must live! The words they heard this morning from the women who returned from the tomb, that the tomb is empty, cannot be a lie. The disciples begin to feel the words of this “guide” of theirs kindle a strange light within them. The hunch that Jesus must be alive becomes a certainty. The discernment of the true light in all its power comes at supper when this “guide” of theirs takes the bread in his hands, blesses it, breaks it, and hands it to them. “Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. But he disappeared from them” (Lk 24:31).

In the life of a believer, similar events happen. Moments come into our lives when all hope and certainty are lost, and suddenly, a vacuum, an emptiness, is created around us. One looks for something to hold on to, something to lean on. And when he cannot find anything, he often goes away like the disciples of Emmaus.
But we must remember that God will not give up on any of us. We see this in the disciples. Jesus doesn’t go after them but with them. Jesus goes after each one of us. He does not want to lose anyone whom the Heavenly Father has entrusted to Him.
Yes, he has a hard time with us. We are often not standing. Still, we quickly change our attitude, even toward God. Often we drift away from God, and because of this, our strength leaves us even more, and emptiness fills us. And yet, the Gospel speaks so clearly to us of the means that revive our love, which helps heal a sick soul or a broken heart. We must realize that if we want our hearts to burn with love for God, for our neighbor, to have love within us, we must often approach the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar and participate in the Holy Mass because we will experience true communion. There we will feel the closeness of the Lord Jesus. There, our hearts will speak, and we will be so well again.

It is not only the disciples but also we, at Mass, who are convinced of the great strength of our faith. That is why we see that already the first Christians understood the importance of the Eucharistic celebration of the Holy Mass, which allowed them to meet God face to face until the time of the apparitions was over. Then, after the Ascension, regularly on Sundays, they commemorated this encounter with the glorified Christ.
And here we see that even at the end of the 20th century, it is possible to meet Christ, and our hearts are warmed, we feel his nearness, and we can feel so good. This is because Christ gives himself to us, while at Mass as our food, to strengthen us on the journey to seek the truth, the meaning of life, and our beautiful goal.
Jesus is also here with us today, as with the two Emausian disciples, to remove our doubts and our small-mindedness by his grace. Whoever wishes to encounter the risen Christ truly, let him open himself to his words and come to his table where he can genuinely receive his Body and Blood under bread and wine.

We know that right-hand information is more trustworthy than fame: a lady said…
The events following the resurrection of the Lord Jesus are well known to us. Yet, we pay attention to them in the exact chronological sequence as they followed, as recorded by those who witnessed them or who learned the credibility of the witnesses to the events.

In the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene’s encounter with Jesus is recorded. John recorded this event from two perspectives. First, let us note that the disciples did not expect the Lord Jesus to be resurrected. This is indicated by what the women wanted to do. They rushed to anoint the dead body of Christ, as was the custom. If they had expected the resurrection of Christ, the women would not have run to the tomb of Jesus with ointments at dawn on Sunday. We can also explain the encounter with the angels, who were probably the guard of honor at Christ’s tomb, by saying that when Mary finds the tomb empty, she does not think that Christ could have risen from the dead. Still, she feels that someone has taken the dead body out of the tomb and buried it in another place. Perhaps from the Jews who hated Jesus, or possibly other enemies of Christ, so as not to give him peace even after death.

The words also suggest this to the supposed gardener: “Lord, if thou hast taken him away, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him.” (Jn 20:15). We see a change in Mary Magdalene’s mind, indicated by John the Apostle’s second statement. What was it that sparked belief in the resurrection of Christ?
Let us realize what the closest associates of Jesus experienced. They cowardly betrayed and abandoned Jesus. Let us note the hatred of the leaders of the nation, the chief priests, Pilate, the synedrion. All of this speaks against the belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We know that the history of Christ on earth ends with His death on the cross.
The history of the mystical Christ begins with his resurrection. Therefore, we already understand that Mary did not immediately know Jesus. Jesus’s body is no longer subject to nature’s laws, yet she recognizes him by his voice when he addresses her. She immediately sees that it is him and that he is truly alive. He who loved her so much that he forgave her sins. That is why Jesus does not want to receive her love. He doesn’t want her to touch him but sends her to the apostles? Why? The answer is more acceptable to us today. The risen Jesus wants to strengthen the faith of his disciples; he wants to gather them again to lay the foundations for the future communion of the Church. He would like to teach them about the meaning of his death and about the mission he completed by dying on the cross.

We can also explain this by the words of Mary, which she said when she first met the apostles, “I have seen the Lord.” (Jn 20:18). These are the words of the Easter faith. Today, this is also relevant as we approach the Eucharist and listen to the Scriptures. It also enables us to convene: We see the Lord! This is the motive for us to believe in the risen Christ.

