Rev. Fr. (Dr.) Osmond Anike

Readings:

First Reading: Acts 10:34, 37-43 – We have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection.

Responsorial Psalm: Palm 117(118):1-2, 16-17, 22-23 – This day was made by the Lord: we rejoice and are glad.

Second Reading: : Colossians 3:1-4 – Look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is.

Gospel: John 20:1-9 – He must rise from the dead.

The resurrection of Jesus is the basis of our Christian faith. Without the resurrection, all our hope and belief would have been in vain. It is because Jesus lives that we are. Over the centuries, this belief in the resurrection has sustained the church in the face of various tribulations. In our present age, the church (particularly in the West) is becoming more and more empty. Many people no longer identify themselves as Christians or believers. Christianity, in other words, is no longer fashionable as it used to be. And the current coronavirus crisis has helped to empty the few remaining churches where people still go to practice their faith. Many reasons have been put forward as to why churches are empty nowadays. A lot of people point to the scandals that have rocked the church’s hierarchy like the various sexual scandals that the church is still battling with. Others point to the fact that the church has refused to modernize (whatever they mean by that) in the face of the rapidly changing world. Still others suggest that the entire structure of the church should be dismantled and a new form of Christianity be constructed in order to adequately address contemporary issues like the so-called gay marriage. There are countless other proposals as to why churches are empty nowadays as well as suggested measures to take to address the issue. But perhaps we can use the reactions of three biblical personages to the “empty tomb” in the gospel of today to analyze not only the responses of today’s Christians to the “empty Churches” but also their attitude towards Christianity in general.

The first personage is Mary Magdalene. The gospel of John says that she went to the tomb when it was still dark, saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb, and concluded without proper investigation that, “the Lord had been taken away”. She represents the group in the Church that can be described as “armchair explorers” – those who make judgements concerning the church from afar. They tell you what is happening inside the grave; how the body has been taken away, etc. for the simple reason that the stone has been removed. They never border to cross-check their assumptions. For people belonging to this group, Churches are empty because, inside them are thieves, robbers, pedophiles, heinous criminals and horrible sinners whose only interest is to plunder and squander. They float all sorts of conspiracy theories and constitute themselves into Public Relations Officers of the Church to spread such theories. Meanwhile, they never ventured to enter the Church and find out for themselves what is happening. Like Mary Magdalene, they base their theories about the “crime” committed solely on the supposition that once the stone had been moved away, therefore somebody must have stolen the body of Jesus. In other words, once churches are empty and people no longer frequent them as they did before, then it must be because thieves and sinners and all sorts of evil people have taken over the church.

The second personage is John; and he represents that group of Christians who, at first, are very enthusiastic about Christianity. They are fast runners; active in the church. But there is one thing they lack: they don’t have the courage to enter inside the grave. Although they can arrive at the “door” of the church relatively faster, they only peep through; they don’t enter inside. This group is a little bit better that the Magdalene group because, at least, they were able to peep in and see something. The Magdalene group saw from afar when “it was still dark”. They didn’t look inside at all. But the Johannine group looked from a closer range. Be that as it may, the courage to enter and verify was completely lacking. Therefore, their testimony wouldn’t be correct and accurate. In my opinion, this group is even more dangerous and destructive of the church. The reason is simple: half information is dangerous, just like half education. They possess some truth, but not the entire truth. When they feed you with their half information, you become more confused. In my estimation, this group commands more followership than any other group; and this is problematic for the church.

The third personage is Peter. He represents the slow and steady group. It is said that slow and steady wins the race. This group is fewer in number, and they don’t normally make a fuss. They know where they are going; they know their target; and they quietly reach their goal. They are the people who have the courage to enter into the tomb. When there are tribulations in the church, they are the group that normally remain when the rest desert. Because they are typically not in the forefront, they are easily ignored and go unnoticed. But eventually, they are the only group who are ready to suffer and to take risks for the church. It is their perseverance that eventually draws others back who are already on their way fleeing. Had Peter not taken the risk to enter the tomb, John wouldn’t have entered as well. He would have ended up coming right at the entrance without ever venturing inside.

Brethren, “to be Christian” means to have the courage to enter the grave.  Jesus’ grave was empty, not because “they have taken him away” but because he has resurrected; he is alive. If you don’t have the courage to enter the grave, you might go home with a wrong conclusion regarding the empty grave. In the same way, people should stop making judgment concerning the happenings in the church from the Magdalenian or Johannine standpoint. These standpoints, as we have seen, are defective. It is only the Petrine standpoint that is authentic, not necessarily because it was Peter but because it was more factual than the previous two. Western society has evolved over the years. It will amount to throwing this advancement into the dustbin if one expects the church of 21^st century to replicate the church of the 18^th century in term of attendance to the church’s activities. The society of the 18^th century is not the same as that of the 21^st century. Churches might be empty; but not necessarily because the church is dead.  By the way, filled-up churches do not necessarily mean more faith. Faith is what is needed in the world much more than numbers.

May the resurrected and living Lord grant us all the courage to enter the grave and see that it is empty not because of any theft but because He is Risen! And may we strive to be the ones who will persevere and remain steadfast like Peter when the rest desert only to wait for another “Hosanna” period before they come back to struggle and demand for positions of authority! Anybody can claim to be a “Christian” when the going is smooth and good. It is what happens when the going becomes tough that counts. Happy Easter to you all!