Homily

I think it is good for us to see, in the Acts of the Apostles, that while many great and even miraculous things were happening in the Church during its early years there were also problems and troubles, and St. Luke is not afraid to write about them in an honest way. When it came time to distribute the food, the Jewish Christians who were Greek speaking complained that their widows were not receiving the same amount of food as the widows who only spoke Aramaic. Discrimination! The apostles decided to pick seven men who would help keep better and fairer order within the Church, and that’s how the office of deacon came into being.

I once read a short piece by Fr. Alexander Schmemann about the followers of Jesus. He said that the people who followed Jesus during His public ministry were mostly looking to get something from Him. They wanted help, or healing, or miracles, or freedom from their Roman occupiers—to have their physical, material life made better in one way or another. They did not seem to understand that the Lord’s main message was about God’s love for them, and how important for them it was to love God in return, and even to love their neighbor. Because of His own love for them, and for us, Jesus said He would offer Himself as a living sacrifice. They didn’t get it. They didn’t understand. For them, Jesus was the man with the handouts, a man Who could give them what they really wanted.

The people shouted praises to Jesus on Palm Sunday, but by the end of the week, when He had not given them what they wanted, they abandoned Him. And I think this is the same reason so many people have abandoned Jesus today as well. What He has to offer they do not want. In the Garden of Gethsemane His three closest disciples keep falling asleep even as He prays in agony. After His arrest, Peter denies Him three times. It says in Matthew’s Gospel, “All the disciples abandoned Him and ran away.” Wholesale desertion. And I can only imagine how devastating that desertion must have been to the Lord, seeing these closest friends running away and leaving Him to stand alone.

But there were a few who were faithful to their Lord. St. John writes that along with him, “Standing by the cross were His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene.” Later, Joseph of Arimathea, in a bold move, asks for Jesus’ body and Nicodemus offers the burial spices.

At dawn on the third day, these women who stood by the cross, came to the grave to anoint the body of Jesus, as was the custom. Obviously, they expected His body to still be in the tomb. These women may not always have been present every time Jesus was speaking about His coming passion, death and resurrection. But certainly, they did not grasp the idea of resurrection. They just knew He was dead. They loved Jesus. That’s why they stood by the cross with Him, suffering because He was suffering, and willing to anoint His body now, after His brutal death. Even in this time of great darkness, their love shone like a brilliant light. Their devotion never wavered. Their loyalty never failed. They did not shy away from the cross, they did not turn away from the duties of burial, they did not turn away from this last, sad duty of anointing the body of the Master Whom they loved. They were faithful to Him to this last act that they could perform for Him. It’s to these faithful women that the resurrection was first announced, because it was so fitting that their loyalty and devotion should be rewarded with this great news. It was right that they would be the first witnesses. Mark tells us that at first, they were afraid, because they didn’t know what it all meant. But soon that would change. They who had wept at the tomb would now be the first to rejoice. Their great love did not end up in grief and loss, but it was fulfilled in seeing the promise of eternal life becoming the reality of their own lives.

I think about how I might have acted as a disciple of Jesus. Would I have run off like almost all the men in fear and disappointment, or would I have been part of that very small group who stayed loyal and faithful like these women? But a more important question is what am I willing to do today.

Am I afraid to love Christ more because of what might happen if I truly place myself completely in His hands? Are we afraid to stand with Him because of what the world might say, because of criticism or ridicule, or because we must reject some modern-day values that are contrary to the truth of Christ? Do we hesitate to grow in love for Christ because it is easier to be lazy, indifferent, materialistic and self-centered?

How the world, and sadly many Catholics, see the position of the pope as though he is like a president of a country—yes, decisions, rules—but true power is to bring us closer to Christ, to love him better and our neighbor as well.