April 21, 2019
Easter
The first alarm went off on Monday of Holy Week at 6:20 PM. A second alarm went off at 6:43 PM. Too late. The attic, the lattice of ancient wooden beams known as “the forest†was on fire. Soon the roof and spire were engulfed in flames. People gathered outside to watch the blaze. People were watching around the world at news coverage. We could see water being pumped from the Seine onto the roof and on the towers. When the spire fell, the observers gasped in French: “catastrophe.†When officials were able to enter the cathedral the next day, they/we saw the illuminated cross above the smoldering timbers that had fallen on the floor around the altar. Onlookers began chanting: “renaissance.†Rebirth!
Eerily, the same elements (darkness, fire, streams of water and light) are present at our Easter Vigil as we celebrate the Paschal Mystery. Still in shock at the catastrophe of the crucifixion and death of Jesus, women come to the empty tomb. His body is gone. Angels appear with a startling message: “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here but he has been raised.†Disbelief is changed to “renaissance.â€
St. Luke, our evangelist, is writing his Gospel to help his community come to experience the presence of the Risen Lord. In retelling the account of the women coming at daybreak, Luke highlights their puzzlement and terror and the message of the angels interpreting the reality of the empty tomb and its significance: “He has been raised.†The women recall the words of Jesus. Hope and faith are kindled. Mary of Magdalene, Joanna and Mary, the mother of James, leave the tomb to tell the apostles. To the apostles it seems like nonsense except for Peter who runs to the tomb and sees the burial cloths. Peter is amazed! Wonder and amazement are key in coming to understand the deeper meaning of events and the presence of the Risen Lord.
Joan of Arc is a spiritual and secular heroine of France. She was burned at the stake as a heretic on May 30, 1431 and beatified a saint in Notre Dame Cathedral by Pope Pius X in 1920. When she was burned at the stake, she was quoted as saying: “Hold the cross high so I may see it through the flames.†She continues to inspire. Many of our brothers and sisters have become numb to the evidence all around them that Christ is alive and active. All of us here at Mass are like the angels, like the women, helping others make sense of the signs of Christ’s presence. The significance of these moments slips by and the anxieties of everyday life eventually snuff them out. We bring the good news that “He has been raised.†Alleluia!
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Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
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Second Sunday of Easter
