Easter message from Homily 31st March 2013

Easter Sunday- Sunday, March 31, 2013 – Rev Fr. Rex Vegbey

1. FIRST READING-Acts 10:34a, 37–43

Peter proceeded to speak and said: “You know what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he 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.”

2. SECOND READING – Colossians 3:1–4

Brothers and sisters:

If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.

3. GOSPEL-John 20:1–9

On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.

4. Theme – there cannot be Easter Sunday without a Good Friday

5. For the past 40 days we have preparing ourselves to re-live this great feast.

6. We join the the angles to sing Alleluia, Alleluia

7. From the Gospel, we see that we go through toils & once we hold on to God we shall be victorious

8. Peter never thought that the man he loved so much he will betray Him, He will go through suffering, die & be buried. For him it was finished. So when the news of the Ressurection came he did not believe it at 1st.

9. Note that he started running fast but I am sure that as he thought that this was the Christ he had betrayed that he was going to meet, he slowed down not too sure what he will say to Him. But Christ is merciful.

10. This is our live, we go through suffering, everybody has his or her cross. But in all of this it shows us the beauty of Christianity, there will be a Good Friday but it begets a triumphant Easter Sunday.

11. So let’s not lose hope when we are going through our Good Friday, let’s not ask why me, but these are difficulties that challenges us as Christians and we have faith in Him who died for us we shall overcome.

12. Note that gold has to go through fire to be purified for us to get what we want, that beautiful gold jewelry that we wear.

13. God has called all of us by name into the Catholic Church, to Christianity & He expects us to live as bright shining stars to show the Christ in us & attract and draw other people to Christ.