Run to Him, Serve Him, He is Risen, Alleluia!

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Homily Outline for Easter Sunday, Year A

Jesus Christ is risen, Alleluia Alleuia! Truly, He is Risen! Alleluia Alleluia!

Alleluia is Hebrew for “Praise God,” it is the Easter word par excellence, for on this day of all the days of the year we truly have reason to praise our God and Savior… Jesus has risen from the grave trampling death and sin! The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone! Most amazing of all, we are invited into and offered the fruits of this victory… Jesus rose precisely for us! God created us in love, now He has redeemed us in love by the blood of His Only Son.

We heard in the Gospel that St. Peter was the first to enter Christ’s empty tomb… listen to his testimony, the testimony of an eye witness, the testimony of one who denied the Lord and yet repented: “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.”

Last night, after we had entered the church with only the light of the Paschal Candle, newly blessed and lighted from the Easter Fire, I proclaimed the Exultet, a song of rejoicing. One line of that most beautiful song captures the mystery of Christ’s resurrection, “O happy fault, o necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so great a Redeemer!” The Church marvels, we marvel, that from Adam’s sin that sundered the tie between man and God, God has brought forth joy and beauty beyond measure. God Himself came and dwelt among us, Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man. He bore every price of our sin, was beaten and crucified, died and descended down into the land of the dead, and yet rose victorious! Alleluia, Praise God for His mercy, Praise God for His love, Praise God for the invitation made to each one of us, especially in our baptism, to respond to this love with love.

Paul tells us that our lives are hidden with Christ in God. When we were baptized, we descended into the depths of the water, dying with Christ, and we rose up out of the water reborn. “When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with Him in glory.” We are drawn into this praise, into this victory, OUR weakness and sin is overwhelmed in Christ’s victory… This is a mystery, truly our lives are hidden with Christ… so often we do not see all, we do not understand… but Christ has won the victory! May we praise Him this morning in His hiddenness, even as we do not fully understand.

It is often the case that on Easter, like Christmas, many people come to Church who are not here every week… I just want to address some words to you this morning: Welcome! We are glad you are here with us! Of all the days of the year to go to Church, today is the most important day… for your presence here we say Alleluia, Praise God! In our joy that you are here, we also extend the Lord’s invitation… do not come today in joy, and then stay away! We want you to be with us every Sunday, we need you to be with us every Sunday, indeed, you need to be with us every Sunday!

  For every one of us here, today, this morning, in this Easter Joy, there is an invitation… God has given us everything, even Himself… and He has won for us the victory… there is only one response that is fitting… to respond in joy, to give our lives to Him, to seek Him… not just today, on Easter, not just on Sunday, but every day of the week. We are to seek Him, to serve Him, to love Him at Church, at home, at work, at school, each day and in every moment. He offers us grace and strength and light. May we wait upon His love as Mary Magdalene did, may we run to Him as Peter and John, may we see the empty tomb and believe.

In just a few moments, we will renew our baptismal promises… this is our renewed response to the Lord. May our prayer be heartfelt, and may we in this way prepare our hearts to receive the Risen Lord Himself from this altar.