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• Readings for Sunday, April 5th

  Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord

• Sunday Homily

  Every few years I need to tell you about Philip, an 8-year-old, who was born with Down’s Syndrome.

  
  

  Philip was a happy child but certainly aware of the difference between himself and other kids.  He was Catholic, went to Mass every Sunday, and school every day.  

  
  

  Well, you know how it sometimes goes with 8-year-olds. With his differences, Philip was not readily accepted.  But he had a wonderful teacher, and John helped the kids to respect each other as best they could. 

  
  

  They learned, they laughed, they played together.  And, for the most part, they cared about one another.

  
  

  There was just one exception.  Philip!  He wasn’t really part of the ‘in group.’ He was different and the others laughed at him a lot.

  
  

  Well, it was Eastertime and John had a marvelous idea for his class.  He gave them all one of these cups.  

  
  

  This was a product called ‘Leggs.’

  
  

  You can’t find these in the stores anymore.  I know because for years I’ve looked.  But in the 1980s they were very popular.  

  
  

  Don’t ask me what they said at the cash register when I bought it over 40 years ago.

  
  

  You should have seen me wearing a raincoat with the collar turned up so they couldn’t see my Roman collar. That didn’t work.

  
  

  It cost me $1.75 in 1983 to tell you this story.  

  
  

  If anyone wants to negotiate for the contents you can see me right after Mass.

  
  

  Well, back in the 1980s John, the teacher, bought ten of them. Imagine what they said to him at the store! 

  
  

  Anyway, the children loved it when he brought them into the room and gave an empty one to each child. 

  
  

  And John said, “It’s Eastertime - it’s a beautiful spring day - and there’s all kinds of signs of new life outside.  So, here’s what we’ll do.  We’ll go outside and find some example of new life.  Secretly, put it into your egg cup and bring it back.  Then, one by one, we’ll open them up and talk.”

  
  

  It was glorious.  It was wild.  They ran all around the school grounds. They skipped through the nearby fields and splashed in the local brook - picking up their signs of new life.  

  
  

  Then they returned to the classroom.  And, one by one they opened them as everyone gathered around.

  
  

  One girl opened up her cup and there was a beautiful flower and all the children said “Oooh.”  

  
  

  A boy opened up his cup and there was a little butterfly that he had snatched.  And the children said “Aaah.”

  
  

  A girl opened hers and it was filled with water and, when you looked closely, you could see little water bugs darting across the water, and they said, “Neat.”

  
  

  A boy opened his cup and there was a rock and they laughed saying “a rock isn’t new life.”  But he said, “for me it is.”  They all laughed.

  
  

  And then it was Philip’s turn - the last one.  He opened up his cup and there was nothing.  And all the children said, “That’s not fair.  That’s stupid!  There’s nothing there. Philip didn’t do it right.”  

  
  

  “I did so do it right!” he said. “I did. The tomb is empty.  The tomb is empty and that’s a sign of new life.”

  
  

  And there was silence as it dawned on them what he was saying.  

  
  

  For those who don’t believe in miracles, I want to tell you that it was different after that day.  They took Philip “in.” 

  
  

  He was free from his own tomb of being different.

  
  

  ***

  
  

  A few months later Philip came down with a breathing problem, a disease his little body couldn’t handle - and he died.  

  
  

  John brought all the Third Graders to the funeral.  At the end of the Mass, John and the 8-year-olds walked up to Philip’s casket and one by one placed their cups right on top - a sign of what they learned on a memorable, spring day - a sign that the tomb is empty!

  
  

  Now if an 8-year-old boy with Down’s Syndrome understands the meaning of the empty tomb, can’t everyone? 

  
  

  In the empty tomb is the truth of the resurrection of Jesus.  

  
  

  That’s why Easter is our great victory celebration!  God has overcome death. God is more powerful than sin - which is anything that separates us from God or from one another.

  
  

  On this Easter morning, my friends, we celebrate nothing less than the greatest event in the history of the world. For Easter is that moment on which all Christian faith rests. 

  
  

  It’s nothing less than the victory of God raising Jesus from the dead - an end to the hold of sin - an end to eternal death.

  
  

  God’s Son died for us on Good Friday - at the hands of a few cruel soldiers and a few leaders of His own people - who represent all of us who sin - all of us who need to be saved. 

  
  

  But He who died has been raised up, body and soul, to everlasting glory.

  
  

  The empty tomb is the promise to us all that we can be raised up to eternal life.

  
  

  For those who know the power of the risen Lord, sin and death have lost their power.  

  
  

  What fear can there be when we’re promised that we can live with Jesus for all time?

  
  

  The risen Lord has now gone ahead of the disciples and us.  

  
  

  All we must do is listen to his word, live as he asks, and love like him.

  
  

  Happy Easter!

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  • Homily for Easter Sunday