Homily:
3rd Sunday of Easter – Cycle B
One
of the common threads that seems to run through our readings today is the idea
that Christ’s Resurrection is the light that takes away blindness. In the first reading, Peter is speaking to
the crowd who had gathered around him and the Apostle John after they had
healed the crippled man near Solomon’s Portico just outside the temple. We hear Peter accuse the crowd of having “denied
the Holy and Righteous One” and having put to death the “author of life”. Then, in a turn of mercy, he acknowledges
that they “acted out of ignorance” and assures them that, if they repent, their
sins will be wiped away by the very same “Holy and Righteous One” whom they
denied. In other words, when they denied
him, they were blinded by their ignorance, but now see the fullness of Christ,
risen from the dead, and his saving power.
Thus, they can turn to him and receive forgiveness.
In
the Gospel reading, we hear how Peter and the Apostles were the first (or maybe
second) to be enlightened by the risen Christ.
There the disciples from Emmaus to whom the Risen Christ appeared and
was made known in the breaking of bread, have returned to Jerusalem and are
recounting their encounter with the Risen Christ. “While they were still speaking about this,”
the Gospel records for us, Jesus appeared in their midst, rebukes them for
their unbelief in the resurrection, and then “[opens] their minds to understand
the Scriptures” about how the Christ had to suffer and die and then rise to
fulfill what was written. In spite of
what Jesus told his disciples before his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, it
took his risen presence to take away their blindness so that they might see the
full truth of his teaching.
In
the second reading, the words of the Apostle John also aim at opening the eyes
of its readers. Our reading begins with
John saying “I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin.” In other words, “so that you may recognize
sin and, thus, avoid it.” Then, like
with Peter in the first reading, we hear him announce God’s mercy: saying, in
effect, “If, in your ignorance, you have sinned, don’t despair; because Jesus
is our Advocate before the Father and he has expiated our sins.” In other words, “If you have sinned because
of blindness, be blind no longer and turn to Christ who will advocate on your
behalf before the Father.” For John, it
is Christ, risen from the dead, that gives light and hope to those who had been
blind in their sin, just as it was for the crowd that listened to Peter that
afternoon in Jerusalem, and just as it was for the disciples gathered in the
Upper Room on that first Easter.
And
so, why is this important to note today? Because it will be important to remember in
the coming years as it will become necessary to propose once again these great
truths to a generation who has largely turned away from it.
Newspaper
columnist Terry Mattingly recently reflected on Europe’s woes regarding young
adults and religion. He specifically
quotes Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who, while still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger,
noted that the trend in Europe meant that the Church would be “reduced in its
dimensions” making it “necessary to start again.” Here, nearly 20 years later, we see this
playing out in Europe. A recent study
showed that, in 12 of 22 European nations polled, over half of 16-29 year olds
claim no religious affiliation whatsoever. In 18 of these 22 nations less than 10 percent
of young adults admit to attending religious services on a weekly basis (this
includes all religions, not just Catholicism).
According
to the report’s author, a key to understanding this shift is to acknowledge that
“nominal” or “cultural” faith doesn’t transfer from one generation to the next. Which means that, if this generation’s
parents are Christians “in name” only—perhaps believing in a "vaguely benevolent
'Something' out there"—then their children’s generation is likely to cut
ties with religion, rather than continue the charade. Again, this seems to be playing out: in an
extremely pronounced way in Europe, but also here in the United States. If this trend continues, Mattingly notes, “the
future that Pope Benedict predicted, that a smaller church would have to return to
basics”, will become a reality. In this
reality, according to the retired Pope, believers will once again have to be
missionaries and to “propose again … the questions on God, salvation, hope,
life, especially what has a basic ethical value."
This
is where these lessons from today’s Scriptures come in. Many of these young people—and, of course, many
of the adults—who have strayed from the faith will, at some point, “hit a wall”,
so to speak. Having lived a life of what
Benedict XVI has called “practical atheism”—in which God is not explicitly
denied, but one’s life reflects no consideration of God—many will find it empty
and will begin searching for answers. Our
job will be to be there and to propose again the hard, yet merciful truth that
Jesus proposed to his disciples when he said: “How could you doubt? Look at how this fulfilled everything that
the Scriptures proposed”; and that Peter proposed to the crowd when he said: “You
killed the author of life! But if you repent
you will find forgiveness”; and that John proposed to the early Church when he
said: “Those who say ‘I know him’, but don’t follow his commandments are liars!
But those who sin have an Advocate in
Jesus”. If we have been faithful
witnesses—not just in word, but in action—then these persons, their blindness
lifted, will turn back to the Lord and the Church will begin to grow again.
This
is why today I want to encourage you to study closely the Acts of the Apostles
during this Easter season. Just as Lent
was our time of preparation to celebrate the Resurrection, so should Easter be
our time of preparation to re-propose the Gospel to a generation that is abandoning
it; and studying how the early Church proposed the Gospel the first time will
be a great way to prepare.
Friends,
the joy of the resurrection and the promise that Jesus is our advocate—two
things which are renewed each time we celebrate this Eucharist—will be our strength
to fulfill this good work. So let us
take it up, trusting that Christ, whose light broke through the darkness of
death, can break through the blindness of those around us and bring them to new
life.
Given at All Saints Parish: Logansport, IN – April 15th,
2018
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