HOMILY Divine Mercy
Easter points us into a new direction: Glory.
For humankind, our sin has been to live for our own “self” –either done individually or collectively—with God’s ways and laws out of the frame of view. That is a bad path of life. The good path is of one with God’s light on it to participate with Him. It’s the Way of Divine Mercy. It’s a good path of looking for the true God and for becoming a true person saved into God, and developing a life to God and not the selfish end. But many choose selfishness, into then a self-imposed slavery. It’s labelled secular humanism, atheism or paganism-which some now call nature worship. There are other self-isms, too.
Easter says we can be out of such slavery to sin and death and apartness, and be on the Way Home to Him and His Good Everlasting Heart. He’ll love and guide us home. There is a Cross and a Resurrection of Jesus for that glorious hope.
One has to have the will for repentance, conversion, and the good and holy change God wants in you and with others to get this homeward bound life going. Divine Mercy is not forced in. Repentance (of sin) means to turn to the right direction (of Grace). Conversion or “Metanoia” means that God will be making you a servant of God, a new creation a child of God, and enrolled citizen of Heaven, as you agree and walk forth in the Spirit to His Call or Voice. An elation begins in the soul that you have this invitation by Jesus to follow Him. It will lead to worship or a longing to be present to His Presence. A holy change will be more the goal as to be fit for Heaven and totally for God’s will to be done.
Loving obedience to God and worship to our Maker and Savior is the call and the path of life. The Psalmist in Psalm 16 portrays a person pointed to God and His Glory. Quote: “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” (Can we proclaim it so ourselves on this Easter 2024?)Then God responds to the psalmist words: I say of the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones in whom is all My delight. Yet those who run after other gods or vain pursuits will suffer the more and more.” (Of us at Easter, can we hear Him address the Church, Christ’ Body, to be His nobles ones, caught up in God’s delight?)The Psalmist then, with assurance attests: “I will praise The Lord, who counsels me…I keep my eyes fixed on The Lord…I will not be shaken. My heart is glad and I speak in gladness of His and my body will rest secure, for You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead to an end. For your faithful, Lord, You make known to them the path of life, you will fill each one with joy in Your Presence, with eternal pleasures at Your Right Hand.” (Church: Is the Glory of the Lord, Joy in His Presence, eternal pleasures—is this your direction?) Easter points us into a new direction: Glory. Happy Easter. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Some years ago the actor Matthew McConaughey made a phrase famous in a movie, and it’s still associated with him. It’s “Alright, Alright, Alright!” For the Christian, I’d say our i.d. phrase is more than alright, that’s good, but “Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!” (Repeat it a couple of times with me: “Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!” “Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!” It means Praise God! Praise
God that He leads me on a path of life to Glory! ###
Segue: For our parish, we have a number of persons to be received into the Catholic Faith, with Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation. They are firmly setting foot on the Path of Life to Glory. Are we glad about that?! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! We will now begin the rites at Mass to accept them in…
[Note: The extension of this verbal homily is on the web site… or at the 1030 Easter Mass, it does continues as below…]
Extension of homily
Jesus is God come among us and saying that such prayers as the 16th Psalm, which He prayed often and trusted, are helps or guideposts for the one traveling homeward.
God has given us Glory to aim for, and God’s work in Jesus the Son, and His inspiration and power provided in the Holy Spirit, will lead us to Father God Almighty. Truly.
“You, God, have shown me the path of life, and fullness of peace forever.” So let us walk in forth by faith, friends and sojourners.
The Risen Jesus, seen first publicly, gave a message to Mary Magdalene on Easter morn, and she was to deliver it to the apostles and disciples. “Tell them to go to Galilee.” What did that mean? It meant that the re-start of ministry for them was to receive the revelation of the Risen Lord Jesus, there in Jerusalem vicinity, and then go back to square one, to the start where they all have met and begun following Jesus—back in Galilee.
Jesus will say that the path of eternal life goes back to your beginning. God made you for Himself. Go to the square one place. For a believer already, it could be to your baptism in Christ or to that place or state of being when you acceptance Jesus fundamentally as The Lord of your life. He says: ‘We are at a new start now. Easter wins you to Me and the Father and in for life in The Spirit.’
Look for the Way to Glory from now on, the path of life. It is there at your footsteps, and I lead My Church to guide the way and feed You with Eucharist and Life for the journey.
Jesus told Mary Magdalene: Tell them to go to Galilee. The band of Jesus’ followers, like Peter and apostles particularly, go back to their outward post, to have a Resurrection version begin with following Jesus. We’ll find out later in an Easter gospel of Peter and the apostles meeting him on the fishing shores of Galilee near Capernaum, and it all re-begins a following of Jesus from there. It is I, the Risen Jesus now with you always, do not be afraid. Go forth with the Good News to all the world.