Don Bosco Philippines South Province

Homily on the Third Sunday of Easter, 14 April 2024, SJB Parish Liloan

Exactly three years ago I was blessed to have been part of the Triduum celebrations of the great Jubilee of our Faith which took place from April 11 to 14 here in Cebu. On day 1, one hundred babies were baptized at the Guadalupe church. On day 2, one hundred youth and adults were confirmed at St Joseph church Mandaue. On day 3, one hundred more adults and youth received the sacraments of Christian Initiation at the Shrine of Birhen sa Regla in Mactan. And finally on April 14, seven children were baptized and received their first Holy Communion at the holy ground of Magellan’s Cross.

From hindsight I realized how special we are to God who had blessed us with the baptism of so many new members young and old just as he did long ago in 1521. I could feel the mighty power of the risen Lord so alive and so much at work even today. This is the amazing faith we are celebrating every Sunday. I’m sure you will agree with me that we Catholics do not only believe that Jesus rose from the dead, but above all we are also convinced that he is right here with us in this rising Shrine every time we come together to celebrate his passion, death and resurrection.

The truth is, his disciples did not just see his tomb empty. More importantly they also saw him face to face as the risen Lord and even touched him in his glorified body. This is what the gospel story (Lk 24:35-48) he have heard today is all about.

One among those who encountered him for real was Mary Magdalene who spoke with him near the empty tomb early morning of that first day of the week. Aside from her, two other disciples had a lively conversation with him while they were walking along the road towards Emmaus. However we need to highlight the fact that both Mary Magdalene and those two disciples failed to recognize him at first, never thinking he could be Jesus. Why? I guess perhaps it was because they have kept their eyes closed all the while. Their grieving over the loss of a loved one must have been so unbearable that their tears have blinded them… and that even if they tried to look, they could not see and recognize Jesus. All that they could see was the darkness of hopelessness enveloping them.

For example, Mary Magdalene kept her eyes closed as she wept grieving over the death of Jesus as well as his missing body from the grave. Actually she saw two angels inside the empty tomb but didn’t mind them at all. Then she suddenly saw Jesus at the garden but she just thought he was the gardener. On the other hand, the two other disciples must have been too disappointed, discouraged and depressed, after having witnessed how Jesus ended up being crucified on Calvary. With their dreams shattered into pieces, all they could see were long shadows of disillusionment as the sun was setting behind them.

Aren’t we sometimes like Mary Magdalene and those two disciples? Don’t we tend to focus more on our problems and tragedies rather than on the glorious victory of the Risen Lord? Let us never forget that HE who rose from the dead is much greater and mightier than the biggest problems and the worst tragedies in our life right now?

I remember some years ago, I visited someone in the hospital. He was in his late 50s and he was complaining of serious chest pains. After his angiogram, the doctors found several of his arteries partially blocked and recommended an immediate heart bypass operation. So on that day before the operation, I came to pray over him, anointed him with the oil of the sick, and gave him Holy Communion. As soon as I finished celebrating the sacraments, I saw his face totally changed lighting up with a big smile. I could feel his great joy and the positive energy radiating from within him.

Then when the doctors came in to check on him he said to them that he was ready for the surgery, for he started to feel very confident that the operation would be a success knowing that Jesus would be present in the operating room. The following day the operation indeed turned out to be a success. And after a couple of days he was discharged from the hospital. And he went home proclaiming “God is good… sobra, sobra, sobra!”

My dear brothers and sisters, this is what really happens when we encounter the Risen Lord for real. All worries and anxieties suddenly disappear. And as the level of our confident trust in the Lord increases knowing that he is present we begin to feel much better.

In the Gospel story we have heard today (Lk 24:35-48), the apostles were terrified when they saw Jesus suddenly standing in front of them. Just like Mary Magdalene and the other two disciples, they too failed to recognize Jesus. Similar to their terrible experience in the middle of a storm in Lake Galilee, they thought at that moment they were seeing a ghost. They were so overcome by fear and fright that they probably didn’t want to open their eyes to see him. Until that moment they have been struggling to make sense of the tragic death of their master, and so they probably couldn’t believe it was Jesus alive again right before their eyes. And so Jesus tried to meet them were they were and greeted them gently, saying “Peace be with you.”

Moreover, in order to prove to them that he was not a ghost as they thought, he allowed them to touch him, including his sacred wounds. He also took some cooked fish and ate it before their eyes much to their great astonishment and wonder. Indeed God’s Word is telling us today that our Christian faith is based not so much on the emptiness of Jesus’ tomb but on the active presence of the Risen Lord in the Church and the reality of his glorified body which we receive and touch in the sacraments.

My dear brothers and sister, we are gathered here around this Eucharistic table. Sad to say not all of us here are really happy and at peace. Some of us might probably be facing some difficult problems, carrying some heavy burdens, knocked down by some tragic misfortune or traumatic event, anguishing from the loss of a loved one, or simply struggling to survive due to poverty. And all of these could be preventing us from celebrating the joy of Easter to the full.

The good news is this. The Risen Lord is standing here in our midst. He is greeting all of us as he once did to the apostles, saying “Peace be with you.”And he is throwing the same question, “Why are you so troubled?” Brothers and sisters, allow the Lord to touch you. Allow his face to shine on you. Allow him to unburden you, to heal you, to console you and comfort you in whatever situation you find yourselves in right now. Try to repeat this prayer again and again, the same prayer we recited at the responsorial psalm: “Lord, touch us and let your face shine on us.” And surely you will be transformed, and feel some deep joy and lasting peace within you.

I would like to conclude with this story. Some time ago I was asked by a young lady a rather difficult question regarding the Jubilee of our Faith, and she said that she wanted to put my response in her blog. Her question to me was this: “There are some Filipinos who view Christianity as not a “gift” but rather a burden due to the sad fact that it brought Spanish Imperialism in our country. Shouldn’t this Catholic faith therefore be blamed for the Philippines’ colonial past?”

To that rather difficult question I sent this reply: “I respect the opinion of such people. But I pity them for seeing only the cow dung and not the milk that is produced by the same cow. Colonialism has long been conquered and turned into fertilizer. But we continue to be nourished by the milk and the meat of our faith.” Brothers and sisters, Christianity is not the property of Spain bestowed on us in 1521. It is rather the priceless gift of a loving God who is much greater and mightier than any foreign Imperialist. That is why we Catholics are proud to joyfully proclaim that WE ARE GIFTED TO GIVE.

As we celebrate this Eucharist today may we truly encounter Jesus as the risen Lord and gaze upon his radiant face. And as we go home after the Mass may we strive to be Jesus’ radiating presence in our family, in our neighborhood, in our place of work, study or apostolate… always aware that we have been gifted to give. GiGsss!

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