Saint CeciliaP A R I S H

Easter Sunday4 April 2021

A Celebration of Saints at the Easter VigilMichael O'Neill McGrath, OSFS

4 APRIL 2021 EASTER SUNDAY

PRELUDES | Rondeau Joseph Mouret (1682-1738)

Jubilate Fela Sowande (1905-1987)

Gloria Eurydice Osterman (b. 1950)

Toccata on “O Felii et Filiae” Lynnwood Farnam (1885-1930)

ENTRANCE PROCESSION | Jesus Christ is Risen Today EASTER HYMN

CALL TO WORSHIP In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

The Lord be with you.

All: And with your spirit.

PENITENTIAL RITE GLORIA | Mass of Renewal Curtis Stephan

COLLECT

LITURGY OF THE WORD

FIRST READING | Acts 10: 34a, 37-43 RESPONSORIAL PSALM | Psalm 118 Michael Joncas

1. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his mercy endures forever; let the house of Israel say: “His mercy endures forever.”

2. The Lord’s right hand has struck with power, the Lord’s right hand is exalted. I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord.

3. The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes!

SECOND READING | Colossians 3: 1-4

SEQUENCE | Victimae paschali laudes Plainchant/Mode I

(Full translation is below)

To the Paschal Victim, Christians, offer a sacrifice of praise. The Lamb redeemed the sheep. Christ, sinless, reconciled sinners to the Father. Death and life were locked together in a unique struggle. Prince of Life, who died, now he reigns. “Tell us, Mary, What did you see upon the way?” “I saw the sepulchre of the now living Christ. I saw the glory of the Risen One. I saw the angels, his witnesses, the shroud and the garments, too, which once had covered heads and limbs. Christ, my Hope is risen; He will go before his own into Galilee.”

We know that Christ is truly risen from the dead; O Victorious King, have mercy on us. Amen. Alleluia. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION | Alleluia! Let Us Rejoice!

GOSPEL | John 20: 1-9 HOMILY RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL PROMISES

SPRINKLING RITE (11:30AM) | Come to the River Bob Hurd

UNIVERSAL PRAYERS

Thank you for your generous support of the parish! Today’s collection will benefit Clergy Trust which provides programs and support to care for the health and well-being of all active and senior diocesan priests in good standing. By supporting this collection, you are helping to ensure that our active priests receive the care they need to continue their important work and our senior priests have support and access to quality care. This collection is a critical source of funding for the Trust and your generosity is greatly appreciated. On behalf of Father John and the priests of the Archdiocese who benefit from the support of Clergy Trust, thank you so much for your continued support and generosity. To donate online visit (or copy and paste): https://clergytrust.org/easter/ or https://www.osvhub.com/stceciliaboston/funds/clergy-health-trust-easter-collection.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

PRESENTATION OF THE GIFTS |Easter Alleluia Marty Haugen

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER The Lord be with you.

All: And with your spirit.

Lift up your hearts.

All: We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is right and just.

SANCTUS | Mass of Creation Marty Haugen

MEMORIAL ACCLAMATION | Mass of Creation Marty Haugen

AMEN | Mass of Creation Marty Haugen

AGNUS DEI | Mass of Christ the Savior Dan Schutte

COMMUNION | I Am the Bread of Life Suzanne Toolan, RSM

CONCLUDING RITES The Lord be with you.

All: And with your spirit. May almighty God bless you, the Father, (+) and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen. Go forth, the Mass is ended.

All: Thanks be to God.

RECESSIONAL | Sing with All the Saints in Glory ODE TO JOY

POSTLUDE | Trumpet Voluntary in D major John Stanley Dr. Xuan He, organist and Charlie Jones, trumpet (1712-1786)

Music in this worship aid is printed with permission under Onelicense.net #A700-137.

For information on becoming involved or supporting the music program at Saint Cecilia, please contact Dr. Robert Duff at 617-536-4548 or email: RDuff@stceciliaboston.org.

Dear Friends,

What a year it has been since last Easter: A year of pandemic. A year of upheaval. A year of pivoting. On so many levels in our country and in our lives, it has not been smooth or easy for most of us. As I write, almost 550,000 Americans have died from the virus. Next month, it will be a year since my own mom passed. It is still a little surreal as I look back and think, “what just happened?” A year, she’s gone, no Easter together this year, no Mother’s Day, no birthday, no weekly visits, no daily FaceTimes or watching Chronicle together…she would be on her TV, me on mine, while talking through the whole show on our iPads! It was a different way of “watching TV together” in these COVID times when we couldn’t see each other in person or be allowed into her home or room. Those window visits with Mom’s little hand to the window on one side and mine on the other from the outside…it’s how we stayed connected. This first year…those first years…the memories of our loved ones are ever present but the void is palpable and, at times, it feels almost purposeless without them being here.