What the Gospel describes to us often takes place in our lives. We want to convince ourselves of faith, so we look for Christ in our surroundings. It is a pity that we seek him mainly with our eyes and not with our hearts because the heart can see more than our eyes. With the heart, we are more likely to reach the goal of our search. Under the influence of the events we recall, let us seek the presence of the Lord Jesus in our hearts, which, however, must be cleansed of our sins. Pain and tears may obscure the sight of the Lord Jesus, but the heart knows Him safely.
In the search, one often finds oneself before an empty tomb. There it often happens that many doubts and anxieties arise. Death, the end, extinction. For us, however, other words already apply. For us, Christ’s resurrection is a sign of joy, victory, and hope. This is not only what we ponder these days, but we also believe it. We know who it was who rose from the dead, and therefore we believe in his victory, in our salvation.

For us, the risen Christ means that everything we do with Christ has meaning and value because he is our hope. This is what the Church teaches us, what the Gospels, the authentic witnesses, the genuine observers tell us, and so he is our certainty on the road to eternal life.

For us, the Resurrection is not just a matter of words, but above all, it is a call to the works necessary for our life here on earth and especially for eternity.

The women quickly came out of the tomb and ran with fear and great joy to tell their disciples. And behold, Jesus went to meet them and addressed them, “I greet you.” And they came and embraced his feet and worshiped him. Here Jesus said to them: “Do not be afraid! Tell my brothers to go to Galilee; they will see me.” Some guards came into the city and told the chief priests everything when they had gone. They met with the elders, took counsel, and gave the soldiers a lot of money, saying, “So say, ‘His disciples came by night, and while we slept they stole him away;’ and if the governor hears of it, we will take him captive and see that nothing happens to you.” They took the money and did as they were instructed. And this is said among the Jews to this day.

Tell my brethren that they shall see me.

In our cemeteries, we can witness even such inconspicuous scenes. People build tombs in their lifetime and go to see them. There is nothing wrong with that if they would at least devote as much time to their soul as they have devoted time and money to their temporary dwelling place – their grave. I have seen a woman weeping over her grave. She is alive; she has sweet words carved in stone there; it is just a pity that those who know her know the state of her life, especially her soul, and that the words on the monument do not match the reality. When I saw this woman, I thought of the most incredible desert – the Sahara. Some scientists say that there is supposed to be a great sea under the Sahara. If humans can reach it, then the water will rise from the depths and make the sands of the desert more fertile. This picture is characteristic of the situation of many people.
Many people live on the surface, lacking nothing. They think even of the time when they will die, but they do not go to the depths and even convince themselves that life is only the world we are in, the world we consume. They do not admit a new life; they do not admit that there could be a particular time in their life and eternal life. They are afraid and scared to leave the old life and start a new one. For us gathered here today on Easter Monday, the event of the Gospel is a strength, and we draw great strength from it. Jesus makes himself known to the women who wanted to show their love for him by anointing his dead body with fragrant ointments.
The women are to mediate an encounter for Jesus’ disciples. Jesus wants to meet his brothers, the apostles. The place of the meeting is well known to the apostles. It is the place where he has called them to be apostles. For the apostles, the Lake of Gennesaret was the place of their calling, but it was also where they ate the bread that they distributed to the crowds after being blessed by Jesus and fed many. It was here that they marveled at the power of Jesus because He acted as one who had authority. It was here that they marveled at the teachings of Jesus that had won not only their hearts and lives but the hearts and lives of many others. Jesus, through the women, invites them back to the lake. This encounter to which he calls them is meant to strengthen their faith, which has been shaken by the events of three days ago when Jesus was taken captive in the Garden of Gethsemane, right up to the laying of his body in the tomb. The apostles begin to realize that much had changed since the event when he called them to follow him as disciples. The freshest event that Christ rose from the dead has shaken them more than the death of Christ. They begin to understand things they did not understand. They realize that they can regain their faith, never to lose it again, so that they may complete the mission to which Christ has called them, so that they may be willing even to die for him.
After the Second Vatican Council, much has been said about faith in today’s world. In the last twenty years, the Church has not survived its death, as the false prophets predicted that the Church would not survive the year 2000; on the contrary, we see that the Church is entering, as it were, into its second youth. This raises the question for us: What is our task, our mission in the world, to engage appropriately with the mission of the Church in modern times? The Resurrection of Christ gives us strong motives. We strive to remain faithful Christians. To be a Christian in the 20th century is no reason to be ashamed of our faith, even in an age of discovery, of progress in all areas of science. Let us remind ourselves that everything we admire today grew out of Christianity. Christianity has brought development; it has sparked culture, and it has enriched civilization. Who built the first schools, hospitals, orphanages, and nursing homes? Not Christianity? Let us consult the list of scientists, writers, and explorers, and we will find that it was the church figures.
Let us remind ourselves that the hallmark of Christianity is not backwardness but, on the contrary, development, and culture, even today. Many would like to change Christianity. However, Christianity must not be understood as a matter of taste, opinion, or how we would best like it… Christianity is based on truth, which cannot change according to who is in power, political, economic, or cultural. That is why the Church says that Christ is risen, even on this morning, even though millions will cry out that it is a lie because history. says they are lying to themselves.

