Fr Simon’s Homilies: The Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night and Easter Sunday of the Resurrection 2024

THE EVENING MASS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

Our annual celebration of the ‘paschal mystery’ has begun, and over the next three days we celebrate the ‘high point’ of the Church’s liturgy – which is not a pageant or drama – but the work of the whole people of God: ‘we your servants and holy people’ once more offer Jesus to the Father for our salvation.

Theses Masses, commemorations and vigils see the interweaving of the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ, and in these moments where Jesus is at his most vulnerable, we see God’s glory most clearly. If our children do not see and recognize the value of sacrifice or understand that Christ gives himself to us fully, body, blood, soul, and divinity, then we still have much work to do.

Tonight, we express our deep gratitude for the gifts of the Holy Eucharist and the Sacred Priesthood instituted at the Last Supper so that we may have tangible access to the sanctifying grace of our redemption, the ushering in of the ‘New and Eternal Covenant’ which, perhaps, we never dreamed possible.

Lord, give us the ‘bread of life’ always! We are so hungry for God that he comes ‘under the form’ of bread. He so wishes to fulfil our joy that comes ‘under the intoxicating form’ of wine. He desires for us to have ready access to him and so, He anoints the hands of an order of priests so he may continue to feed us.

The ‘Amen’ (the assent) we express to the Eucharist Sacrifice and Meal tonight (and at every Mass) is not just a ‘yes’ to ‘body of Christ’ as a theological exercise but a commitment to be the ‘body of Christ’ truly present in and outside of these walls. Our participation in the Eucharistic Sacrifice does not end with the dismissal but with a commission to announce the good news of salvation.   

On this ‘night he was betrayed’, we consider the interplay between fidelity and betrayal. Only a friend is capable of betrayal, one who has been chosen, loved and trusted rejects ‘the everything’ that is on offer for ‘something’ less perfect because, in the moment of doubt and temptation, it seems more believable.

For Christ, he gave up his precious body and blood. This ‘pure victim, this holy victim, this spotless victim, the holy Bread of eternal life and the Chalice of everlasting salvation’ pours himself out so that we may have life and have it in abundance. What might we give up in return? It should be something precious to us; perhaps, then, as the diocese implements a pastoral plan, we might fittingly make the declaration: ‘This is my time, Lord, which is given up for you’.

In these days of the Sacred Paschal Triduum, we are called to sincerity, truthfulness, and fidelity to the word of God ‘who has called us out of darkness into his wonderful light’. Such virtues are expressed in sacrificial service of the community, the body of Christ, the Church following the example of the Head who ‘came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many’.

This call to ‘fraternal charity’ begins again in ‘the washing of the feet’, with the priest performing an act of fatherhood to the community entrusted to his pastoral care. This sign is strengthened when the volunteers come from a cross section of the parish, from the three Mass communities and our various parish groups.

Here, throughout the Paschal Triduum, is a sign of the unity of the body of Christ found in the parish of Our Lady of the Rosary who have come together in ‘faith hope, and love’ to celebrate the sacred mysteries of our salvation. ‘Grant us, O Lord, that we may participate worthily’ in these days of the Lord’s Passover, ‘so that the work of our redemption may be finally and fully accomplished’.

We are, though, far from perfect – yet. On this night, the disciples fled in fear, here is a question for us: ‘are we weak enough to be a Christian?’ Will we rely on our own merits for salvation or allow, in these days, Christ to heal us of our burdens? ‘The chalice of salvation I will raise, I will call on the name of the Lord’.

If the disciples had not run, there would only be room for heroes, no room for people like us, who fall and thus need the reconciliation of the Lord’s Holy Cross.

THE EASTER VIGIL IN THE HOLY NIGHT

‘This is the night!’ a phrase repeated throughout the Easter Proclamation.  

It so happens that ‘this is the night’ when the clocks ‘go forward!’  Too often, we are consumed by time, especially the lack of it. The blessing of the Easter Fire and ‘Paschal Candle’ remind us, though, that ‘all time’ belongs to Christ.

This includes the darkness of the night, for ‘while it is still dark’, Jesus Christ ‘breaks the prison bars of death and rises victorious from the underworld’. Darkness cannot overcome him, and the light from this candle has penetrated the darkness of death, to be a symbol of our new and resurrected life.

When we think that darkness has overcome us, look deeply into the gospel, and see Christ at the centre ‘dispelling wickedness, washing faults away, restoring innocence to the fallen, giving joy to mourners, driving out hatred, and fostering concord’ amongst his people. ‘This is the night’ we gather around this flame, who is Christ, present to refresh the covenant between the Head and the Body.  

Tonight, this ‘Vigil’ is the time to find our identity and the place to discover where we belong. Our identity does not come from anything we do or from anything we possess, rather it is rooted in the person of Jesus Christ who was crucified for us, who is now risen and the one whom we should love above all things.

The Lenten Season, now completed, with its priority on penance, makes no sense without a renewal of our baptismal identity. The ‘Apostles Creed’, which forms the basis of this identity, is the symbol of the Roman Church in which we have communion. The Easter Candle, then, is a symbol of Christ who unites us.   