Being in the “faith business,” I know that we are all just moving through this time we have on earth. We know that we are only here for a while. In that time, we have a purpose for living and we have been given an example of how to live. On Holy Thursday, Jesus shows the disciples how to be. “If I the master and teacher have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” He tells us to serve and take care of one another. He breaks bread with his closest friends and tells them to keep the tradition going and, when doing it, do it in memory of him…that he would be present, in a very real way when they did. We’ve been doing it for over two thousand years at each Mass and Eucharist.

On Good Friday, we remember the Passion (the suffering) of Jesus as we venerate the cross and join our sufferings to his. It’s a reminder of an unfathomable love, a love beyond all telling, that he had for us; it’s a reminder that we don’t have to suffer alone in this life; Jesus, able “to sympathize with our weaknesses…who has similarly been tested in every way…” is not unfamiliar with our suffering.

On Saturday night, the Great Easter Vigil that continues into Easter Sunday, we celebrate the reality that Jesus rose from the dead and conquers death. In other words, our life is not over after the last breath but we’re onto the next stage of the eternal journey. It’s the journey from darkness into light as we light a new Easter candle every year and mark it with the Alpha and the Omega: Jesus, the light of this world. All these rituals, all these symbols, all these actions this past holy week are meant to remind us that, even though we’re just passing through, EACH of us has purpose.

So, as I said at the beginning of the pandemic a year ago, “Let’s not let this year go by without looking inside, soul searching and re-calibrating.” What now is our purpose? What has this purpose evolved to be in this Spring 2021 as we slowly and carefully open up to a new normal? What has changed in our faith regarding our belief system? How has the loss of loved ones invited us (made us) begin to question and/or grow in faith, trust and belief? How has it helped us to clarify or change our purpose? What do we think of eternity? How does this belief shape our time on earth and how we do what we do? How does the example of Jesus shape how you and I live and give and forgive?

Through the losses in life, we can actually grow and deepen and become more purposeful. Even though it seems counterintuitive, it’s what can happen if our faith is real and active and dynamic. Ask God for this deepened faith, especially if you’re hurting and sad or stuck and struggling with loss. This is THE time to dive in, not dry up or walk away from the relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It is the faith Jesus had in his suffering.

On behalf of the wonderful parish staff here at Saint Cecilia, may God bless you and your beautiful families. I am so grateful for you, your friendship, support and generosity throughout this past year. Remember, out of the dying comes the rising, and out of this past year and its many losses will come much new life and new beginnings. It’s the seasonal message of nature. It’s the eternal message of Jesus. It’s what believing in the Resurrection is all about. Happy Easter!

Easter Greetings from Father JOhn

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SAINT CECILIA PARISH

OUR COMMUNITY NEWS

Prayers &

Occasions

Our SickPlease pray for all our sick and for those who are in need of our prayer, especially Mary Pickering, Mary Sue Cappoza, Caeden Boyce, Delia Alvarez, Charlie Naughton, Peter Tracy, MaryAnn Weber, Justin Raffaelli, Bob Haas, Bob Roppolo, John Payne, Christopher Gobron, Joy Gilbert, Cheryl Sa-bin, Mary Walters, Mary Ann Olszewski, Constance LaSala, Frances Romeo, Ronald LaBrecque, and Rachel Caminiti.

Welcome to Saint Cecilia ParishWe are pleased to welcome the following new members of our parish who have recently registered: Nancy Cohn of Swampscott, Sabrena Tufts of Jamaica Plain, Gianni Vitiello of Brighton, Theresa Steele of Farmington, Con-necticut, Amanda Woodgate of Boston, Rosemary Powers of Dorchester, and Christina Glen of Osterville. If you have not previously registered you can do so online at www.st-ceciliaboston.org

The Easter CollectionToday’s collection will benefit Clergy Trust which provides programs and support to care for the health and well-being of all active and senior diocesan priests in good standing. By supporting this collection, you are helping to ensure that our active priests receive the care they need to continue their important work and our senior priests have support and access to quality care. This collection is a critical source of funding for the Trust and your generosity is greatly ap-preciated. On behalf of Father John and the priests of the Archdiocese who benefit from the support of Clergy Trust, thank you so much for your continued support and gener-osity. To donate online visit: https://clergytrust.org/easter/ or https://www.osvhub.com/stceciliaboston/funds/clergy-health-trust-easter-collection.

