5 June 2016 - the dawn of rejoicing

[ Today's Readings ]

For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it,
but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

After all the gospel is not of human origin. It is not cleverly devised myths but rather something real and majestic of which there are eyewitnesses (see Second Peter 1:16). It is not "philosophy and empty deceit according to human tradition" (see Colossians 2:8).

The revelation which Paul receives is the knowledge that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. And because Jesus is risen death is defeated. This is the core of our faith.

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain (see First Corinthians 15:12-14).

Because Jesus is risen all may hope to rise with him.

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you (see Romans 8:11).

This is why Paul is now free even to mock and insult death. It no longer holds sway over him.

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?” (see First Corinthians 15:54-55).

This is the freedom of spirit with which God offers to bless us today. We are Christians who believe in the resurrection. Yet in many ways death still makes us slaves by the shadow of fear it casts on the world and in our lives. We are like the mother who can't acknowledge the prophet Elijah in her midst until her son is restored to life.

Elijah said to her, “See! Your son is alive.”
The woman replied to Elijah, 
“Now indeed I know that you are a man of God.
The word of the LORD comes truly from your mouth.

We must witness the power of the resurrection in our own lives. Dead hearts must come alive again with virtue of faith hope of love. From this resurrection we draw courage which casts out the fear of death.

We live in a world of death so we need to hear Jesus say, “Do not weep.”

We need to see him touch the coffin. We, the bearers need to halt and listen.

and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”
The dead man sat up and began to speak,
and Jesus gave him to his mother.

Jesus has profound compassion for all of the sorrow unleashed on the world by death. In particular he sympathizes with a widow who loses her only son, seeing in her a foreshadowing of the pain Mary will undergo shortly. But he leaves none of us to our pain. With the nightfall weeping enters in. But he brings us to the dawn of rejoicing. 

Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, crying out
“A great prophet has arisen in our midst, “
and “God has visited his people.”