Homily: Easter Tuesday 2016 - Believing is seeing

Throughout John’s Gospel, there are many reactions to Jesus’ words and works.  Some hear his words and believe in him because of his authority, some find his words too challenging and walk away, some conspire to kill him. But really, there are only two reactions to Jesus: belief and unbelief. 

And in John’s Gospel, belief isn’t something you have, believing is something you do, you choose to do.  Believing in Jesus means entrusting yourself to Him, knowing him, receiving him, coming to him, abiding with him, and remaining with him.

And Jesus even teaches the implications for believing: if you believe, you will have peace, he says, you will become children of God, you will not perish, you will not be condemned, you will know the Father, you will never be hungry, you will see the glory of God and be children of light, you will come to do the works that Jesus does and even greater works, and you will have life in his name.

Even after his resurrection, in John’s Gospel, there is this interplay between belief and unbelief.  This weekend we will hear how Thomas claims that you will not believe without seeing.  But Jesus shows that he has it backwards, you will not see, unless you believe.

This morning, we hear how Mary, because of her weeping, because of her grief did not recognize Jesus.  She saw, but did not know him.

Many modern atheists make the claim that they would believe in Jesus if he but appeared to them.  But that’s not how it works does it? We must believe in order to see.  But when we make that choice, when we entrust ourselves to Him, that makes all the difference doesn’t it.  When we choose to believe, we are able to detect his voice in the reading of scripture, we are able to see his presence in the service of the needy, we are able to experience his saving grace in the sacraments, especially knowing his real presence in the Blessed Sacrament, the Eucharist.

After finally recognizing Jesus in the Gospel this morning, Jesus tells Mary to go and tell the disciples about Jesus’ resurrection.  Perhaps one of the greatest ways to strengthen our faith is to spread the faith.  Helping others open their eyes to Jesus’ opens our own eyes even further. 

As Jesus called Mary by name to spread his Gospel, if you listen to his voice, you can hear him calling your own name: Go and tell others, that you have seen the Risen Lord. They may look at you like you are insane, but they might listen attentively, because God has been preparing them to receive the message.

May each of us be strengthened in faith by sharing the faith, and lead those in unbelief, to the new life of faith through the Risen Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.