HOMILY EASTER 2026
JESUS IS RISEN! LIFE AND LIGHT FOLLOW DEATH AND DARKNESS
Mt 28.1-10 AA 10.34,37-43 Rom 6.3-11
(Rhyme Bible: “Jesus Is Alive” Jn 20, Mt 18)
The late Canadian soulful Leonard Cohen has a classic song, titled ‘Anthem’, in which “the lyrics convey themes of hope, resilience and the beauty found in imperfection. The song suggests that despite the darkness and struggles in life, light comes through the cracks, symbolizing that flaws and brokenness can lead to beauty and redemption.” It can be interpreted as a wakeup call to realize our imperfections are a natural part of the human experience, and also ways where beauty and light come into our world, serving as “a reminder of the enduring human spirit amidst adversity.”
To me, this provides a connection with the spirit of Easter, where faith inspires hope, offering reassurance and stability, despite our moments of darkness and doubt.
The birds they sang At the break of day Start again I heard them say
Don’t dwell on what has passed away Or what is yet to be
Ah, the wars they will be fought again The holy dove, she will be caught again
Bought and sold, and bought again The dove is never free
Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in.
On Good Friday, I quoted author Adrian Rosenfeldt, who further states: “Life is difficult and obscure, marked by mystery and suffering… (We need) to acknowledge that the tragic and uncontrollable nature of our existence is not an error in the system, but an enduring formative feature of human life.”
And for us, at Easter, there’s always the symbolism of the single grain of wheat having to break open to produce the harvest, reflecting Jesus’ death before his Resurrection, as in Bernadette Farrell’s hymn: “Unless a grain of wheat shall fall upon the ground and die, it remains but a single grain with no life…”. The harvest comes from the breaking open, with new life bursting forth to produce the good fruit.
(Professor Google, with AI tells us: “‘Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies’ (Jn 12.24) is a metaphor meaning that true productivity, growth and multiplication require sacrifice, ego death and the surrender of one’s current, comfortable form. It teaches that ‘dying to self’ brings greater spiritual impact and new life.”)
It is true we don’t always live in the light of Easter, given the ups and downs, twists and turns of day to day life, but the Easter message is one of joy and hope, which gives those of faith, an insight into the meaning of life, as we do our best to deal with our flaws and the unpredictable nature of life in general.
The fearful apostles, on Holy Thursday night, depart from the Last Supper, moving into the ominous darkness and injustice of Good Friday, now reappear in Galilee, where the faithful women bring the good news that all is not lost, and that Jesus is truly risen, just as he had foretold.
Each of the evangelists has a different perspective on the post-Resurrection events of Easter. Mark’s account “ends in darkness and uncertainty. Jesus dies abandoned. The women who find the empty tomb flee in fear and say nothing to anyone. There is no resolution, there is no retribution. The Roman Empire and the religious leaders who condemned Jesus to death carry on with their lives. Justice is not served.”
As scripture scholar Raymond Brown SS suggests: “Even a proclamation of the resurrection does not produce faith without the hearer’s personal encounter with suffering and carrying the cross.”
A later additional ending to Mark’s Gospel softens the blow, with appearances to Mary Magdalene, who tells Jesus’ unbelieving disciples, with Jesus finally appearing to the Eleven, rebuking them for disbelief, but then affirming them, sending them out there into the whole world to proclaim his Gospel, his enduring presence accompanying them and working with them.
There is less doubt, fear and hesitation in Matthew’s version, which we’ve just heard, with the faithful women from the foot of the Cross on Good Friday, now moving from grief, uncertainty and awe, to great joy, as they run to tell the disciples, encountering the Risen Jesus on the way. It is the faithful women who become ‘apostles to the apostles’, as they are the first to experience the reality of the Resurrection, and so the ongoing presence of Jesus in their lives, and so ours.
Brendan Byrne SJ emphasises the fundamental truth of faith: “This revelation that the very being of God is love, is the “truth” which Jesus is striving to reveal throughout the Gospel. People who are prepared to embrace this truth and allow it to irradiate and judge their lives “come to the truth” or “come to the light”. Those, on the contrary, who find repugnant or threatening, the idea that love, rather than power-seeking and domination, is behind all creation, do not come to the truth (3:17-21).
And now just a word on the secular side of Easter:
While the early Christians were sneaky, but smart and strategic, in the way they took over the pagan festival at full moon, replacing the Goddess of Fertility, Oestre, with the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection, the fertility elements remained with the symbolism of the eggs for new life, evolving in many different cultures over the centuries.
It came to my mind, for the first time, the strange combination of the Easter Bunny (apparently from German Lutheran folklore!), bringing the eggs, where, when you think about it, rabbits don’t lay eggs; chooks do! So where did that come from? Maybe, the renowned fertility of rabbits (Australia’s curse!!)? As for the festival of chocolate (which helped lay waste to my teeth over the years!!), was that from the marketers of chocolate or what?? Whatever the case, it has certainly paid off, hasn’t it? The same goes for hot cross buns for Good Friday, on sale since Christmas!
Finally, a story for Easter, “Rain Before Rainbows” (by Smriti Halls illustrated by David Litchfield). (The introduction even quotes Psalm 30.5 – ‘Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning’!)
A story of hope and promise, light and life, emerging from darkness and doubt, which fits well with our Easter celebration of faith.
So, as people of Gospel truth, in humble service, we continue to proclaim and live the Good News in our lives, celebrating Easter and spreading the faith, hope, love and joy that Easter brings.