Homily, April 26, 2026
From The Pastor
Resurrection is not only an after-death experience. The new life of the Resurrection is also meant for the here and now. Living in love brings new life. Living the resurrection through a life of love connected to God prepares us for the resurrection unto eternal life in the glory of heaven. If resurrection into new life is real, it must be realized and experienced in the here and now.
New life happens when a person or a body of people experiences the healing of love through forgiveness, mercy, a newfound relationship, the reconciliation of an old friendship, recovery after a long illness, an awakening through the grace of conversion, welcoming back someone who had been lost or on a different path, as well as any number of other human experiences. Those choosing to stay and work through whatever hardship befalls them will feel the grace of new life that flows from the redemption of the Lord rising from the dead. How many times have any of us journeyed through the hard and unexpected challenges of life for the sake of love, fidelity, and a commitment that revealed new life after a particular loss, difficulty, or pain? Through these kinds of experiences, we find new life that leads to inspired faith, realized hope, and love that makes evident the action of the Holy Spirit.
Resurrection to new life does not always demand a literal death. A thousand little deaths throughout life serve as a necessary and essential preparation for our final surrender to death in the body in anticipation of heavenly glory. The challenge is to face the losses and the harsh realities of life with mature trust in the grace of God to carry us through. Going through a death into new life is no fairy tale. The journey of faith is not meant to be a road paved with sweetness and grace every step of the way. The life and suffering that God himself accepted in Christ makes this unmistakably clear. Jesus, despite every kind of trial he endured, chose to respond with love, mercy, forgiveness, and generosity. Do not think Jesus was spared bad days, difficult people, or daily problems, along with the direct rejection, hatred, and humiliation he was made to suffer.
Responding with love, Jesus shows us how to live a resurrected life. In Jesus, through every pain or disappointment he suffered, he responded in a way that brought new life to others. Jesus is the model of what it looks like to allow the Father’s love to guide and direct every movement of his life. On a down day, Jesus quips, “You unbelieving and perverse generation. How long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?” Mt 17:17. On a better day, “Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I give you honor and praise because you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and have revealed them to simple believers.” Mt 11:25. In every human encounter Jesus works to reveal new life in the truth of love given by God.
The weight of sin, human frustration, impatience, complaining, or doubt can easily hide the potential grace that lives in each of us. Hey, it’s not easy but the point is well made. Love heals, kindness restores, forgiveness unites, and mercy blossoms into new life and hope for the receiver of such grace. This is resurrection in everyday life, and each of us has the potential to bring new life to those whom we encounter.
To live with love in this way reveals the presence of the Holy Spirit. Too often we feel the good things we do come from ourselves, from the store of our own goodness. To give new life is a work of God. Through the Resurrection of Jesus and the sending of the Holy Spirit, each of us has been empowered to be an agent of new life for others. When a person feels the swell of affirmation, forgiveness, acceptance, or a warm sense of belonging you can be sure the Holy Spirit is present and active. It is the Holy Spirit in the giver who shares a blessing of love with another that stirs the Spirit in the receiver. This is the grace of new life given through the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
St. Paul says as much in the second reading: ‘If you are patient when you suffer doing what is good this is a grace of God before you.’ St. Paul refers to Jesus: ‘When insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.’
This is the meaning of the closing verse of the gospel. “I came so that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” This is the resurrected life we are called to live now as we make our way to the fullness of life in heaven. Peace be with you.
Father John Esper
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