HOMILY FOR EASTER SUNDAY VIGIL AND DAY)-B

TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT OF ALL NIGHTS AND THERE ARE THREE THINGS WE SHOULD REALIZE ABOUT IT:

-FIRST: THIS NIGHT CONTINUES, CONTAINS AND BRINGS TO FRUITION ALL OUR HOLY WEEK ACTIVITIES;

- SECOND, WHEN WE PARTICIPATE IN THE HOLY WEEK LITURGIES, WE ARE NOT JUST REMEMBERING WHAT CHRIST DID AND EXPERIENCED BUT ARE MAKING WHAT CHRIST DID ACTUALLY PRESENT TO US;

AND, THIRD, IT’S THE HOLY EUCHARIST, THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST, THAT IS THE PINNACLE OF OUR CELEBRATIONS AND, INDEED, OF GOD’S WHOLE PLAN FOR OUR SALVATION.

NOW FOR THE FIRST POINT: WE ARE AT (CELEBRATING) THE END OF THE TRIDUUM, LATIN FOR THE 3 DAY CELEBRATION OF HOLY THURSDAY, GOOD FRIDAY AND THE EASTER (VIGIL), THREE INTENSE DAYS AT THE END OF JESUS’ LIFE.  WE FEEL LIKE WE’VE TRAVELED WITH JESUS FROM THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE LAST SUPPER THRU THE PAIN OF THE CROSS TO THE VINDICATION OF THE RESURRECTION.

EACH DAY SEEMS TO HAVE ITS OWN THEME AND TONE: THURSDAY WITH ITS FELLOWSHIP AND WARMTH, FRIDAY WITH ITS STEP-BY-INEVITABLE-STEP PROGRESS THROUGH HUMILIATION TO PAIN TO DEATH, AND NOW THE EASTER VIGIL WITH ITS ANXIOUS ANTICIPATION AND THEN CELEBRATION OF CHRIST’S VINDICATION IN THE RESURRECTION.

BUT IT IS A MISTAKE TO THINK OF THESE THREE DAYS AS SEPARATE EVENTS FOR THEY FORM A PERFECT WHOLE IN GOD’S PLAN FOR OUR SALVATION.  IN FACT, THE THREE DIFFERENT LITURGIES WE HAVE ATTENDED ARE IN REALITY JUST DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF ONE GRAND 3-DAY LITURGY FOR EACH OF THE THREE DAYS PRESUPPOSES THE OTHERS.

-IF THERE WAS NO RESURRECTION, THE LAST SUPPER WAS JUST LIKE ANY LAST MEAL THAT ANY CONDEMNED PERSON EATS AND JESUS DEATH WAS JUST YET ANOTHER MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE AND NOTHING MORE.  

-WITHOUT HIS DEATH, HIS WORDS ON THURSDAY OFFERING US HIS BODY AND BLOOD ARE JUST A BAD METAPHOR AND HIS VINDICATION BY RESURRECTION IMPOSSIBLE.

-AND WITHOUT BOTH THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION, THE MEAL HE OFFERED US FOR OUR SALVATION AND AS A SIGN OF A NEW COVENANT IS JUST AN EMPTY PROMISE.  JESUS DEATH AND RESURRECTION WERE NECESSARY FOR THE MEAL TO ACTUALLY DELIVER ITS BENEFITS AS THE ACTUAL BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST.

THERE IS ANOTHER SECOND POINT TO THIS TRIDUUM THAT WE ARE FINISHING UP.  OUR 3-IN-1 LITURGY IS NOT JUST A REMEMBRANCE OF WHAT JESUS DID FOR US.  WE ARE NOT IN THE POSITION OF LOOKING BACK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST; WE ARE NOT READING A HISTORY BOOK OR PLAYING ROLES IN A REENACTMENT.

-WHAT WE ARE DOING IS MORE MIND-BOGGLING THAN THAT.  WE ARE ACTUALLY PARTICIPATING IN THOSE EVENTS AS THEY HAPPEN.