TODAY'S READINGS

Acts 10:34a, 37-43

Colossians 3:1-4

John 20:1-9

NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS

Acts 5:12-16

Revelations 1:9-11A, 12-13, 17-19

John 20:19-31

Presiders OF THE LITURGY

Saturday, April 3 | 7:30Rev. John Unni

Sunday, April 4 | 10:00 & 11:30Rev. John Unni

Our Newest MembersAt this weekend's Great Vigil of Easter, we celebrate the initiation of three new Christians in the Easter waters. Christopher Robert Henquinet, Matthew Schrimper, and Lumeng Jenny Yu will profess their faith in Christ and be baptized, confirmed, and welcomed to the Eucharistic ta-ble. James Ignatius Bor-Zale, Liam Gabriel George Fortin, Kristina Kauppila, Kylie Alyssa-Sue Krejmas, and Erik Vos (all previously baptized in other Christian traditions) will be received into the full communion of the Catholic Church and be confirmed and welcomed to the table of the Lord.

Keep these men and women in your prayer as they begin the period known as "mystagogia." Mystagogia is an an-cient Greek word meaning, "education in the mysteries." Christian believers in the first century used the word mysta-gogia to describe the period of continuing spiritual instruc-tion following the celebration of the initiation rites.

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SAINT CECILIA PARISH

Easter Flowers Michelina Abele

Rogelio AbeleThe Abruzzi Family

Hernán AguilarHeather Allen

Dr. Louis AloscoJeanne AubinDavid Aubin

Micheline AubinCatherine Aylward

John BakerMarion BarberaLouis Barbera

Romania BarclayJose Barreto

Crisalida Barreto The Bartley Family

Joanne BeanChristina Benet

Bill BennettAntonio Betancur

Eleanore Bienkowski Julius Bienkowski Paul Bienkowski

Jack & Janet BlanchetteJacinto Bento BotelhoMaria Belmira BotelhoJacinto Sousa Botelho

Chuck and Betty BotoshTreshawn Boyd

Jack BrentMary Bresnahan

Joseph BresnahanEddie Brown

Marion Buckley The Bufalini FamilyRobert BurnhamJennifer Cabral

Daniel, Barbara, & Daniel J. CallahanGlenn Calmus

Maria Cristina Campo de PaezThomas Caulfield SrHelge Christiansen

John ClavinThe Coleman Family

Charlene ColganDelia and Michael Conlon

Fr. Chuck Connolly, SJPatricia ConnorsRichard CorcoranPatrick CorriganMadeline Cotton

