The Written Sermon for Easter Sunday - 2023

 Dear Friends in Christ,

Jesus greets us today with the words: “Peace be to you.”

This peace was purchased at a great price – the Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross – the Sacrifice of His human life – of every drop of His Precious Blood. Jesus will not have us forget the cost of our salvation because He keeps in His risen Body every scar made upon His Body. These scars are proof to the disciples that He has truly risen. He is risen and is with us in the same Body He suffered and died in.

The scars on His Sacred Body are no longer ugly or shameful – they are signs of victory and glory. The scars are the confirmation of the peace that Jesus brings to us.

Throughout the Season of Lent, we focused with sorrow and sadness on the sufferings of Jesus. We reflected upon the evilness of our sins that required this Sacrifice of the Son of God. Our thoughts could not help but see in this the love of God for us. There is no greater love. Today, our hearts and minds are filled with joy.

Death was not the end of Jesus. Nor will death be the end of those who love and follow Him. Our sins can be forgiven – our lives can begin anew. Joy fills our hearts and minds with new energy and vigor.

This peace and joy within us does not erase the scars that the wounds of sin have made on our souls. The remembrance of our past spiritual death is kept before us so that we can genuinely appreciate the graces that God has given us. We can see the transformation that grace has made. Far from these scars being to our shame, they become all the more reason to rejoice. The scars become like badges of honor. We were dead, but now we live.

Jesus is the Sacrificial Lamb, and He always bears the scars of His Sacrifice. Our sins will be before us in eternity. The damned souls will be constantly shamed and hurt by the visible scars reminding them of their evil life. The saints in Heaven will always be comforted by these scars that remind them of the graces of God that brought them back from the dead.

As we rejoice that Jesus has risen, let us not forget the cost of this joy. This season of the Resurrection will quickly pass, as all seasons do. The joy in our hearts should not pass. We should grow in the peace, love, and happiness Jesus has purchased for us. For this to grow within us, we must continually reflect upon Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross. The Resurrection was only possible because of the Death. His Death was only possible because of the Suffering and Sacrifice. The scars on the glorious Body of Jesus are a continual reminder of this.

Jesus is in Heaven, filled with glory, peace, and happiness. Still, Jesus is also on our Altar in humility, meekness, and mildness, offering Himself continually to God the Father in the Unbloody Sacrifice of the Mass.

We have joy and peace in our hearts today, but we must also be sober and watchful as we imitate Jesus’ humility, meekness, and mildness. We must join our peace and happiness with our sacrifices and self-denial. We need not be overcome with grief as we see our spiritual wounds and scars, nor should we be overwhelmed with pleasure as we behold Jesus risen from the dead and sitting on His Throne in Heaven. Jesus will heal our wounds if we let Him. This means that we must recognize them as wounds. Then, we must want to be free of them. Next, we must agree to do what is prescribed by Jesus to have them healed (repent, confess, and do penance for our sins). Lastly, we should continually thank Jesus for the precious gift He has given us. In this manner, we are not taken to either extreme of the emotional spectrum.

Jesus presents Himself to us in the Holy Eucharist today. He is living. We have cause to rejoice, but we must also be modest and moderate in our joy. He holds out His hand for us to take. There is joy in taking His Hand and following Him, but at the same time we take His Hand, we can feel the scar from the nail that went through His Hand. We know that our own personal sins did this to Him. Joy and love fill our hearts, but so do remorse and sadness.

He has passed from death to Life, and we must pass through death to find our life in Him. He is showing us the way. During Lent, we were encouraged to see or find peace and happiness in our penances and sacrifice, so today, we are encouraged to find soberness, meekness, and mildness in our rejoicing.

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspire, guide, and protect us!