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Day: March 23, 2008

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Homilies,

The Solemnity of the Resurrection

Peter proceeded to speak and said:
—We are witnesses of all that he did—¨
He commissioned us to preach to the people——¨

These three lines are excerpts from our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. What an aptly named Book. The Acts.

Peter stood up and spoke. The act of an apostle. He told everyone that he, and those with him, were witnesses. This was the witness of an apostle. He told them that he, and those with him, have a commission – to preach to the people. This was the work of an apostle.

Today, this very day, we are witnesses, and we have received God’s commission. We are to be apostles.

Look here. The tomb is empty. Christ is risen, He is truly risen. Alleluia. Look closely, the tomb is empty. We must tell the Good News.

Because of this empty tomb we are changed. It is not humanity – that big vacuous group without names and faces that has been changed, but us, you and me, Andrew, James, John, Joseph, Peter, Mary, Estelle, Janice, all of us. We are changed, irrevocably. We are forever changed. Because we are changed, because we are His appointed apostles, the world can change. There is hope. It is the hope of the empty tomb and it is the forgiveness of sins. God loves us.

The door to heaven is open to all of us. All we have to do is say yes to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Yes Lord, I will stand up. Yes Lord, I will tell them that I have seen the empty tomb. Yes Lord, I will tell them all that I know about you. It won’t be fancy words, or particularly elegant, but my words will have the fire of truth behind them. You died and rose again Lord. Death is no more. You are the way, the truth, and the life. Those out there, the unbelievers, the skeptics, the hurt, the sad, the lonely, the rich and the poor, the great and the small. They are all welcome to come. To see the empty tomb.

They can come to life too. They can come to eternal life because you and I, along with Peter, will be apostles. You and I will act! We will tell them:

—[Jesus Christ] is the one appointed by God
as judge of the living and the dead.
To him all the prophets bear witness,—¨
that everyone who believes in him—¨
will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.—

Amen.

Fathers, PNCC

March 23 – St. John Chrysostom the Paschal Sermon

If any man be devout and loveth God,
Let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast!
If any man be a wise servant,
Let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord.

If any have laboured long in fasting,
Let him how receive his recompense.
If any have wrought from the first hour,
Let him today receive his just reward.
If any have come at the third hour,
Let him with thankfulness keep the feast.
If any have arrived at the sixth hour,
Let him have no misgivings;
Because he shall in nowise be deprived therefore.
If any have delayed until the ninth hour,
Let him draw near, fearing nothing.
And if any have tarried even until the eleventh hour,
Let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness.

For the Lord, who is jealous of his honour,
Will accept the last even as the first.
He giveth rest unto him who cometh at the eleventh hour,
Even as unto him who hath wrought from the first hour.
And He showeth mercy upon the last,
And careth for the first;
And to the one He giveth,
And upon the other He bestoweth gifts.
And He both accepteth the deeds,
And welcometh the intention,
And honoureth the acts and praises the offering.

Wherefore, enter ye all into the joy of your Lord;
Receive your reward,
Both the first, and likewise the second.
You rich and poor together, hold high festival!
You sober and you heedless, honour the day!
Rejoice today, both you who have fasted
And you who have disregarded the fast.
The table is full-laden; feast ye all sumptuously.
The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away.
Enjoy ye all the feast of faith:
Receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness.

Let no one bewail his poverty,
For the universal Kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one weep for his iniquities,
For pardon has shown forth from the grave.
Let no one fear death,
For the Saviour’s death has set us free.
He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it.

By descending into Hell, He made Hell captive.
He embittered it when it tasted of His flesh.
And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry:
Hell, said he, was embittered
When it encountered Thee in the lower regions.

It was embittered, for it was abolished.
It was embittered, for it was mocked.
It was embittered, for it was slain.
It was embittered, for it was overthrown.
It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains.
It took a body, and met God face to face.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen.

O Death, where is thy sting?
O Hell, where is thy victory?

Christ is risen, and thou art overthrown!
Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!
Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is risen, and life reigns!
Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave.
For Christ, being risen from the dead,
Is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be glory and dominion
Unto ages of ages.

Amen.

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