Francis Cotton Susanne CoyneThomas Coyne

Anne CoyneRobert Crawford

Maria CullenJohn Cunnane

John Cunnane, Jr.Daniel & Jeanne Curley

Daniel T. CurleyCyril D'Souza

Irene & Hector D'SouzaDeceased Members of the Damiani-

O'Dette FamiliesHank DaneJean Dapra

The DeMers Family Jack Demmer

Margaret DemmerKatie and Hank Dempsey

Jack and Janet DeverMary and Joseph Devlin

Marie Diegnan Frank DiPippo

Patricia DonnellanSandy Dow

Dr. Gerry DoyleJoan DrexeliusJoe Drexelius

John DrexeliusDan Driscoll

Arthur F. DunnettR. Margaret Dunnett

Alex DurandRichard Englert

Luis EspinalJohn and Irene Faldetta

Lamont FeiglesPatricia Ferris

Elio FineEmma Fischer

Albert Francesconi

Lena FrancesconiThe Franchi & Mancini Families

Doreen and Conn FraserThe Frayling Family

Rosemary and Louis Fredrich Henry & Eileen Gabel

Robert GaffnyRobert Galvin

Gisela Garcia de Barreto Rudy Garza

Yolanda GenoveseEileen Gerz

Richard GilbertAdrian and Helene Gleason

Mr. & Mrs. Charles Goodman Sr.Patrick David GrafSara Hartman Graf

Walter GrantFrank Greco

Members of the Griffith FamilyPatricia Griffith

Msgr. Michael F. GrodenMeaghan Grotz

Richard GueretteMaria Olivieri Hakansson Marnie Hancock-Donovan

Edward W. Hanley, Jr. Edward W. Hanley, III

Mary HanleyPatricia Hanley

Papa Jack HarringtonKatherine Hayes

Charles & Nancy HeaslipJillian Heaslip

Katherine HoneycuttHelen Hootsmans-McMahon

Carol HowlandRichard Howland

Cynthia Jones HawkinsCharles Judge

Rosemary JudgeRobena Keatley

Bill KelleySr. Ann Kelley

Catherine KinchlaRobert Kinchla

Lara Kinne

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SAINT CECILIA PARISH

Robert KollerCecilia KurtaJoseph Kurta

Thelma LahmeBarbara Langdon

Nick LangeMonique LarocheStephan Laroche

Josephine & Barney LaSalaJohn Launie

Michael J. LawlessSally S. Lawless

Vincent M. LawlessYves Legault

Jaime Jacinto LimaManuel Lima

Claire and Joseph LippoltThomas Lovett

Dorothy Mac Gillivary Loretta MacdonaldPatricia Macdonald

Barbara and John MacDonaldAngela MacIntyre-WheatleyIrene MacIntyre-Wheatley

Peter & Bertha MacIntyre-WheatleyJoseph and Mary Maciora

Mary Maciora-JacobsKenny MacNeilFred MagleroIlda MaguirePaul MaguirePeter Maguire

Gerry and Bridie MaloneyAndrew McCarrickRobert McCarrick

Helen & Patrick McEvoyJohn McLaughlin

Theresa McLaughlinBilly McManus

Joseph McManusCarlos MedranoWilliam Melville

James and Rose MieleKathleen Modeste

Members of the Moffatt FamilyJeff Monroe

Barbara, Jessica, and Andrea MooneyPaul Morris

Francis X. Morrissey Frances G. Morrissey

John MorseF.X. and Margaret Morse

Nancy Mullarkey John and Kathleen Mullen

Maizie MullenGrace Mulligan

Dan MullinDaniel Mullin

Edwin MurphyElizabeth Murphy

Robert MurphyRobert Joseph Murphy

Henry MysiukJosephine Mysiuk

Ivan NazarioMaureen NolanPatrick Noone

Henry and Elinor NovickiIrene O’Keefe Melville

Michele OleskyC. Anthony Olivieri

Angel OllerEdward Pacana

Margaret PacanaCristobal PaezPlacido PaezElena Paez L.Anne Palmer

Carmela and Anthony PandolfoBob PattersonTom Paynter

Ronnie PereiraPhil Picard

Maria do Carmo PimentalMatt Provenzano

Shirley ProvenzanoFr. Robert Quinn

Richard RassiRuth Reiss

Lauren RiceSheldon Rich

Denise RobitelGiuseppina and Carmelo Roccuzzoi

Betty Ann Testa and Jack RocheGrace Romasanta

John & Christine Romeo

Elizabeth RussoThe Santoro Family

The Seastrom Family Elizabeth Shatswell

John ShatswellPeter Shatswell

Susan ShaughnessyAnn Sheehan

Paul and Mary SiebertAnthony C. Simboli

Mary and Francis SkinnerBetty Specke

Gena SquarciaFrancesca StanizziDorothy Starzyk

William Starzyk Jr.Michael StockmanRichard Stockman

Claire SullivanDaniel E. Sullivan

Deacon Paul SullivanJoan Sullivan

Mary Kay SullivanTerri Sullivan

Virginia V. SullivanViolet Sweet

Dr. Chaglar TahsinMaría TanchezSamuel Torres

Raymond TowleKathryn & Clifford TowleAnne Margaret TrimbleFrank and Estelle Unni

Sal UyRico Valencia, Jr.

Paul ValzaniaAndrew J. Veneto Sr.

Louis and Margaret VendittiMr. & Mrs. James Verde

Elisa VickersBernice and Joseph Vrablic

Barbara WalshJoseph WarfieldNimette YousifAlbert Zadow

Edilia Zambrano

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SAINT CECILIA PARISH

Follow-Up Discus-

sions On the Archdi-

ocesan Social Justice

Convocation

The Social and Racial Justice Ministry would like to provide the Saint Cecilia community with a debrief of the Archdioc-esan Social Justice Convocation that was held virtually last November. This three-part series of discussions will follow this year's theme: "Racial Justice — What Can We Do?".

You may have already watched this beautifully presented convocation, with Mass celebrated by Cardinal Seán and presentations by keynote speakers, Fr. Oscar Pratt and Dr. Jeannine Hill Fletcher. If not, you might want to watch the convocation in its entirety ahead of time, but this is not nec-essary for participation. You can find the Mass at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pc_8nnaBSk&feature=youtu.be and the webinar at: https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/5938397841251005964.