The church and Christianity at this time realize that it is not laid at the whim of men. Faith does not depend on the power of lords. History convinces us that even when Christianity has been trampled upon, persecuted, and even when it has bled, it has always fulfilled the Risen Christ’s mission. Indeed, the more his resurrection was mocked, the more sacrifices the followers of Christ had to make, and the purer and more worthy was the life of Christians. That is why we must speak of the role of Christianity because there are many of them, and each of us can be involved in them for our enrichment here on earth and for our reward in eternity.

At the end of the 20th century, two serious tasks confront believers. Namely, not to be tempted by mammon, which has already led many away from Christ. We know that Broadway has always been directed away from God. To those who want to put into practice the motto: “Carpe diem!” – “Enjoy the day!” need only be reminded of how much sorrow, misfortune, and disappointment there is in the end. Money, fame, power, status, sex, drugs, all this is the field’s grass that quickly withers, withers away. Christians of today have to realize that they must not become enslaved. They must not allow themselves to be enslaved; they must not succumb to the modern-day slave-master of our day – mammon. This does not mean that the Christian must not live within the limits of comfort, of glory… But the first place with the believer must be the Risen One, who says that one day we too will be called to the resurrection of body and soul.

Nelli Cooman, who won the gold medal at the second World Indoor Athletics Championships in Budapest, is an example. In Teleport, an editor asked her what comes first in her life: “Is it a sport?” “No,” replies the winner. “Then, husband?” “Neither husband.” Astonished and curious, the reporter asks the same thing again, and the winner replies, “I put God first, my husband second, and sports third.” Surprised, the reporter asks again, “And does the husband know about this?” “Yes, he does. He also has God first, and I hope,” he smiles mischievously, “that he also has me second.” “I don’t know if you believe, but try talking to him,” while pointing upwards, “and he will always help you.” In doing so, she oozed joy, youth, and strength.

Thus, we can say that she handled our first assignment perfectly. From the screen, it was an extraordinary profession of faith. Our second task is not to be afraid of sacrifice. Jesus says: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23). For us, this means to remain faithful in proclaiming the truth of Christ. The renowned scientist and discoverer of the cure for rabies, the Frenchman Pasteur, when criticized for his faith’s straightforwardness, said: “It is a pity that I do not believe like a Breton peasant, but that I believe like a Breton peasant.” It is known that the Breton peasant women had a profound faith.

Let us pray today for the strength to know the meaning of our life here on earth, not to be afraid of death, but to let our faith flow out of the resurrection of Christ-like living water that turns the desert into fertile ground.

Tonight we are especially aware that Eucharistic prayer is the center and source of the life of the Church, resting on the certainty of faith that the Risen Christ is present under the Eucharistic species of bread and wine. Tonight’s liturgy especially allows us to experience the post-transfiguration invocation, to cry out with hope: “Your death we proclaim, and your resurrection we proclaim until you come in glory.” Or the second possibility of exclaiming the answer, “Savior of the world, save us, for you have redeemed us by your cross and resurrection.” This night reminds us of the most important historical event, Christ’s resurrection, which is the golden thread of Christian hope until the end of time. The Resurrection is the crowning of history and the confirmation that man’s salvation is not a utopia but a reality. Christ’s victory over all evil is the promise of our resurrection.

