HOMILY EASTER SEASON WEEK 03 04 – Year I
Believe, Rejoice and Witness
(Acts 8:26-40; Ps 66; Jn 6:44-51)
***********************************************
A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump. “Reverend,” said the young man, “I’m so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip.” The minister chuckled, “I know what you mean. It’s the same in my business.”
The readings today urge us not to wait, but to believe, rejoice and witness, now.
The first reading from Acts gives us a glimpse into the eagerness of the Spirit-filled early church to spread their faith in the resurrection of Jesus to anyone and everyone. Prompted by an angel of the Lord, Philip ends up explaining one of the suffering servant passages of Isaiah to of all people, an Ethiopian eunuch serving the Ethiopian royalty.
The eunuch was struggling to understand that passage, and asked Philip a question that all the Jewish leadership should have asked, and even been able to answer: whom does that passage refer to? It is rather amazing that they missed it, given how vividly and accurately this passage (Isaiah 53:7-8) and other passages such as Psalm 22, describe the sufferings of Jesus during his passion.
Once Philip, starting with that passage, proclaims the good news of Jesus to him, the eunuch makes a beautiful act of faith reminiscent of that of Peter, Martha and Thomas in the gospels: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” How striking that this pagan foreigner could get it, and come to faith in Jesus, when the Jewish leadership, with all their knowledge of the scriptures, could not and would not.
Psalm 66 provides us with the best response to this belief in the good news of Jesus Christ risen from the dead to new life – joy pure and simple: “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy – alleluia!” that is now our song.
In the Gospel, Jesus builds on the miraculous feeding of the multitude with a few loaves and fish, teaching what the eunuch came to believe so quickly – he is the Son of God, one with the Father, who has seen the Father, and is from the Father. On top of that, Jesus proclaims that he is the Bread of Life, the source of eternal life that alone can truly satisfy the deepest spiritual hunger and yearning of the human heart. In doing so, Jesus uses the Greek “ego eimi” (“I am”, “I exist” – the first person present tense of the verb “to be” in ancient Greek) that God used to answer Moses’ question: “Who are you?” From the burning bush on the mountain, God answered, “I Am who Am.’” God is basically Being, “Is-ness” itself – the source of all being, and Jesus directly identifies with God by using the same terminology for himself.
The late Serge LeClerc was a motivational speaker who was born of a single parent deemed unfit to raise a child. Placed in foster homes and boarding schools, he rebelled, became a gang leader, and ended up in jail as a convict. There he had a conversion experience, came to believe in Jesus and God’s love for him experienced through forgiveness, and once released tried to help others not follow the same path he chose. During his talk at a convention, he mentioned the word “Identity” numerous times, almost like a mantra. He was always seeking and searching for some identity – some sense of who he was. Finally, he found his true identity as a son of God and follower of Jesus Christ risen from the dead.
The readings boldly proclaim the identity of Jesus as the Son of God and the Bread of Life. Our identity is also established by our baptism into his Body, the Church, and our belief in him. Our best response is to believe, to rejoice, and to witness – to rejoice with great joy and to be willing and eager to like Philip, share that good news with all we meet.
The Eucharist is our encounter with the Risen Lord on the road of life. May it strengthen our faith in him and his resurrection from the dead, grant us his Spirit as it did the early church, fill us with joy and rejoicing, and empower us to like Philip, spread this great good news to all we meet.
