Fifth Sunday of Easter - April 24, 2016

Homily for April 24, 2016

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Nuptial Orientation of Salvation

 

            In a far-off land lived a good king who was very rich and handsome. He had the choice of having any girl in the kingdom for his wife. But in his kindness and compassion, he fell in love with a very poor, rough, plain-looking peasant girl. He wanted to win her heart, so he sent tokens of love to her, wrote letters to her, sent her gifts and told her about the joys she would have when she was finally queen. The girl tried to love this king she had never met – she sometimes wrote back, and sent him a few tokens of love in return. But the gifts she could offer were insignificant – the king would send the girl gold and diamonds, the girl would send the king dried-up flowers or clay figurines. A lot of times the girl was so busy she would forget to respond to the king’s love, and sometimes she started to fall in love with other boys in town. It was as if she preferred her poverty and filth to the riches that were promised to her! But the king was patient, and continued to love her despite her unfaithfulness. Finally, after a long waiting period, the king sent for the girl. Imagine the joy that the poor girl would have felt as she steps into the palace for the first time, when she is given a fine robe to wear instead of rags, when she is seated at a banquet overflowing with rich foods, instead of coarse bread to eat and muddy water to drink! Then imagine what it would be like to finally meet the King, the one whose patience and love is everlasting and unconditional, and to know that she is securely his for eternity!

            This is the description of Heaven that we hear in our second reading from Revelation. Heaven is like a bride coming to meet the Groom, like a wedding feast – an analogy used from the very beginning of Scripture until now!

            Consider this – the very first people that God creates are a married couple. He did so because this would be a metaphor for God’s great love for His people! God swore covenants with Israel, as a husband vows a sacred covenant with his wife. The essence of God’s covenants were that He would belong completely to His people – He would be their God, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in heath, for richer or poorer. And likewise, Israel would remain faithful to God. But Israel broke the covenant and started worshipping other gods – a type of spiritual adultery!

            So Christ needed to swear a new covenant and prepare for Himself a new Bride. Just as Adam’s bride came from his side as he slept, so when Jesus slept the sleep of death on the Cross, His side was opened, and from His Heart came forth blood and water – baptism and the Eucharist – the two Sacraments that are the cornerstone of the Church! Jesus’ bride is you and I – souls that are made holy and pure through baptism and the Eucharist, through repentance and acceptance of the Word of God. Just as a husband and wife become one flesh, when we receive the Eucharist, we are becoming “one flesh” with God.

            Let’s be honest – a lot of us have a very boring view of Heaven. Most people think Heaven is where we sit around on clouds, playing harps all day. There really isn’t much to do and it sounds quite dull, but hey, it’s better than Hell so we might as well go to Heaven. But that’s a terrible way to view Heaven!

            Yes, it’s true that there is no suffering or pain, and that all of our physical and emotional illnesses will be cured. Yes, it’s true that we’ll be reunited with our loved ones. But the greatest joy of Heaven is called the Beatific Vision – we will finally see God face-to-face and be united with Him forever. It’s like the girl in the parable, who finally meets the King and becomes his wife – we will finally meet the One who has been giving us gifts, trying to get us to fall in love with Him, sending us letters and messages to tell us how much He loves us.

            But all of this is hard to put into words because, as St. Paul writes, “no eyes has seen, no ear has heard, nor has a human mind ever conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.” Think of it this way – imagine the most beautiful thing you have ever seen: a sunset, a painting or picture, the face of someone you love. Now, try to describe that scene to a blind man. There are simply no words that can do it justice. Likewise, we must trust that the Beatific Vision – seeing God – will be more than we can ever imagine.

            Only those who respond to God’s invitation will enter Heaven, however. God will never force anyone to accept His love. For many people, it’s easier to enjoy the dirt and filth of this world than seek after the promised glory of the next. It’s kind of like this – when you were a baby, your life revolved around baby bottles and sleeping and playing with blocks. Not a terribly thrilling existence, but it was all you knew. If someone tried to tell a baby about how delicious pizza is, or what it’s like to play soccer, or how delightful it is to fall in love, the baby will simply be confused. It’s beyond their ability to comprehend! So it is with many people – you have been promised a share in the glory of the Son of God, but many people prefer to remain slaves to their passions or slaves to the devil.

            So rouse yourself – because Heaven awaits! Christ revealed our destiny – to be fully united to God forever in unspeakable joy. Even if you don’t fully understand what that means, trust that it will be awesome (in the truest sense of the word!) and make it your goal. You were not made to be slaves to this world – but sons and daughters of the King!