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The 2024 Easter Vigil Homily3/30/2024 Repair aWorld That Has a Broken Heart
St. Vincent de Paul Church, Albany, NY According to recent surveys there is a growing number of people in this country who describe themselves as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” when asked about their religious affiliation. They gather in non-religious places where there are no pulpits or altars. Formal liturgies are rare. They say they believe in God, that they are spiritual persons, that they are charitable, but they are just not religious. Our gathering this evening is a marvelous counterpoint to the survey results that claim many organized religions are in trouble. Yes. There is a general decline in church and synagogue attendance in many parts of the world but the good news is this: We are here! Our liturgies are as much about us as they are about our ancestors. In this holy night we started a new fire, to celebrate the radiance of the risen Christ. We are entrusted to keep the light of Christ shining. We gather in this holy place to hear biblical stories about where we’ve come from and to plot where we might be going. These narratives are about us; and our future, which is in our hands. We splash ourselves with baptismal water to recommit ourselves to the peace agreement established between our ancestors and God, a covenant affirmed by Jesus of Nazareth. We promise also to be true to one another in our common priesthood. We share spiritual food and drink to nourish ourselves on the sacrament of Christ’s sacrifice. We are desirous to end food insecurity and other social injustices as part of our commitment to act with loving kindness. We want to invite everyone to feast at the supper of the Lamb. And we take delight in being here with our Elect — Catherine, Alexander, and Dylan — who by their faith are answering the call from God to join this Christian community. We initiate them in the refreshing waters of baptism, with a fragrant stream of chrism, and the rich taste of bread and wine from heaven. It is also our privilege to witness Stella and José as they take yet another step in their spiritual journeys guided by a Holy Spirit. Together we share the hope that our faith and good works can raise up to a new life those people who live in despair and with tired bones. Our story of salvation is a long journey marked by sinful deeds and acts of reconciliation. The origin of our history is recorded in Genesis a retelling of more ancients tales of creation. In her just released novel on the Book of Genesis, Marilynne Robinson writes that the text we heard tonight is about “the nature of creation and the spirit in which it was made; the nature of humankind … and in what spirit the creator God enters into a relation with human creatures.” (p. 24) We then heard segments from other biblical texts that summarize the joys and sorrows in the associations between a demanding but just God and a recalcitrant tribe of nomads searching for peace and justice. It is a story of failure and success, trust and doubt, wisdom and ignorance, loyalty and infidelity, war and peace, patience and impatience, victory and defeat, the very stuff of life and death we ourselves know all too well. The three women found the tomb empty but their hearts were filled with joy as they raced to share the good news with others. We are called to share the good news with those who have not yet heard the word of God. The knot that ties these strands of biblical intrigue together is the faithfulness of a God who never gave up on the human protagonists created by God for a particular purpose. The intention God has for humanity, for you and me, is for us to figure out for ourselves how to repair the world by developing honest and just alliances with one another, between cultures, nationalities, races, genders, and class systems. That brings us to tonight when we celebrate the bright light of Christ and the Christian water bath, the charisms of a holy Spirit and the sustenance of eucharistic blessings. In the Easter season we re-identify with the Christ who was raised from the dead. We are strengthened in our beliefs and our efforts to overcome needless suffering and death in the world. As the surveys suggest there may be many believers who are no longer fed by traditional rituals and ancients words of wisdom. But for tonight you and I remember these biblical stories. They prompt us to maintain healthy relationships with God and one another. These narratives matter in our period of history that calls you and me to repair a world that has a broken heart.
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