We hope you will join us for all or any of the discussions in this series.• Sunday, April 11 | 2:00 | Cardinal Sean's Homily• Sunday, April 18 | 2:00 | Fr. Oscar Pratt's Keynote• Sunday, April 25 | 2:00 | Dr. Jeannine Hill Fletcher's

Keynote and Q&A

Please Register at http://bit.ly/SJdebrief

HELP WOMEN'S LUNCH PLACE

One of the major fundraisers for our friends at the shelter is their Mother's Day card sale. Women's Lunch Place is a day shelter com-munity for women experiencing poverty and homelessness. Six days a week, trained staff and volunteers work as a team to provide

hundreds of women healing, hope and dignity. Some guests use the shelter's services on a daily basis, while there are others who we see less frequently. Mother's Day cards will be sold after weekend liturgies. For each $25 donation to WLP, you will receive a card designed by one of the shelter's guests as a thank you. Proceeds from the Mother’s Day card campaign support a wide array of services to the most vul-nerable women in our community, including healthy meals and individualized services that empower women to make positive changes in their lives. In addition to our cards, you can sponsor a breakfast for $300 or a day of fresh fruit for $150 in honor or memory of a meaningful person in your life. For more information, please contact Mark.Lippolt@gmail.com or you can order a card directly by clicking on "Mother's Day Card Campaign 2021" on this site: https://womenslunchplace.org/donate-mothers-day

Boston College SCHOOL OF

THEOLOGY AND MINISTRY

WEBINARS

The Spiritual Exercises: A Reflection on Human Suffer-ing from the Underside of HistoryPresenter: Peter W. Gyves, SJ, MD, Founder and Director of A Faith That Does Justice, Inc.Thursday, April 8 | 6:00-7:00 p.m. | Zoom Presentation Free of charge

The Sacred and the Secret: Lessons from Movements Like MeToo and ChurchTooThursday, April 15 | 6:00-7:00 p.m. | Zoom Presenta-tion | Free of charge

For further details or to register for these events, please check the STM Online: Continuing Education website: https://www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/schools/stm/continuing-education/campus-events.html

ONLINE COURSES

Call to ConscienceApril 14 – May 4 | 3-Week Online Course | Registration Required| $30.00

Eucharist: The Heart of Catholic LifeApril 14 – May 4 | 3-Week Online Course | Registration Required| $30.00

https://www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/schools/stm/sites/crossroads/course-schedule.html

SAINT SUSANNA PARISH — DEDHAM

Exploring Non-Canonical Texts and Other Christianities (A Two Week Presentation)Presenter: Dr. Daniel Ullucci, Visiting Associate Profes-sor, Stonehill College

• Week one: Monday, April 12 | 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. | Zoom Presentation

• Week two: Monday, April 19 | 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. | Zoom Presentation

For further details on these presentations, please check the website: https://www.saintsusanna.org/Attachments/aff_up-coming_programs_standard.pdf

Adult Faith

Formation Virtual Events

This joyful Eastertide, please join us for Evening Prayer and Morning Prayer!

Monday - Friday, April 5 - 9 @ 6:30 p.m. Vespers during the Easter Octave

Saturday, April 10 @ 9:00 a.m. Lauds during the Easter Octave

Sunday, April 11 @ 6:00 p.m. Second Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy Sunday

Thursday, April 22 @ 6:30 p.m. Dedication Anniversary of Saint Cecilia Church (1894)

Thursday, April 29 @ 6:30 p.m. Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena

Monday, May 3 @ 6:30 p.m. Feast of Saints Philip and James

Thursday, May 13 @ 6:30 p.m. Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Saturday, May 22 @ 9:00 a.m. Memorial of Saint Rita of Cascia

Sunday, May 23 @ 6:00 p.m. Solemnity of Pentecost

Join us live on the Saint Cecilia Facebook page or via Zoom. Liturgies last approximately half an hour.

Email sc.hoursandtaize@gmail.com for details.

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SAINT CECILIA PARISH

This is the 2017 Easter sermon by The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, diocesan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.

I greet you in the name of God who shows no partiality, but loves all humankind with an everlasting love. And in the name of Jesus, who came as God among us, showing us a way of love and forgiveness; who was tortured and then executed without once wavering from that way; and whom God raised from the dead. From the earliest days of the Christian witness, this was and remains the most important thing to know about Jesus and to pass on: that he died on a cross; that God raised him from the dead; and that through his death and resurrection, we can experience a love so deep, so broad, and so high–a love that forgives, heals and sets us free.

