My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

As we approach Easter, the most sacred day in the whole Christian year, we gather together to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. His physical Resurrection – nothing less. The Jesus who died on Good Friday rises from the dead on Easter Sunday – plain and simple. It was real and corporal; a bodily resurrection, not just a spiritual resurrection.

On March 4, the Discovery Channel broadcast a so-called documentary entitled, “The Lost Tomb of Jesus.” One Catholic newspaper, The National Catholic Register, called it a “Titanic hoax” since its producer is James Cameron, the famous director of the movie “Titanic.” The film “Titanic” was a concocted love story of a rich girl meeting a poor boy on the fateful voyage of the Titanic. Rose and Jack were played well by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. The fantasy of the film depicting the voyage of the Titanic, however, should not lull us into believing that the “so-called” discovery of James Cameron should be believed any more than the dramatization of the sinking of the ship.

The documentary tells the story of an ossuary, or an empty box, which was discovered in 1980 and once contained bones. What is interesting is that the names on the family tomb discovered were names common to the first century; namely, Joseph, Mary, Jesus, and even a name Mary with a surname that vaguely resembled Magdalene. The conclusions of the Discovery Channel were left vague. I, myself, saw the documentary. But anyone with any background in biblical archaeology and Scripture would know that the conclusions made were hardly worthwhile and trustworthy. Even the DNA testing found that three of the four were related and one was not, which brought the conclusion that it was Mary Magdalene, the so-called wife of Jesus that was made popular by “The Da Vinci Code” hoax.

We come to celebrate not a hoax, a myth or some purely spiritual remembrance, but rather the Resurrection of Jesus. Today we come, as Mary Magdalene did on the first Easter, and stand before an empty tomb. The Gospel tells us that Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning and saw the stone removed from the tomb. The wide-open empty tomb became the focus of first her disbelief, and then her belief. Again, today the culture of disbelief in which we live finds many occasions to test our faith in the Resurrection.

What do we believe about the Resurrection? Can a real resurrection of faith break through the tombs that encompass our world and our lives at times? We are surrounded by the symbol of death and dying and this overwhelming culture of death in today’s world.

War, violence, abortion, abuse of all kinds, all mirror the picture of death. But we are people of life, even eternal life. How do we show the world our belief?

We must first affirm our Easter faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is our point of departure for a life of faith and witness.

What are we to believe? Or rather what should we not believe as some would have us believe? First, some say Jesus did not really die. It only looked like He died. They cannot, however, explain the centurion’s spear thrust in Jesus’ heart to make sure He was dead on the cross. Second, some say the Resurrection was a resuscitation. Jesus resumed his life after apparent death – like Lazarus or the widow of Naim’s son whom Jesus resurrected.

No, Jesus did not resume His former life. He entered into a new form of existence. He walked through a closed door, He appears in various places, He eats with His disciples – He lived a real life but a different life. He lived beyond space and time as we know it.

Our contemporary faith in the resurrection aids in our belief in life after death. Jesus is the first-born of the dead – the first to rise.

No one can escape the preoccupation with death in our society. Unfortunately, we see too many young people today committing suicide because they are worried about situations with which they cannot cope. Death becomes the escape for them, as it does for those who wish to end their own lives to escape the suffering that comes with certain illnesses. The question remains, however, regarding our own understanding of death and immortality. The question of immortality is precisely a belief that humankind is more than a human body. It is grounded in the conviction that human life is not reducible to nature or to what appears to be under the domain of death.

What are the ways in which our world seeks immortality today?

1) Some seek it in the biological sense; living on in another, continuity in the species; by having a child carry on the name; communion with the ancestors or progeny.

2) Some seek it in achievements; creativity, notoriety in passing something on; in making a name for oneself.

3) Others seek it in nature or in a relationship to the cosmos which is a way to immortalize oneself.

4) Some seek immortality in experiences of transcendence or physical experiences.

5) Even some through theological reflection, but the Jesus story is more important than some attempt to find immortality.

We stand today before the Easter mystery – before life and death. The Resurrection of Jesus re-affirms our own possibility of immortality. Before the mystery of the Resurrection we do put out into the deep waters of faith. Easter is a day to reaffirm our faith.

Alleluia, Christ is risen.