Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Easter, cycle C

My sisters and brothers, our lessons today express the faith of our predecessors in Christ.

In our first reading Peter and John are arrested by the Temple authority for teaching and proclaiming that “in Jesus there is resurrection of the dead. The Sanhedrin has ordered them “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Peter proclaims that they will obey God before human authority. The council members are so enraged that they want to kill Peter and John, but a famous liberal rabbi, Gamaliel, cautions them: “if this ... is of human origin, it will fail”; but if it is from God, they “will not be able to overthrow them” and they will be working against God. Gamaliel is father of a great rabbinic dynasty that persisted for at least 4 generations.

In our second reading, John addresses his book of revelations to the churches in Asia Minor. He praises Christ and then begins his messages: Jesus the Christ is all things for all places and all peoples. Christ, as Creator with Yahweh is both source of all things and the fulfillment of all things. John begins and ends this book as a letter. Essentially Revelation tells of the struggle between good and evil, and the ultimate victory of Christ. Writing in symbolic language, its author urges Christians to keep faith in a period of persecution.

In our gospel story Jesus appears to a gathering of his disciples. He gives them the Holy Spirit and commissions them to forgive sins in his name. He then reappears a week later and address Thomas’ doubts. Finally the author restates his purpose in writing this book: that you (the reader) may “believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God” and have life. Earlier on this day Mary Magdalene has discovered that Jesus’ body is missing from the tomb; the stone door is open, so it looks as though someone has stolen it. She has seen a man standing near the tomb. When he speaks to her, she recognizes him as Jesus. She has told the disciples: “I have seen the Lord. Later on that Easter day, Jesus joins the disciples, gathered behind locked doors as we heard. Upon seeing, Thomas makes the most complete affirmation of faith of anyone in the gospel (despite his earlier doubts). Henceforth the faith of all Christians in all ages will rest on the testimony of the first believers.

Belief is accepting the reality of something we cannot independently prove. Faith is trusting that person or thing will perform as hoped. Believing in Jesus is accepting the truth of Jesus and his spiritual gifts on the testimony of others. But we each can support our belief with our own spiritual experiences, just like I can support my belief in the Atlantic Ocean by visiting it. This is why prayer is so important in our lives.

Faith in Jesus is trusting the way of life that He taught and living your lives accordingly. This also will be supported by your own experience of the benefits that come from His way of life. Like Peter and John before us, we can and must put the Christian life ahead of all other elements in our lives. Only in this kind of trusting relationship with Christ can we move forward in our mission as Christians. Again, we strengthen our faith through prayer & worship, fellowship, study and working for the spread of God’s kingdom. My brothers & sisters let us never allow the events of life to intimidate us when it comes to our faith in Christ!