-WE ARE THERE WITH JESUS’ OTHER DISCIPLES TO ACCEPT A BIT OF BREAD AND A CHALICE OF WINE FROM JESUS’ HANDS, WE ARE THERE TO LOOK ON THE CROSS AND BECOME ANGRY AND THEN DESPAIRING AT THE DEATH OF OUR LORD.  WE ARE ACTUALLY THERE AT WONDER AT THE EMPTY TOMB.

OUR LITURGY IS NOT SIMPLY A PLAY.  WE DO NOT TAKE PART IN THE LITURGY IN ORDER TO RECALL PAST EVENTS IN A SPIRITUALLY-CHARGED ATMOSPHERE.  WE TAKE PART IN IT IN ORDER TO CELEBRATE A MYSTERY THAT THE LITURGY ITSELF MAKES PRESENT.  OUR 3-IN-1 LITURGY MAKES PRESENT THE SPIRITUAL ESSENCE OF THOSE THREE DAYS THAT ARE HISTORICALLY PAST.

JESUS’ LAST SUPPER, DEATH AND RESURRECTION WERE COMPLETE IN THEMSELVES AND ARE NOT BEING REPEATED AND DO NOT NEED TO BE.  BUT WHAT HAPPENED DURING THOSE DAYS IS FULLY PRESENT TO US TODAY.  THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR LITURGIES.

 THIS POINT IS ALL SUMMED UP IN THE TRADITIONAL DEFINITION OF A SACRAMENT: A SIGN INSTITUTED BY CHRIST THAT ACTUALLY MAKES PRESENT WHAT IT SIGNIFIES.  OUR CELEBRATION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER AT EACH AND EVERY MASS MAKES THE BENEFITS OF THAT THURSDAY SUPPER PRESENT TO US, A SUPPER THAT BY ITS NATURE OF BEING THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST ALSO CONTAINS THE BENEFITS OF THE CROSS AND RESURRECTION.

AND THAT LEADS DIRECTLY INTO THE THIRD POINT: THE EUCHARIST, IN OTHER WORDS, IN THE SUMMATION OF ALL OF SALVATION HISTORY.  IT HOLDS THE CENTRAL PLACE IN WHAT IS CALLED BY THEOLOGIANS THE ECONOMY OF SALVATION, GOD’S PLAN FOR OUR SALVATION.

HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?  HOW CAN WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST BE PRESENT TODAY AND HOW CAN WE PARTICIPATE IN IT?  THERE ARE TWO ANSWERS.  THE FIRST IS ABSTRACT AND THE OTHER VERY, VERY PRACTICAL.

-IN THE ABSTRACT, GOD IS BEYOND ANY CONSIDERATIONS OF TIME.  THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE ARE ALL JUST THE ‘NOW’ TO GOD.  IN FACT, FOR GOD, THERE IS NOTHING ELSE THAN A “NOW” THAT ENCOMPASES ALL THAT WE CALL THE PASSAGE OF TIME.
-SO ALL THAT HAS HAPPENED, ALL THAT IS HAPPENING, AND ALL THAT WILL HAPPEN FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW IS SIMULTANEOUSLY AND FOREVER HAPPENING FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF OUR ETERNAL GOD.  ANOTHER WAY TO SAY THIS IS THAT GOD IS OMNISCENT, THAT GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING.  IN OUR LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS WE ARE BEING ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ETERNAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.
-IN THE MASS THE HUMAN AND THE DIVINE MEET AND INTERMINGLE.  THE SECULAR AND WORLDLY MEETS THE ETERNAL AND TRANSCENDENT.

-THIS IS AN ABSTRACT POINT BUT IT UNDERLIES THE NEXT MORE PRACTICAL POINT.

