"And the angel said to them,
Do not be amazed; you seek
Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.
He has risen, he is not here;
see the place where they laid him"
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
When the creator of the Universe, the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth walked on this earth and lived a truly human life, he taught us many things. He taught us what was necessary for our salvation. In that he was single-minded and "focused." "I have not come to do my will, but the will of the One who sent me," he said. Again he said, "I teach you everything I have learnt from my Father".
How was this message, this teaching, received? People's responses were varied, to say the least. Jesus described
them in his magnificent parable of the sower and the seed. He used the metaphor of the seed to image the Word of God. Jesus said that when the Word is
"sown" in some people, Satan comes and takes it away before it has a chance to sprout and take root. He is urging us to be on our guard against the Evil
one. Take note of your heart's desire, seek out what is good and true.
In others the Word, God's message, is choked by the cares and worries of life. Life's distractions keep it from bearing any fruit. There are also those who at first hear the beautiful message of the Gospel and receive it with great joy and enthusiasm. But their staying power is not there. As soon as they meet an obstacle or difficulty, they give up. The Word of God struggles in them. Being a follower of Christ is often hard. They want the gift of the Gospel, but they want it on their terms.
Finally there are those who hear the Gospel and allow it to penetrate deeply into the "soil" of their heart. When trials come they persevere because they trust in the help of Jesus. They believe in the ultimate truth of God's loving care for them, even in the midst of suffering. They can hand over their burdens to Jesus. They believe in the words of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, when she told the stewards at the wedding feast of Cana, "Do whatever he tells you".
I often ask myself, "Which of these responses best describes my answer to Jesus?"
When Jesus looked around at those who followed him through the hills of Galilee and in the streets of Jerusalem he asked, "When the Son of Man returns, will he find any faith on earth?"
All these years later nothing has changed. Jesus is still with us in our towns and homesteads on the vast plains of this Diocese and throughout the world. His message is still vibrant and strong and demanding; even confronting at times. His words are the yardstick by which all other claims are measured, by which all other opinions are judged true or false. He is our only hope, our only salvation, our only promise of a life, beyond the grave, which will never end.
The guarantee of all of this is the fact that in his human body Jesus rose from the dead! Nothing, no power in heaven or on earth, no mere human thinking, no rationalisation, no catastrophe, no sin, no sickness of body or mind, not even death can change the timeless reality of Christ's suffering, death on the Cross and his Resurrection. We have been baptised into this reality that affects the entire Universe. Rejoice in your faith, be thankful for it and allow it to direct your every action. I wish you abundant blessings and a happy Easter.
+Most Reverend Christopher Toohey
Bishop of Wilcannia-Forbes