For us, this is the third Sunday of Easter, but in the Gospel, the setting is still the first Easter evening. We find two disciples recounting what had taken place and how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of bread. They had encountered the risen Jesus while walking home to Emmaus. They then hurried back seven miles to Jerusalem to share with the other disciples what had happened to them.
As they were speaking, so we are told, Jesus stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Initially, they were all startled and thought they were seeing a ghost. Who could blame them, in spite of what they had just heard? Wouldn’t you think the same if Jesus appeared here in our midst? They were seeing something no one had ever seen before. This wasn’t anything like what they had seen when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.
And if he did stand here, most likely he would ask us the same questions. “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts?” Understandably, their hearts were troubled. Their dream of the messianic kingdom they had perceived during the three years they journeyed with Jesus was now shattered. They were hiding for fear that what happened to Jesus would happen to them. In short, nothing made sense on thzt first Easter, so quite likely, they had many unanswered questions.
Then, like any patient teacher, Jesus once again explained his mission and theirs, putting the pieces together. Luke summarized it by telling his readers that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
The disciples finally got the message as to what manner of kingdom Jesus had been speaking of all along. Not a kingdom to replace the earthly Romans, but a kingdom to make God’s will and love known to others. They heard and responded as we learned in the passage from Acts where we find Peter urging the crowd that had demanded the execution of Jesus to repent and be converted, so that their sins could be wiped away.
Years later, John pleads for his readers to sin no more. He adds that if we do sin, we have an advocate with God, Jesus Christ, the righteous one. John tells us the way to know Jesus is to keep his commandments. “Whoever keeps his word, the love of God is perfected in him.”
Two thousand years later, we are here, serving as witnesses to what Jesus proclaimed to his disciples on that first Easter. Now you might not think of yourself as a witness in that you aren’t inclined to follow the example of the apostles and literally preach a message of repentance to others, yet each time you celebrate the art of forgiveness, that is what you are doing.
History is full of examples of people who have used their own talents and gifts to preach Jesus’ message of repentance. Did you, for example, ever see Steven Speilberg’s haunting film, Schindler’s List? Oskar Schindler, a German war profiteer and black market dealer, devised a scheme to ransom his Jewish workers who had turned his enamel ware factory in Krakow into a gold mine. He then spent his fortune buying the freedom of some 1100 Jews, sparing them from the gas chambers.
When the war ended, his Jews were finally free. They became models of selfless forgiveness. In one unforgettable scene, they literally scrape the gold from one man’s fillings to make a ring for Schindler. Inside the ring were inscribed the words, “Whoever saves one life, saves the world.”
The kingdom of God is about saving the world, one life at a time, each in our own way. With our own deeds and words, we can bring the peace of Christ to others and save the world.
You do this by working with others, by belonging to a church that has as its mission making God’s kingdom real in our world. Our church, from the parish level on up, does countless things from giving comfort to the sick, help to the poor, aid to the homeless, and assisting those seeking to serve the Church in ordained ministry are a few examples of what our Church does.
Next weekend, for example, you will have the opportunity to listen to Larry Jesmer preach his first homily as a newly ordained deacon, a reality that was made possible in part because people like you funded the annual Catholic appeal in the past. Altogether, the annual appeal funds 63 different ministries and programs of the archdiocese through the generous support of parishioners like you through out Western Washington. We are able to carry out the principles of our Catholic mission of preaching, teaching and serving because of your kind response. This appeal provides every Catholic an opportunity to give that helping hand which figuratively and literally saves lives.
Nobody is being asked to give beyond their means, yet if every one gives, our parish goal of $41,266 can be readily met. One reason for the increase over last year’s goal is the need to replenish the priests’ retirement fund.
I encourage you to join me and many other fellow Catholics in supporting the appeal this year. Prayerfully consider in the coming week what you can pledge. Please consider making a gift of a $1 a day, that is, $365, which is less than a latte a day, an affordable gift when paid over a period of time. On behalf of the many who will be touched by your caring and sharing, thank you! I look forward to hearing from every one in the parish.
With our words and deeds, we can make a difference in the lives of others. Like Oskar, we can save the world by saving one life.