The candle is an image of sacrifice, its ‘raison d’etre’ is to burn itself out, an offering bringing togetherness and the light of truth. Throughout Lent, God has shown us our weaknesses, and in repentance, we see our Resurrection already begun, which our Candidates have experienced in their 1^st Confessions.

In renouncing sin and picking up our cross to follow Jesus Christ to Calvary, we let go of those actions and choices that have no real consequence in our life. In grasping hold of the cross, which has every consequence, we can ‘pass-over’ with him ‘this night’ into the garden of the resurrection, the place of eternal life.

The ‘Elect’ are now just moments away from their ‘First Reconciliation’ with God, when he washes away, in his blood, their original and personal sin. And while we cannot always see and understand this, we do appreciate the effects of sin all around us, from disordered desires to the ‘sadness of the certainty of death’.

The ‘sanctifying grace of this night’ found most especially in Holy Baptism reaches into the depths of our soul, freeing us from the power of sin. Baptism is for us what the cross and burial were for Christ; but with a difference: Christ died physically, He was physically buried, whereas we ought to die spiritually.

The ‘Sacraments of Initiation’ we celebrate tonight and throughout the year are not isolated moments, but continual encounters with Jesus Christ which encourage us to a life of service. Like a candle we are called to offer and burn ourselves out for the sake of the gospel. And in truly living out our ‘baptismal promises’ we shall become all light which shines brightly for others. That, perhaps, is the Easter Message St Mark wishes to covey to the Church: ‘Go!’

‘Evangelisation’ is the Christian ‘apostolate’ that the Lord’s people are commissioned for, the taking of the gospel to their brothers and sisters, who remain in the ‘darkness of sin’. Whether they realise it or not, they are searching for Jesus, and we must bring them here to the Church so they may find him.

Our danger is when we only look inward, consumed with maintenance, whereas we must be mission orientated, going out, meeting people where they are, but not leaving them where we find them; instead, we bring them home into the light of the risen Christ. ‘This is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes’.

EASTER SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION

The Easter Gospel presents three characters with whom we may have affinity.

Mary Magdalene, who is ‘co-principal patron’ of our Parish, is stricken with grief – a spiritual darkness – which leads her to the wrong conclusion that ‘someone has taken the body’. Her all too earthly expectations prevent Mary from recognizing Jesus, knowing that He is dead, she mistakes him for the gardener.

She, like many who are bereaved, is in need of a ‘ministry of consolation’ to help her see that Jesus’ death is not the final act of his ministry but the beginning of his glorification. Mary, then, needs an encounter with the Risen Christ. It is only when Jesus calls her by her name: ‘Mary!’ She recognized him then.

Loss can affect us in a way that means we cannot see God’s plan clearly. We may need some accompaniment – which our parish ‘ministry of consolation’ team can provide – to help us to a clearer perspective that at death, ‘life is changed and not ended’, and that ‘all the ties of friendship and affection that knit us together as one throughout our lives does not unravel with death’.

Peter, ever impulsive, runs right into the empty tomb. As the leader of the Apostles, he feels he must take charge, to try and sort it all out, even though there is really nothing that he can do. Here too, is a man consumed by guilt and is desperate to know what has happened to his Lord and Master.

Peter has partial faith because he has yet to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Like the Apostles before us, we use these next 50 days to prepare for a fresh manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the parish community, and the 1^st reading from ‘Acts’ shows what happens when we live out the ‘Life of the Spirit’.

Gosh! Is this the same Peter who denied Christ three times, now professing that Jesus is the Messiah? He gives witness to all he has seen and necessarily includes a Resurrection Appearance and the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. At Pentecost Peter’s preaching is so eloquent that ‘three thousand people’ request baptism. Last night, we baptised 5 Adults, receiving 3 more into the Church. May our preaching have similar clarity that, like Cornelius’ household, other family members will want to join us next year at the Eucharistic Banquet.   

At the end of the Mass, we are ‘sent out’ to announce the good news that the ‘Lord is Risen!’ And while this is no longer factually a surprise to us, it should still fill us with the same joy and amazement. As we look back on our life, we can see the blessings that God has bestowed upon us, the greatest of these was our Holy Baptism when we first entered the depths of the paschal mystery – dying and rising with Christ – our souls ‘transfigured’ and raised to eternal life.

John, the beloved disciple, sees with the eyes of love and because of his ‘virginal purity’ he has a clarity that allows him to simply ‘see and believe’ in the Resurrection. John was the only one of the twelve not to abandon him in his time of trial. And in taking Mary into his home, he is for us an ‘Apostle of Charity’, a virtue learned from leaning on Jesus’ breast at the Last Supper. By being attentive to Jesus’ Word, he wonderfully presents ‘the Word who is Life’ to us.

John’s presents the Resurrection as a mirror to Genesis. Christ emerges naked from the tomb, divested of his burial robes, ushers in a new creation of innocence. Jesus is the gardener (not because he tends flowers) but because as the New Adam he restores the communion lost by Adam & Eve in the garden.

The Sabbath (the day of rest) ‘passes over’ to the Sunday. Today, is the first day of the new creation, having the effect of God gathering his people to himself.  This makes every Sunday a mini-Easter Sunday, the day for us to responds to the Lord’s Command to celebrate the memorial of His death and resurrection.

Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John, teach us the meaning of Easter. Triumph!

Of life over death, of good over evil, and of hope over despair.