Homily: Monday of the 2nd Week of Easter - "Born again"

Last week, throughout the Easter Octave, we read from each of the four Gospel writers, their accounts of Jesus' resurrection, and Jesus' post-resurrection appearances to his disciples.

For the rest of the Easter Season, we will be reading from the Gospel of John—the discussion with Nicodemus this week from chapter 3, and onto chapter 6—the miracle of the multiplication and the great Bread of Life discourse next week.

The Gospel of John was the last of the Gospels to be written, nearly 60 years after Jesus' death and resurrection. By then, some of the apostles had already been martyred—including St. Peter and St. Paul.

The fourth Gospel is notably different in tone from the other three. It's sometimes said that where Matthew, Mark, and Luke reveal the flesh and bones of Jesus, St. John reveals His Spirit. Writing a whole generation after St. Mark, It often seems that St. John is writing his Gospel for people already familiar with the other Gospels. Even for those who are already baptized. Notice how we read through John's Gospel primarily after Easter, after Baptisms are celebrated.

So when we read the account of Jesus' discourse with Nicodemus about being born again by water and Spirit, we who are already familiar with the life of Grace, immediately make the connection with our practice of baptism. No matter what early Church life looked like, we know that baptism marked the beginning of belief in Jesus Christ. Remember last Tuesday we read the account from the Book of Acts, after emerging from the darkness of the upper room, Peter gave such a stirring sermon that 3000 people were baptized.

Later this evening, I will meet with the newly baptized for the first time since the Easter Vigil. We'll engage in a practice that goes back to the early Church called “mystagogy.” Mystagogy means “interpretation of the mystery”. In mystagogy we reflect upon, we unpack, we interpret the sacred mysteries that they celebrated at Easter, in order to come to a deeper understanding of what their new Christian life entails. Particularly, we'll talk about what symbols or rituals from the Easter Vigil struck them or resonated with them.

Easter marks the beginning of Christian life for the neophytes, but as we veteran Catholics continue through this Easter season, all of us are meant to be renewed in the Spirit. We do well to engage in a little mystagogy ourselves throughout easter. You may ask yourself, or have a conversation with another veteran Catholic, what signs, symbols, and rituals continue to resonate with you? Or simply reflect upon How has being a Christian and a disciple of Jesus changed your life? How has the faith made a difference? How have the grace of the Sacraments strengthened you? How is the Spirit leading you now to more faithfully or courageously live out the promises of your baptism?

May that same Holy Spirit continue to lead us along the paths of Christ to deeper faith, hope, and love in God's service for the Glory of God and salvation of souls.