And if, by chance, you’re not sure if what Christians celebrate on Easter is true, or if it is true, if it matters; or if something’s happened in your life or in our world that’s caused you to doubt what you once believed; or if you’re not even in the zone but just trying to make it through the day and somehow you wound up here, trust me, you’re in good company.

For no matter how well we all clean up, or in my case, how fine the vestments I’m given to wear, even the most seasoned Christians have times when the faith we thought we had wavers, when events conspire to shake our resolve and cause us to wonder if what we’ve staked our lives on is, in fact, true. That should be of some comfort to you, given that we’re talking about the greatest mystery of the Christian faith, and that so much of what we see and experience in this world is at odds with what we profess here. I wouldn’t trust anyone who doesn’t wrestle with these things. And sometimes we’re all at as much of a loss as Mary and the other disciples were on that first Easter morning. Take note of that: their first experience of resurrection is not presented in ways that convey spiritual confidence. On the contrary, it’s a scene of mass confusion.

What brings me back, and I daresay others, and keeps us going, and in the end allows us to affirm our belief in the resurrection of Jesus as it’s told in Scripture, and that it matters, are our own experiences of resurrection–the ways we ourselves have died and been given life on the other side of death through a power not our own. It didn’t just happen to Jesus; it happens to us. And as we’re able to interpret our experiences of moving through to life through the lens of Christian witness about Jesus’ and his resurrection, it feels real to us and for us in ways that give us confidence to place our trust in Him. And when that confidence is shaken, we keep on the path, trusting that what matters isn’t the strength of our faith but the power of

God revealed in Jesus.

So what I’d like to do is walk through the story of that first Easter morning and lay alongside it what it can feel like for us to move from death to life. My hope is that doing so can help answer in the affirmative two very important questions: Is the story of Jesus’ resurrection true? And if so, does it matter? And not only for us, but for the good of humankind.

The first thing to say about the Easter experience is that we are not talking about resuscitation, about coming back from the brink and carrying on as before. Resurrection is something else entirely, and the context for it isn’t a near miss, when we’re spared the worst that can happen. The prerequisite for resurrection is, in fact, the worst that can happen: devastating loss and death.

Christians around the world have just spent the last week reminding ourselves of each painstaking detail of Jesus’ violent death. We remembered how the Roman authorities and Jewish religious leaders colluded to rid themselves of this nuisance of a man; that his most ardent disciple denied three times that he even knew him; that another disciple betrayed him. Everyone close to him deserted him in the end, except for a few women who watched him die close up. All were devastated, and for some their grief was compounded by guilt for what they had done or failed to do for their friend.

Likewise for us, the starting point is deep grief in the face of tremendous loss. Fill in the blank of what that loss has been for you; I could certainly tell you of mine. If we laid our losses alongside each other, what our experiences would have in common is their finality. A dream, a relationship, a beloved dies. Sometimes we know ourselves to be responsible for we’ve lost; other times we suffer at the hands of another, or worse, we’re caught in cruel indifference of collective evil, either as its victims or perpetrators, and there’s seemingly no way out and no going back. And so we grieve, going through all that grief requires. You know: it’s exhausting, and it takes a long time to work though. We can get stuck in grief, of course, but equally dangerous is trying to rush through it, as if death were something we could bounce back from. There’s no bouncing back; we are forever changed.

The text tells us that on the first day after the sabbath, Mary rose and went to Jesus’ tomb, most likely to care for his body, for that was a burial ritual reserved for the women of that time. We recognize what’s happening here: she’s going through the motions. Grief puts us on autopilot, as we do what must be

DOES RESURRECTION MATTER? YES, IT DOES!

By THE RIGHT REV. MARIANN EDGAR BUDDE

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SAINT CECILIA PARISH

done.

But in resurrection something begins to shift, ever so slowly, and it catches our attention. The first thing Mary notices when she arrived at Jesus’ tomb was that the stone covering the entrance to it had been removed. That may sound like a small detail, but it’s a big deal. It was a big deal for her, because it was sizeable stone. It’s a big deal for us, because that stone represents all that keeps us tethered to our loss. And when it’s gone, and we feel a lightness that we weren’t expecting. A weight has been lifted; a way seems to be opening through what we thought was solid rock.

Now you’d think we’d feel exhilarated by this, and maybe we are, but we’re also completely disoriented. Rarely do we feel ready for this when it happens. We may not even want our burdens to be removed as yet, if at all.

I’m reminded here of a little story told in the novel Captain Corelli’s Mandolin about an old man who had been half-deaf since childhood, the “stone” in his life being a small pea that had lodged itself into his ear when he was a boy. When the village doctor realized what had impaired the man’s hearing all these years and managed to extract the wax-and-dirt encrusted pea, the man was at first elated, then completely disoriented, and finally fatigued by the noise all around him, most notably, his wife’s voice that he had never fully heard before. Soon he returned to the village doctor, pleading that he put the pea back.

