Reading 1ACTS 10:34A, 37-43
Peter proceeded to speak and said:
“You know what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him.
We are witnesses of all that he did
both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.
This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible,
not to all the people, but to us,
the witnesses chosen by God in advance,
who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
He commissioned us to preach to the people
and testify that he is the one appointed by God
as judge of the living and the dead.
To him all the prophets bear witness,
that everyone who believes in him
will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Responsorial Psalm PS 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
- Alleluia.
“The right hand of the LORD has struck with power;
the right hand of the LORD is exalted.
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.”
- Alleluia.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
- Alleluia.
Reading 2 COL 3:1-4
Brothers and sisters:
If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears,
then you too will appear with him in glory.
Sequence Victimae Paschali Laudes
Christians, to the Paschal Victim
Offer your thankful praises!
A Lamb the sheep redeems;
Christ, who only is sinless,
reconciles sinners to the Father.
Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous:
The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal.
Speak, Mary, declaring
What you saw, wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ, who is living,
The glory of Jesus’ resurrection;
bright angels attesting,
The shroud and napkin resting.
Yes, Christ, my hope is arisen;
to Galilee he goes before you.”
Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining.
Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!
Amen. Alleluia.
Alleluia CF. 1 COR 5:7B-8A
- Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed;
let us then feast with joy in the Lord.
- Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel JN 20:1-9
On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.
Today is a special day. Well, every day is special as long as God lives in us. It is the day of the resurrection. We started with the vigil and we continue to savour this joy not only through Easter but also through our lives.
So many themes in my mind to reflect on today. However, let us reflect today on “living the resurrection life.”
LIVING THE RESURRECTION LIFE
Through our Lenten journey, we have suffered, died and were buried with Jesus, now he has risen to a new life, he was dead and he is now alive into a new life of the resurrection, we too are being invited to begin to live the new life of the resurrection.
What is the new life of resurrection? I will state six points and preach on two/three.
- The resurrection Life is a new life of joy:
Joy in the midst of my challenges (cf. my message yesterday- joy that comes from knowing that God is in charge and all things are working for our good).
- It is living without fear of death:
Death caused a very great fear and it was seen as the worst evil, the greatest enemy of life but with Christ’ resurrection, death has been swallowed up in victory, death can no longer hold me, dying he has destroyed my death, rising he has restored to me the hope of immortality. When I die, I shall rise to a new life with Jesus- John 11:25-26, 1 Cor. 15:55-57. Shame unto death.
- It is a life that looks towards heaven:
The resurrection life is a life lived in a way that we don’t allow our lives to be dictated and controlled by the passing things of this world, to live in this world constantly looking unto God and His heavenly promises? Living in this world and yet reminding myself, this world is not my own, my treasures are in heaven. Not resting my hope, joy and consolation in the things of the world, one of the important lessons I learnt from the fire destruction of the magnificent cathedral in France (read Colossians 3:1-4).
- The resurrection life is a new life of hope:
Believing that all things are possible with God. Believing that no matter what people have said or done, God has the final say, if life can emerge from the grave, my situation is never hopeless, I will not listen to the devil, my life is not hopeless. I will stay in faith because I am serving a God who can bring out life from the tomb.
- The resurrection life is a new life of grace:
Living behind old habits of sin, a lifestyle of sin, leaving our corruption of sin and embracing an incorruptible life with God. A new habit, lifestyle and character, a new vision of life, attitude, perspective and perception. This is nailing our sins to the cross with Jesus, burying our old self with him and rising to newness with him (2 Cor 5:17).
- It is a life of victory
The resurrection life is to live with the assurance of victory. We should not live our lives like defeated people. Jesus has conquered for us, we are victorious in him, Roman’s 8:37 tells us “in all things we are more than conquerors…”
We can not go through life as victims, suppressed, oppressed, depressed, we are co-conquerors with Jesus over the devil, over sin, over principalities and powers, over the enemies of our salvation, by the power of the victory already won (Col 2:15)
Dear friends, Christ is inviting you today, to a new life, to the resurrection life, to life outside the tomb. A life of joy, freedom from fear of death, a redeemed lifestyle, a life of victory, a new life of hope and grace. Alleluia! Praise you Jesus, Amen.
Sermon preached by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Okami on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019.