Easter Vigil - Year "C" - April 7, 2007

"He is risen!"

 

The women were terrified and so the angels said, “He is not here – He is risen”  Those words were said, that put an end to their fear!

 

Christ is risen! (Note: say it twice – with listening gesture for a response – or – Hallelujah!)

 

In the Eastern and Orthodox churches and among the charismatics in the western church, there is a marvelous tradition at Easter time.  For the whole forty days from Easter to the Ascension, they don’t say “Good Morning!”  or “Good Afternoon” – or “Hello” – they greet each other by saying “Christ is Risen!” and the other person responds “He is risen indeed!”

 

What a wonderful idea!

 

I’ve often heard people say, “Let’s put Christ back in Christmas, well, how about “Let’s put Christ back in Easter!”  We would never have even bothered to remember or celebrate Christmas if there had been no Easter!

 

Let’s try it here tonight – Christ is Risen!  (Listen?)

 

Can we do better? – Christ is Risen! (Listen again?)

 

Those three small words are what Easter is all about – when we say Christ is Risen it is what our Faith is all about – it is the fulfillment of all that God promised and of everything we believe!

 

What does “Christ is Risen” signify – it is the single most important event in all our history.  It means that everything has changed, it means that we have been forever set free from fear, it means that Christ’s sacrifice was successful!

 

Christ’s sacrifice was successful!  He showed us the way – he gave it all up and he got it all back!  He turned the world and the way we live completely upside down!  He freed us from worrying about how to live in the way of the world because he showed us that the will of the Father is to live in the way of His Son.

 

There’s an old expression – it’s called “preaching to the Choir!”  And it means saying things to people who already know it well, and talking in generalities that have already been accepted, talking about being good to people who have already shown by their actions that they are good.

 

Well, It’s the Easter vigil, it’s a service that’s longer than two hours on a Saturday night, on a Saturday night when the Leafs are playing the Habs for the final playoff spot in the last game of the season, so I know if you are here tonight – then you are committed!  You’re not like the man who came to church once a year on Easter morning, and on the way out the Pastor thought, there’s no point in being harsh, so he said “I’m so glad you’re here, I’m always glad to have you worship with us!”  The man was expecting a scolding and was pleasantly surprised by the Pastor’s welcoming words, so he said, “Well, I might come more often but every time I come you read the same gospel and preach the same message!”

 

But since I know that we have the committed here, I don’t want to just preach to the choir, I want to push the envelope a little bit and maybe make the challenge a bit sharper!

 

So let’s get in the mood – Christ is risen! (listen)

 

There we go – we’re warming up to the spirit already!  Imagine if you used that greeting at home, just with your own family, even just for the first week of Easter – go ahead and try it – feel the difference it makes.

 

When the orthodox Christians greet each other by saying Christ is risen, it is the answer that is equally important – because it is in the answer that we hear the real commitment to the statement.

 

In the gospel, the angels said, “He is risen” to calm their fears, but the women didn’t buy it until it was all explained to them.  When the women told the apostles – they thought it was an idle tale – a made-up story – until Peter went to see for himself.  So when we answer, “He is risen, Indeed!” we are saying that, “Yes – we believe! – Yes, we are convinced, and Yes, we are committed!”  That’s why it’s so important to answer when our Faith is declared, why it’s so important to stand up and be counted!

 

So what did I mean when I say that Christ’s resurrection has freed us from fear!  I mean that when we really accept in our heart that the tragedy and disaster of Good Friday has resulted in the ultimate triumph, then we can face the world with the thought that there is nothing that can happen to us that can take that ultimate victory away from us – nothing – if we just hold fast to that Faith!

 

In the old song, “Me and Bobby McGee”, the singer says, “Freedom’s just another word for nuthin’ left to lose!” and what he means is that when the world has taken everything away from us, it is the only time we have real freedom!

 

When we listen to the gospel and feel our heart stirred to get out and get involved in the world, to try to change and make a difference – what is it that holds us back from taking the risks, from making the sacrifices our heart seems to call us to make?  It is the things of the world around us that have got a hold on us!

 

A couple of weeks ago, I was at the anti-war rally downtown with the “Catholics for Peace!” group demonstrating against Canada’s involvement in armed conflict, for me, a very important issue.  When I got there, there were hundreds of armed police, dozens in riot gear and on horseback, and I realized that it was possible that if something went wrong I could be arrested or hurt and any one of a number of bad things could have happened. 

 

I wanted to spread the message of peace but I certainly didn’t want to get stomped on by a horse.  It would have been easy to turn around and leave, to hope that life will unfold so that I can do some good without ever having to make a real sacrifice.  I understand that feeling we often have.  But the spirit was active that day and so I stayed, I took the risk and I felt the fear drain away, even though nothing happened, I was no longer afraid if it did.

 

Just as when Jesus went to Jerusalem, knowing the trouble that was waiting there, faced all kinds of conflicts, even from those close to him - Peter said “Don’t go – we don’t want you to get in trouble!”  What did Jesus say?  He said, “Get behind me, God’s way is not the world’s way!” and what happened – Peter’s worst fears came true – Jesus was killed, but then his wildest dreams came true as well – Jesus rose from the dead and has saved us all!  Peter’s fears were for nothing!

 

So what’s holding you back, what’s making you afraid to take a stand, to spend some money, to take some time, to take some risks?  This is a question that each of us needs to ask God in our time of prayer?  Tell him what you’re afraid of and ask him to help you see why there is nothing to fear, nothing to lose that will not be regained, and nothing to stop us from doing what is right!

 

What should each of us do – sometimes the very thing that stops us from getting involved is that there is so much to do, it seems impossible to even make a start!  This is where the Holy Spirit comes in – as Paul tells us in many places in his letters, we are given special gifts, different gifts and the very thing that may be calling to you for action does not call to me.  Both causes may be worthwhile – just different, and the spirit has called you to work on one and me to work on another.

 

 

What is touching your heart right now?  Is it the homeless, or the environment or the war - is it treatment of the sick or refugees, is it a feeling that we need to simply lift Jesus higher and just praise God?  Wherever you are feeling a call, whatever good cause seems to rise just a little higher than the others or speak a little more closely to your emotions, that is probably a sign from the Holy Spirit to show you the path you should be on!

 

Everyone here tonight is committed, everyone here tonight has already shown a readiness to do a little bit more.  And when everyone here tonight has come forward to partake of the Eucharist and be strengthened by Christ’s own life within us, then the risen Christ will come alive in us and we will understand that we don’t have to be afraid!

 

Let this Easter bring that message home once and for all.  We have the best news of all time.  We have nothing to fear!

 

Let us say those words again to put an end to our fears, Christ is risen!  (listen)

 

Yes – He is risen indeed!!

 

- Deacon Steve