THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Her Doctrine and Morals

The Resurrection of Our Lord

31 March 2024

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The Sunday

Sermon

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Dear Friends,

The words of an angel fill our hearts and minds today: "Be not affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, Who was crucified; He is risen, He is not here, behold the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee; there you shall see Him, as He told you."

Throughout history, angels have helped us see, understand, and cooperate with God's will. However, fallen angels seek to do just the opposite. Angels continue this duty for us even in our individual lives. Too often, we do not recognize them because we have ignored them for so long. We have given our ears and eyes to the world and the demons, and so we cannot perceive the angels.

The true joy of Jesus' Resurrection can only be fully experienced in union with all the angels and saints in Heaven. Jesus is the God of the angels, as well as He is ours. He did not become an angel, but the angels see beyond our limited realm and perceive us as fellow creatures and servants of God made to share in God's glory forever in eternity. They glory in the hypostatic union (Jesus is both God and Man) even more than we can.

To us the glory of Jesus' Resurrection is our redemption and the opening of the gates of Heaven. The angels rejoice in this for us as well, but there is another cause of joy for them and us if we can only look beyond ourselves. Jesus' Resurrection is our victory over death but also the victory over the devils. The devils were once angels and associated with the angels in Heaven but have declared their hatred for God, their former angelic associates in Heaven, and for humankind — simply because we are God's creatures — we are made in His image and likeness. The demons' hatred is waged against God through us — His Image and Likeness.

Death or our human mortality was brought upon us through the works or temptations of devils. Through Jesus, complete satisfaction for our sins was made so that we may again truly live and enter Heaven. Jesus took our death upon Himself. His physical death is our spiritual life. His Resurrection is the guarantee or promise of our freedom from the demons. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, our faith would be in vain.

Jesus did rise from the dead, and perhaps none rejoiced more than all the angels in Heaven. Now, the demons were overthrown, and the human children of God could join them in the glories of Heaven.

Yet, we must let our joy be moderated. We are not in Heaven yet. We are still here on this earth, and Jesus may still reject us. Indeed, Heaven is open to us — Jesus has paid the price for our sins (redemption), but He will not save us without our cooperation. This past Lenten Season, we were reminded to follow Jesus in self-denial, mortifications, and good works so that we could genuinely rejoice this Easter Season. "Faith without works is dead." During the celebration of the Resurrection, we are reminded that we must do our part. We are still here on earth and are not yet in Heaven. We must follow Jesus in His Humanity while we are still here and subject to being lost. Only after we leave this world will we be able to follow Jesus in His Divinity into the glory of Heaven. And this is only possible if we have dutifully imitated Him in the life He laid out for us here on earth.

The joy of our Easter celebrations is a mere foretaste of the happiness that awaits us in Heaven after our own death and resurrection. While still in this life, we should imitate Jesus or those who loved Him. We should run to Him in the sepulcher as the holy women did — even though we do not know how we are to remove the stone that separates us from Him. Where we are physically unable, the angels will remove the physical barriers. Where God maintains the barriers, we should reach out with the desires of our hearts and minds.

If we cannot receive Jesus sacramentally, we should make even greater efforts to receive Him spiritually. Our bodies find limitations all around us, but with love in our hearts and minds, we are like angels — spiritually unimpeded by physical barriers.

Our efforts to be near to Jesus may be unfulfilled as the women who sought Jesus in the tomb, but they will consequently be rewarded later, "there you shall see Him, as He told you." Seek, and you shall find. If He is not where you first look, look elsewhere; if He is not there, continue. This perseverance is a testament to your desire and love. Beyond receiving the Sacraments or desiring them, find the prayer, devotion, practice, etc., that feeds the love and joy in your heart for Jesus and hold on to that. There are many devotions and practices that the Church approved. You don't need them all; you need the one that brings you closest to Jesus. What works for one person may not be the best for another person. Let love for God move us to seek Him and follow Him constantly.

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspire, guide, and protect us!