There’s part of us that would prefer to our stone back, whatever it is, because grief has its comforts. It’s quiet; little is expected from us. With the stone gone, we’re not sure what to do. Mary doesn’t know. She runs and gets Peter and John. They don’t know, so they run around too, and actually look into the empty tomb; one “believes” as a result, whatever that means, and then both inexplicably exit the scene. They go home.

Our heroine stands on the side of this confusion and weeps. There she sees Jesus, not recognizing him until he calls her by name. And then she does what any of us would have done, what we all want to do: she tries to hold onto him as tight as she can. But he says to her, and this is the biggest step of all: you have to let me go.

There is no better way to describe what resurrection requires of us: letting go. I mean really letting go. If your fist is clenched in anger, you have to let it go. If you’re hanging onto something or someone as if your life depended on it, you have to let go now because your new life depends on it. Picture yourself on the edge of a cliff, leaning backwards away from the rock while every instinct in your body tells you to hang on. Or sky-diving the moment before jumping out of a plane. In twelve-step spirituality this moment is known as “admitting powerlessness,” a letting go experience if there ever was one. But as hard as it is, there’s a relief that comes with it. Finally, whatever is going to happen next is out of our hands.

Then comes the most amazing thing: as we’re suspended in mid-air, we feel the presence of God with us, sometimes in the form of Jesus himself. And he’s calling us, as Jesus called

Mary, by name. It’s an experience of profound acceptance and unconditional love. We’re incredibly vulnerable, and yet we feel loved, and buoyed by a strength not our own. This is especially powerful when we feel personally responsible for the suffering we’ve endured or caused or others; when the burden of guilt is as strong as whatever it is that we’ve lost.

The classic resurrection story of forgiveness comes a bit further in the text. It’s just as mysterious and confusing as the story of Mary and Jesus the gardener. This story is of Jesus the short-order cook. According to this account, after Jesus’ death some of disciples from Galilee decide to return and resume their former lives as fishermen, and honestly, it’s as if the empty tomb experience never happened. One morning they’re out on the water and they see someone beckoning them to shore. It all feels eerily familiar to them. They have the sense that it’s Jesus, but no one dares say anything. One jumps and swims ashore while others bring in the boat. Jesus is there building a fire, cooking breakfast. “Come and eat,” he says. And they do, not quite sure what to make of it all. After breakfast Jesus takes Simon Peter aside, the one, remember, who denied him three times. He doesn’t berate Peter, tell him how disappointed he is in him. He doesn’t say, “I told you so.” He simply asks: “Do you love me?” Three times he asks, and by the third time Peter is reduced to a puddle of tears because he knows exactly what Jesus is doing. Jesus is healing him of that most shameful memory, replacing it with an affirmation of love. Resurrection is like that: your sin is taken away; the slate is clean. And what’s more, from rising from that very painful experience, you’re given a job:

“Feed my sheep,” Jesus tells Peter. “Share with others what you have received.”

So, question number one: is the story true? Absolutely. I say that to you not merely because it says so in a book called the Bible, but because it’s written on my heart. It’s happened to me, more than once; I’m confident that it’s happened to you. Maybe in relatively small ways, but real, nonetheless, if we dare to claim it as true. I’ve also seen it in other people whose suffering by rights should have broken them completely but didn’t. If you pay attention to the people you admire going through this, and to your own life you begin to see the pattern, the form of it, the process of moving from death to life. Now this is not a journey any of us relishes; we’d all avoid it if we could. We’re talking about death first. But when death comes, resurrection follows, which is really good news. And if you’ve gone through it a few times while you’re still walking the earth, it makes the final resurrection that awaits us at the end less frightening. For we know the pattern, and the One who is calling us home.

And does the resurrection matter? Yes, it does. It matters for us. And I’m not talking about believing certain things about Jesus so you that can get into heaven. You don’t have to worry about that. I’m talking about the quality of your life right now.

And does it matter to the world around us that we are resurrection people? Yes, it does and here’s why. People of the resurrection are among the most joyful, passionate, generous, forgiving, life-affirming human beings on the planet. Think

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of them. Think of the people you’ve known or have admired from afar. Think of those who respond to hatred with forgiveness; who never seem to lose hope; who believe that all people matter to God. Think of the people who are more than willing to make a nuisance of themselves, as Jesus did, in oppressive societies, and like him, to challenge those who misuse their power; of the ones who are willing to walk into the most hopeless situations and say, “You know, we can change this.” They know that with God all things are possible. Think of the people who willingly go back into valley of death so that someone else might know life.

