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Appleton, WI

Apr 4 Homily Connect: Easter

Solemnity of the Resurection of the Lord – Easter

Scripture John 20:1-9

Poem by Malcom Guite – Easter Dawn

He blesses every love that weeps and grieves
and now he blesses hers who stood and wept
And would not be consoled, or leave her love’s
Last touching place, but watched as low light crept
Up from the east. A sound behind her stirs
A scatter of bright birdsong through the air.
She turns, but cannot focus through her tears,
Or recognize the Gardener standing there,
She hardly hears his gentle question, “Why,
Why are you weeping?” or sees the play of light
That brightens as she chokes out her reply,
“They took my love away, my day is night.”
And then she hears her name, she hears Love say
The Word that turns her night, and ours, into Day.

Fifty-Three Years Ago

  • April 4, 1968 – Martin Luther King Died
  • Last homily preached in the National Basilica in D.C.
  • Scripture text from the Book of Revelations: Behold, I make all things new; former things are passed away.
  • Homily title: Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution
  • Homily began with Rip Van Winkle who fell asleep on the mountain top for twenty years
  • Rip Van Winkle slept through the American Revolution
  • King noted: “One of the great liabilities of life is that all to many people find themselves living amid a great period of social change, and yet they fail to develop the new attitudes, the new mental responses, that the new situation demands.”

We Should Pray This Easter

  • Over Dr. King’s Homily
  • His sermon is forever new – He addresses violence-nonviolence, justice-peace
  • He concluded with: “We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, and it bends toward justice. We shall overcome because William Cullen Bryant was right-Truth, crushed to the earth, will rise again.”

Most Important Revolution

  • The Resurrection of Jesus changed human history
  • Saint Paul reminds us that if Jesus had not been raised from the dead, none of us would be in this church today
  • The arc of the resurrection is long and bends into our time
  • Nothing can get in the way of the Lord’s love for us – not anger or hatred, not violence or terror, not addictions nor mental illness….

We Are Invited

  • To awaken to the hope and promise that is the resurrection of Jesus
  • To awaken from a sleep that might keep us indifferent to the goodness and closeness of the Lord to us
  • To exit from our self-made tombs
  • To break free from whatever imprisons us

The Arc of Jesus’ Resurection

  • Is long and bends toward compassion for the entire global human family
  • Every member is precious and sacred – created in God’s image
  • We are challenged to give our lives to Jesus – to see, hear and speak his name to our families, colleagues, civic and faith communities

With the Holy Spirit in Our Hearts, We Can Bring About a Revolution

  • A revolution of peace, justice, forgiveness, love truth and joy
  • We have to carry forth his holy mission and vision
  • He promises to be with us until the end of time

Easter Season is Fifty Days Long – We are Asking for our Revolution

  • We will be reflecting on Easter Fire – Then and Now
  • Consider joining a Connect Group – meet during the week to pray over the Sunday Scriptures and Homily
  • Praying to become a holy leaven in our parish family and beyond
  • Asking the Holy Spirit to renew us in our commitment to our mission and vision
  • We are preparing for Parish Synod which will convene on the Eve of Pentecost, May 22 nd

Questions for Reflection

  • What impacted you from the readings/homily?
  • How do you understand Easter as a revolution both personally and on a larger scale?
  • What type of revolution are you praying for this Easter?

Live Connected

Take a step out this week and share your excitement about the resurrection of Jesus with another person and your hope for our world.