THESE PAST EVENTS ARE PRESENT TO US IN THE MOST SUPREME OF SACRAMENTS, THE SACRAMENT OF CHRIST’S BODY AND BLOOD.  THE EUCHARIST IS THE SUM OF THE THREE DAYS: THE EUCHARIST INSTITUTED ON THURSDAY INCORPORATES THE SPIRITUAL ESSENCE OF GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER’S RESURRECTION.  THE EUCHARIST PRESUPPOSES CHRIST’S DEATH AND RESURRECTION AND GIVES US A SHARE IN THEM.  WITHOUT THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION, OUR CELEBRATION OF THE LAST SUPPER WOULD BE A SIMPLE FRIENDLY MEAL.  IT COULD NOT COMMUNICATE DIVINE LIFE; IT COULD NOT BE THE SOURCE OF OUR SALVATION.  SO WHEN WE PARTAKE OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST IN THE EUCHARIST, WE PARTICIPATE IN ALL THREE DAYS OF THIS ONE-DAY TRIDUUM.
 
THIS ALSO PRESUPPOSES THE REAL PRESENCE OF CHRIST IN THE EUCHARIST.  WHAT GOOD WOULD THE INCARNATION HAVE BEEN IF IT JUST ENDED WITH CHRIST DYING FOR OUR SINS ON THE CROSS AND THEN GOING BACK TO HEAVEN, IN EFFECT RENOUNCING HIS INCARNATION.

WHAT GOOD WOULD THE INCARNATION HAVE DONE FOR US IF THE ONLY WAY WE COULD ENCOUNTER JESUS WAS JUST THROUGH OUR HISTORIES?  BUT WE KNOW HIS INCARNATION IS EVERLASTING, BOTH IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH.  EVEN THOUGH HE HAS RETURNED TO HEAVEN, JESUS MADE SURE WE CAN STILL MEET HIM PERSONALLY IN THE EUCHARIST, IN HIS BODY AND BLOOD.

SO IT TURNS OUT THAT THE SUMMATION OF THIS ONE-DAY TRIDUUM IS THE EUCHARIST THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE (FOR THE FIRST TIME) AT THIS MASS.  IT IS THE SUMMATION OF EVERYTHING GOD HAS DONE FOR OUR SALVATION.  WHEN WE RECEIVE THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST A LITTLE BIT LATER, WE WILL BE BLESSED WITH A TASTE OF HEAVEN, THE ACTUAL PRESENCE OF GOD THAT WE ALL HOPE TO ENJOY.  IN SHORT, THE EUCHARIST BEGINS THE PROCESS OF OUR RESURRECTION TO ETERNAL LIFE EVEN WHILE WE ARE STILL ON EARTH.  IT ALLOWS US TO PERSONALLY KNOW THE CHRIST EVEN BEFORE WE DIE.

IN THESE THREE DAYS, IT IS EASY TO GET DISTRACTED FROM THE POINT.  (BAPTISMS AND CONFIRMATION ARE WONDERFUL AND INVOLVE MORE ACTION.)  THE BEAUTY OF THE LITURGIES, THE EMOTIONALLY-CHARGED MUSIC, THE MOVEMENT FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT, DEATH TO RESURRECTION, ALL CAN DISTRACT US FROM THE TRUE HEART OF THESE LITURGIES.

WE HAVE TO BE SURE WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT CHURCHES ARE SOMETHING MORE THAN A PLACE FOR WARM FELLOWSHIP.  WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR MASS MAKES PRESENT TO US A SACRAMENTAL REALITY THAT IS MORE STIRRING THAN OUR CANDLES, OUR BEAUTIFUL MUSIC AND OUR INSPIRING RITUAL.  WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR LITURGY IS MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN ITS STYLE AND DÉCOR, AS WONDERFUL AS THEY ARE.  WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HOLY COMMUNION IS NOT MERELY BREAD FOR EARTHLY FLESH BUT IS NUTRITION FOR SOULS.

THE EUCHARIST IS ABOUT OUR SALVATION AND DESTINY.  IT IS THE PLEDGE OF ETERNAL FORGIVENESS.  IT IS, AS THE OLD HYMN PUTS IT, PANIS ANGELICUS, THE BREAD OF ANGELS, THE FOOD OF HEAVEN.  IT IS THE HIGH POINT OF GOD’S PLAN FOR OUR SALVATION.