We can take our place among these, through the power of Jesus’ resurrection living in us. We can do it. WE are who we are, still in need of healing and forgiveness ourselves. We’re not yet all we were created to be. You’ve got your wounds and anxieties and I’ve got mine, and Lord knows we still live in a Good Friday world. But what is stopping us from being people of the resurrection, allowing the grace and mercy, forgiveness and justice of God to flow through us? What is stopping us? The stone is gone; there’s nothing we have to hang onto, God loves us. What else do we need?

So I’m going to give you an example of a person of the resurrection who took my breath away then wrap up with you a final image to take home.

A few nights ago, I heard an interview with Anba Angaelos, the General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church of the United Kingdom. You know what happened in two Coptic churches in Egypt just last Sunday–terrible bombings in the middle of Palm Sunday services. And the bishop is being interviewed about it all.

The journalist asking questions wants to direct the bishop to speak politically and he will have none of it. He only wants to talk about the people suffering such tremendous loss. And he expressed his gratitude for the global outpouring of prayers and support for his people.

But he was also clear about what is at stake, that the goal of the Islamic State, or ISIS, was not merely to terrorize but to eradicate Christianity in Egypt. And at the end of the interview the journalist asked, “Is there anything else you’d like to say, bishop?” Bishop Angaelos said, “Yes, there is. I urge the world to pay attention to the resilience, courage, and forgiving spirit of the Coptic community in Egypt.”

“Do you forgive people who committed this crime?” the interviewer asked. Without hesitation the bishop replied, “Absolutely, I feel no need to forgive the act, which was vicious and evil. But we are all human beings living under the brokenness of sin, with the possibility of repentance. I am happy to continue forgiving, loving and hoping, because I am convinced that that is the only way to break the sinister spiral of violence that has swept across the Middle East.”

I don’t know if I could forgive like that, but I know a person of the resurrection when I hear one. Might we dare say something of the same, based on the bits of resurrection we have known, that we are happy to continue forgiving, loving, and hoping in order to break the spiral of violence and death all around us?

Wouldn’t you like to live like that? The good news is that we can.

So here’s the image to take home with you. Not long ago I was venting about my struggles with all that we’re considering here with the person I speak with for spiritual counsel. And he reminded me of something that I’ll share with you. He spoke of St. Teresa of Avila, a nun who lived in 15th century, who was instructed by her religious superiors to write a book about prayer based on her mystical experiences. She didn’t want to do it, but she was obedient and she set about the task.

The first image she received from God was that of a diamond inside her, a symbol of God’s overwhelming love for her. And my spiritual counselor said to me, “You know what makes a diamond shine so brilliantly, don’t you? The flaws and imperfections in the stone that reflect the brilliance of the light.” That’s how it is with us. All those things that you think are the worst parts of you? Those may be what God will use to bring light and healing and hope to another.

Does resurrection matter? Yes, it does. And if you want to be a person of the resurrection, what you need to remember is this: You can let go. God loves you with an everlasting love. And your imperfections may be the best part of you.

~Mariann Edgar Budde is the diocesan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. She was consecrated as the ninth Bishop of Washington in the Washington National Cathedral on November 12, 2011. Bishop Budde serves as spiritual leader for 88 Episcopal congregations and 10 Episcopal schools in the District of Columbia and four Maryland counties. The first woman elected to this position, she also serves as the chair and president of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, which oversees the ministries of the Washington National Cathedral and Cathedral schools.

She earned a B.A. in history at the University of Rochester, graduating magna cum laude. She earned both a Masters in Divinity (1989) and Doctor of Ministry (2008) from Virginia Theological Seminary. Her sermons have been published in several books and journals and she is the author of two books, Receiving Jesus: The Way of Love (2019) and Gathering Up the Fragments: Preaching as Spiritual Practice (2007).

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Each weekend parishioners have the opportunity to pick up donated meat, dairy products, and produce from four local supermarkets and deliver it to either Catholic Charities' Hai-tian Multi-Service Center in Dorchester or the Huntington Y’s food pantry . This vital ministry takes place at 7:30 a. m. every Saturday and Sunday morning and on Sundays can be completed in time to watch the livestreamed 10:00 a. m. parish Mass. We need drivers for all the Saturdays and Sun-days in January and February. Please email Mark.Lippolt@gmail.com if you can help out.

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