Homily, Sunday May 14, 2023
From The Pastor
The Resurrection is about more than Jesus rising from the dead. The Resurrection of Jesus is about who God is and what God is about as the Divine Creator. Many of the readings in the Easter season rightfully point us back to the basic questions of faith. Christianity holds there is a Supreme being who is the essence of uncreated love. Christians hold that God is infinite, without beginning or end. We believe God is perfectly whole and complete in a Trinity of persons of indivisible unity. God needs nothing. God is the perfect essence of love.
It took some time, several centuries, for the theology of the Trinity to find full expression. The realization and revelation of the Trinity comes from scripture, supported by human experience. Readings like today’s gospel make clear the three persons of the Holy Trinity. Jesus consistently refers to God as Father, specifically his Father. Jesus is very clear that he is one with the Father, and he does nothing on his own, only what he sees the Father doing. The earliest expression of this is the Lord’s Baptism in the River Jordan. As Jesus comes out of the water, a voice is heard from the heavens, and the Spirit of God is seen in the form of a dove. The voice is that of the Father confirming the nature and identity of the Lord Jesus. “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” The Spirit is revealed as the unitive love of the Father and the Son.
Today’s gospel gives expression to the function or roles of God. The intention and desire of God is to create as an expression of Divine love. Jesus, the Divine Son, ever-present in the Father, is mediator and Christ of all that is created. The role of the Son is to redeem wounded humanity by becoming fully human in all things but sin. It is the will of God to unite all creation into the unity of Divine love. The Resurrection of Jesus is ultimately the revelation of who God is in bringing unity to all creation. Jesus is not alone in his dying and rising. He is in the constant presence of the Father and the Holy Spirit.
The Father and the Son perfectly reflect one another. Jesus fulfills the commandment of God by perfectly revealing the nature and essence of Divine love through his human life. The fulness of this revelation is Jesus’ death on the Cross through a freely given, self-surrender of his human and Divine nature. Jesus surrenders to death to defeat the lie of sin and the deception of evil by the surpassing power of love. Divine love cannot fail and cannot be defeated by the evil of fallen angels who are themselves created beings. Jesus fulfills the Divine desire to unite wounded humanity and all creation to the glory of God.
Jesus is the first Advocate sent on our behalf to redeem humanity and all creation. After the Resurrection, Jesus asks the Father to send a second Advocate. The Holy Spirit is given to us as the Spirit of Truth, which is to say the Spirit of God, the essence of the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the presence and the power of the Risen Christ. Now risen from the dead, Jesus remains with us and in us in the person of the Holy Spirit.
Ponder this reflection, please. It supports and expresses the nature and purpose of our Baptism. We are children of God, Temples of the Holy Spirit in whom God dwells. This is God’s doing. It is not dependent on our behavior or performance. It is God’s desire, intention, and joy to live in us. We are his children. We belong to God in Christ through the Holy Spirit. This reflection anticipates the Feast of the Ascension next week and the Feast of Pentecost a week later.
It is also an effective framework in which we celebrate Mother’s day. Mothers are an image of the self-giving of Divine love. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, who we honor in the month of May, is the perfect example. Mary’s life is totally surrendered to God in her love and care of Jesus, even as she gives her Son for the life of the world. A mother’s love expresses the other-centered love modeled by Jesus. Out of love, mothers bring forth new life and offer themselves for the safety, care, and well-being of their children. Motherhood, I am sure, can at times feel like a thankless job of endless, unappreciated response to the needs of others.
Moms, we honor you today for the priceless love and life you have given us. You are worthy of love and every good thing. Accept our thanks and deep gratitude for who you are and all you do in our lives. May the blessing of Jesus and the intercession of Mary our Mother, be with you always.
For all those blest to have a living mother or grandmother, do not fail to offer your expressions of love for the gift your mother is to you. Mothers are not perfect but try getting along without one. Thank you, moms!
Father John Esper
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