-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter on the back of the parish bulletin or at www.saint-albert.org/lincletter
-I will be celebrating mass on at 7:30pm on Sat Vigil and 9:30 (up) and 11:00am (down) on Easter Sunday
Swapping Identity
The resurrection of Jesus and our faith in his death and resurrection that we celebrate this Easter is not so much a significant historical event or a hope full promise for the future but a real transformation Event in the heart of every believer.
French writer Henri Barbusse (1874-1935) tells of a conversation overheard in a foxhole full of wounded men during the First World War. One of them who knows he has only moments to live says to another man, “Listen, Dominic, you’ve led a bad life. Everywhere you are wanted by the police. But there are no convictions against me. My name is clear, so, here, take my wallet, take my papers, my identity, my good name, my life and quickly, hand me your papers that I may carry all your crimes away with me in death.”
Our scriptures st. Paul to the Corinthians reminds us that our life now is hidden with Christ in God.
We see this change in identity and therefore the change in life with many people surrounding Jesus. I’m especially thoughtful of his mother Mary and the disciple whom he loves. Jesus explicitly transforms them from bereft mother and abandoned friend into mother and son with a new mission. They’ve been transformed.
What the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the conquering of the grave, triumph over death and sin is is the offer for a new identity for all those who believe. In the waters of baptism we have all gone down and died with Christ and now risen as a new person in Christ
Powerful thing about our Christian faith is that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ God has not taken away the effects of sin and death from this life. What he has done is revealed and thus transformed their true meaning, identity. Therefore, Death still exists and enters every life however death no longer has victory, no longer has a sting. We now, as the transformed children of God, can enter into life without fear, full of hope, and celebrating with joy in spite of the grave. The tomb is no longer the destination and endpoint of our journey it is now a doorway on our path to life.
3 comments:
This homily struck such a chord with me. The excerpt from the French novel caught my attention and I could immediately see the connection with Jesus taking all of our sins upon himself and giving us new life.
But another thing that made an impression on me was that as you spoke in your homily, I kept expecting you to say that Dominic would have to change from his old ways, once he took on the new identity of his dying friend. Or that we need to change - transform/convert - from our old ways so that we can follow Jesus in the new way of life he offers. However, rather than using any of those words - change/convert/transform - you said that we would need to be responsible in and for our new life offered to us through Christ. I liked the difference I heard in you selecting that word. It requires maturity and accountability - but it doesn't sound impossible. Sometimes the thought of having to change can be daunting and it almost implies being so very different from what I am. But being responsible - that sounds like something that I know I should have been doing all along - it is within my grasp - but I need to step up to the plate. It means being the best I can be with all of the gifts God has given me. It means embracing all that God has made me to be and being the best version possible.
Happy Easter, Matador. Thanks for always making us think and to see choosing life and love as the pathway to being with God in the Kingdom now and into eternity.
a beautiful reflection describing our transformation, our life waiting for eternity and life everlasting. Wounds & death still exist yet our transformation allows us the holy resources and true meaning of these life issues and purpose of our earthly life.
The resurrection of Jesus and our faith in his death and resurrection that we celebrate this Easter is not so much a significant historical event or a hope full promise for the future but a real transformation Event in the heart of every believer.
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