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Easter Sunday Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8
Jn 20:1-9 (42) or Lk 24:1-12 (41)
or Easter Sunday in the Afternoon or Evening - Lk 24:13-35 Preaching on life is particularly appropriate on this day for the double reason that this is precisely the feast of life, and that many people will be in the Church today who do not hear our message the rest of the year. The pro-life message can be incorporated into the Easter homily in a very positive and clear way, as the following points suggest: 1. Easter is about the Resurrection of Christ, which was a physical resurrection. The human body and soul are set free from the kingdom of death; the way is opened for us to share this risen life. 2. This puts every human being in a different light; we can never look at each other the same again. Every person, in Christ, has been raised to the heights of heaven. Both options for the second reading emphasize this point. Easter, then, is our feast. It is not only about Jesus’ victory over death; it’s about our victory over death. 3. We share that victory by faith. When we reject the “works” and “empty promises” of Satan, we are rejecting the power of death at work in our world today, manifested in such evils as abortion and euthanasia. By promising to live in Christ, we are promising to be pro-life. 4. The first reading indicates that the apostles were to preach to the people about the meaning of the resurrection. So must we. We are apostles of life, spreading hope amidst people who might be tempted to see death as a solution to their problems. 5. The Gospel tells us that the apostles “ran.” So must we. This Feast fills us with spiritual energy that makes us run to the Lord, and then run from the empty tomb to tell the world that Life, not death, is what God wants for us and from us! We are the People of Life! Let’s celebrate that with confidence and joy!
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