We know that every Sunday throughout the year is a day for us Catholic Christians to remember this event. Indeed, many things, events, and people often grow stale to us sinful and weak ones. This night and tomorrow, we are to use it to make us more aware of the significance and enthusiasm of the apostles, the disciples, the women, and all who believed in Christ’s resurrection. This reality has been the basis of faith and the essential content of proclamation since the beginning of Christianity. Christians have always spoken of Christ’s resurrection: “We believe that Jesus died and rose again…” (1 Sol 4:14); “…we believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, delivered for our sins and raised again for our justification” (Rom 4:24-25). The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate truth of our faith in Christ. It has been confirmed from the first Church and remains true today as an essential part of the mystery of our salvation. Paul’s words: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and our faith is in vain. And then we shall be found to be false witnesses of God because we have testified against God that he raised Christ whom he did not raise.” (1 Cor. 15:14-15), we regard as the cornerstone of the mystery of Christ and the absolute criterion of the truth of his gospel. It is beautiful to realize the Apostle’s words: “I delivered to you what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures: that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Cor. 15:3-4). Paul also writes of other events that Christ appeared to Cephas-Peter, then to the Twelve, then to more than five hundred brethren at one time, as well as to James, and he writes of himself: “… and to the last of all, as to one who was not a sinner, he also appeared to me.” (1 Cor. 15:5-8). In the Creed, we confess that Jesus “died and was buried… on the third day he was raised from the dead.” It says precisely when Jesus rose from the dead and also that He was killed. However, the death of Jesus did not result in the decomposition of the body as it did for the young man of Naima, Jairus’ daughter, or Lazarus. Lazarus’ body on the fourth day already stank. Jesus definitively defeated death by His resurrection. After that, Jesus appeared to several people. On Sunday at dawn to three women: Mary Magdalene, Mary of James, and Salome. To the apostles, first without Thomas and a second time in the presence of Thomas. Especially to the Apostle Peter. On Sunday morning, the two disciples went to Emma. To more than five hundred brethren at one time, of whom the apostle remarks that many were still living. The Acts of the Apostles mentions James the Apostle, called “the younger,” who was one of the relatives of the Lord Jesus, or “brethren,” and who enjoyed great attention in Jerusalem. On the road to Damascus, Jesus appeared to Saul, so Paul became equally a witness of the Risen One after the ascension of the Lord. We see from Scripture how the witnesses’ behavior changes after encountering the Risen One. The state of irritability, disappointment, and agitation over the Master’s inglorious end changes so much that they are willing to lay down their lives for Christ.

The Resurrection of Christ is not just a kind of rebirth, a return to earthly life with the inevitable second death, as was the case with those whom Jesus raised from the dead, for they had to die again. Resurrection does not just mean the soul’s immortality as understood by the Gnostics, widespread in Christianity’s early days. In that case, it would be only a kind of “half-resurrection.” We understand the Resurrection of Christ as the entry of the whole body of Jesus, that is, the entire human side of him, into life without end. Thus the resurrection of Jesus is not even a reincarnation; a reincarnation, samsara, such as is believed in Hinduism or Buddhism, for example, whereby one speaks of the rebirth or return of a person to the next earthly life by the passing or transmigration of the soul from one body to another in a series of innumerable repetitions. Today we remember the resurrection of Christ because this resurrection is not a mere remembrance of Jesus and his teachings but his presence. The resurrection is not some psychological creation of the disciples but a concrete event that Jesus foretold to the disciples. From the beginning, Christians have spoken of the resurrection of Christ as a fact: “The Lord has truly risen from the dead and appeared to Simon.” (Luke 24:34).

So, they didn’t believe in deception or hallucination. It must be remembered today that the disciples’ faith in Christ is immediately based on two specific facts. It is the empty tomb and the recurring appearances of Jesus. The Gospels give two kinds of accounts of the appearances of Christ, namely: the private, given freely when Jesus appears to the women, Magdalene, the Emma us disciples, and the official, when he appears to the apostles, using a general rigid scheme that involves Jesus’ appearance and his greeting, followed by the disciples’ incredulous response, Jesus’ rebuke, then the proof that it is him, and the confirmation of their mission.

Today we accept the resurrection of the Lord Jesus as God the Father’s response to Jesus’ condemnation and the suffering that people inflicted on him. The resurrection reveals Jesus as “Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:36), “Lord and God” (Jn. 20:28), and “the Son of God” (Acts 13:33). Today we believe and confess that Jesus is faithful, “the resurrection and the life” ( Jn. 11:25). Also, “he was put to death, but made alive by the Spirit.” (1Pe 3:18). Jesus’ resurrection precedes our future resurrections as their first fruits. We understand the resurrection as the establishment of friendship between God and humanity. Yes, the resurrection is also the fulfillment of the human expectation of immortality and transcendence. It is also the experience of our vocation, mission, liberation, and forgiveness. The Resurrection is the reality of the elevation of woman as a disciple, hearer, and messenger of God’s Word. Faithfulness and piety have given women courage.

We realize what we gain by Christ’s resurrection. We should approach this event faithfully, honestly, and responsibly. God is pleased with such behavior from us and will reward it. An example may suggest something to us: Cardinal Alexander Farnese, later Pope Paul III, was said to have been very generous. Once a poor woman begged him for five pieces of silver, which she needed in her time of need. The cardinal sent his secretary, who brought her 50 pieces of silver. “That’s a mistake; I only asked for five,” said the woman. The secretary assured her that the note said 50. The woman, ticket in hand, went to the cardinal and spoke: “Eminence, you were mistaken by one zero.” “Indeed, you are right,” smiled the Cardinal. He took the pen and added another zero. The woman touched and read 500 pieces of silver.
Accepting Christ’s Resurrection with faith becomes our most fabulous riches, hope, and security.

Our participation in the liturgy today enriches us. We commemorate the most significant event in human history. Christ has indeed risen from the dead, alleluia.