Easter Sunday 2009
Panginon, Buhayin Mo Kaming Muli
by Frank D. B. Savadera, SJ
WOMEN figure prominently in the life of Jesus, most
evidently so in the resurrection scene. I
wonder, how these women apostles took the death of their Lord and Master. I
think we have been all too familiar with images of women and widows wailing, crying their hearts out and even with bodies getting stiff
like rock during the burial of their deceased husbands.
At the same burial rites, some would even wish to jump into the burial pit so
they can … literally join their lost loved one.
One recent experience of someone dying caught my attention:
In the apostolate area where I go to every Sunday, the
18 year old son of our chapel lay minister died.
It was a freak accident. The son
took his motorcycle to buy something at the local store. He wasn’t wearing his
helmet. He fell off the bike and died
immediately. The family was naturally
devastated. For a poor family, the son
was for them a source of hope. The father had a lot of dreams for his son. And at a single instance, those hopes and
dreams simply vanished with the son’s death.
What caught my attention was the father’s response at the height of the
family’s grief. While at the hospital
and seeing the remains of his life-less son, the father – our chapel lay minister – was wailing and saying aloud: PANGINOON,
BUHAYIN MO
I said I was struck by such a response because of two
things. One,
right there and then, in front of me, I came face to face with HUMAN
GRIEF … and a real SENSE OF LOSS. It
reminded me of my own personal experiences of GRIEF and having lost some
valuable things/ persons in my life. I’m
sure you’ve had your own share of GRIEF and LOSS. You may
perhaps want to remember how those experiences felt? GRIEF and LOSS? These experiences are not too unfamiliar
to us, right?
Secondly, I was just struck by how our lay minister asked and begged for a MIRACLE.
“Panginoon, buhayin mo siya! Panginoon, buhayin mo siya,” he
said. Perhaps years of studying theology had made
me a bit skeptical and had thought of MIRACLES as simply those that find
reality only in biblical narratives. But a MIRACLE? … raising the dead to life? …
in real life? … in our contemporary time?
Is that possible? Our lay
minister’s son was not raised from the dead … at least not the way he wanted to
… but what struck me was the way he asked and begged God for a miracle. I’ve realized that I have not asked for a
miracle for a very long time now. I’ve
realized that I will have to truly believe and have faith in God to fully rely
on a miracle. Here I am, a newly
ordained priest asking myself how strong really is my faith enough to fully
rely on God.
Friends, today during this most joyous occasion of
EASTER, it seems unlikely to dwell and
ponder on topics on death and doubts about our faith. But then, we realize also that our
celebration today didn’t come easy. We
celebrate today because a GREAT PRICE was paid … a GREAT PROMISE was made: US … who share in the suffering and death of
our Lord, share as well in his resurrection.
The Gospel today provides us a picture of the Lord’s
most loyal women disciples -- Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James and
Salome. The women, I would like to
believe were themselves witnesses to the many MIRACLES performed by the
Lord. They must have been truly good
friends of the Jesus, intimate with and
dear to Him. They too may have suffered
greatly, witnessing the Lord’s most violent death. They too may have sorely
GRIEVED the passing of their Master. He
who has been their source of hope is now dead.
But they heard as well Jesus’ promise that on the 3rd day he
shall rise again. They grieve yet held
strongly onto the Lord’s promise. And
the angel assured them: If you seek Jesus the crucified … then do not be
afraid. Here, an important Easter
message is being expressed: amidst all
the experiences which ail and pain us; those that cause us severe grief and a
sense of lost -- we may well derive
comfort from the word of an angel -- If
you are looking, longing for Jesus amidst all these, then you need not be
afraid. Tonight, we lit the PASCHAL CANDLE – that represents Jesus, the light
that burns amidst our experiences of darkness.
Seek Him always and never be afraid.
The Gospel also tells us that the SABBATH – the time
of REST and INACTIVITY-- IS OVER. Life,
labor and enterprise begin to resume.
Thus, we note the women trooping to the tomb intending to indulge in something
productive – anointing the body of the Lord or even thinking of rolling the huge
grave stone. These activities would have
been disallowed during the Sabbath. But
as the Gospel tells us: the SABBATH is over.
Already … we have a notion of something FRESH and NEW that is about to
take place … in which all of us must actively participate. Easter reminds of BEING UNITED WITH THE LORD
IN GALILEE. Go to Galilee
and there you will see him. We go to the
place where Jesus performed many of his miracles. The TOMB is already EMPTY and now we are
asked: Go to the place where Jesus touched the lives of a countless number of
people. Go and remember his miracles …
and more, Go and there … we will once again meet him. His work resumes. Easter invites us to continue to indulge and
immerse ourselves in the workplaces of the Lord, perform his work with him
and meet him where he goes. The Sabbath
is over. Easter renews in us the call to
spend life laboring in the Lord’s vineyard.
The Gospel also tells us: LET OTHERS KNOW AND THEY
WILL SEE. Easter and the resurrection
story is not merely for the apostles. The
gift of Easter had already been shared with us.
The good news had been proclaimed:
THE LORD IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED.
We may as well listen to the disciple walking to Emmaus asking us: Are
you the only one who does not know of the things that have taken place? The angel tells the women in the tomb: Go and tell Simon Peter and the other
disciples. And we are asked to tell
others as well how the Lord REMAINS ALIVE in the lives that we live. Is he alive really in my life? In your LIFE?
Sometimes we’re just too embarrassed to talk about our faith …. what we
believe in. Easter reminds us of our
duty to let others know that Jesus is truly alive in our hearts. Let them know and they will see.
To end, I just would like to go back to the story of
our chapel lay minister. In front of his
life-less son, he blurts out: Panginoon, buhayin mo siya! His prayer may likewise be our prayer for
ourselves this Easter Season: PANGINOON buhayin mo akong muli. Panginoon, buhayin mo kaming muli. Give us new life. Give us new energy. Bring more life and spirit into our family
and community life. Show us the way to
our own resurrection. Lord raise us up
from our experiences of death, fear and darkness. Reveal to us the LIFE that you intend us to
live. Help us meet you in the work and miracles that you continue to perform in
our lives. Make us your instruments so
that others may learn more about you.
We celebrate Easter precisely because of knowing that
even as we sit or stand in our places today,
the Lord already fulfills His promise: we who share in the suffering and
death of the Son will share as well in his resurrection; Yes … we have been promised LIFE and to live
that life in abundance. Panginoon, SALAMAT at binubuhay mo kaming
muli. And for this, we truly have every
reason to celebrate and be joyful this Easter season. Amen.
