The Glory of the Son of Man: His Resurrection

Dear brethren, we are all happy to come together once again to celebrate the Glory of the Son of Man-Jesus. We are back here to celebrate the fact of His Resurrection.

This is a celebration that calls for a deeper reflection on the Great statements presented in the readings today:

1. That Jesus is Risen
2. That All prophetic scripture must be fulfilled
3. That preaching repentance and forgiveness of sin has become imperative- a command by all witnesses (Christians).
4. That Power is to come upon you through the Holy Spirit, by staying and praying together.

This message is for you who believe that Jesus is alive. However you need to know first that the FACT of the Resurrection splits the world into two, just as the Cross of Jesus does. St. Paul will say ‘The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God’. (1Cor. 1:18). It's either you look at the cross and think that is pathetic or that is the power of God. Likewise with the fact of the Resurrection, the event has created two groups. Each opposing the other.

The First group has those who do not believe in the fact of the Resurrection. Hence their reaction to the news of the Resurrection is different:

1. They are startled, terrified, frightened and troubled. Reason? Because if they accept the fact of the Resurrection that will mean that they must obey and serve the Resurrected Christ.
2. They question the truth of the Resurrection
3. They ignore the story as meaningless
4. They reacted violently, from mild opposition and cursing to the persecution of anyone who bears witness to it.

What should concern us, however, is how we who believe will respond to the fact of the Resurrection itself as we belong to the second group of believers. Turning to the readings again we will find the right way to respond to the FACT of the Resurrection.

St. Paul will suggest that ‘Let us celebrate the feast by getting rid of all the old yeast of evil and wickedness, having only the unleavened bread of integrity and truth’ (1Cor. 5:8). The message here is clear; that Easter is not only a time for celebration, it is also a time for deep inner renewal. It is a time to recommit ourselves to the meaning of our baptism and confirmation, which was a call to a life of freedom and fellowship with the Lord.

In 2015, Pope Francis explained what it means to enter the mystery of the Resurrection. He said ‘it means going beyond our own comfort zone, beyond the laziness and indifference which hold us back. And go out in search of truth, beauty and love’. For this you must know that being born again is not just a badge of honor; it is a banner and pledge of responsibility. It means therefore that in baptism we have been empowered to challenge the world and its values.

May the Spirit of the Resurrected Christ fill us with courage and zeal to witness to the fact of His Resurrection.

Happy Easter!

Fr. Julius