2nd Sunday after Easter 10 Apr 2016 Sermon

2nd Sunday after Easter 10.4.16 Lamb and Shepherd

Our Lord did not retaliate when they abused Him (epistle). He let himself be taken. This is unusual for a human response; usually we want retaliation or revenge.

Think of any trouble spot in the world where two opposing sides commit atrocities on each other – and each action is justified as ‘revenge’ for the previous action. This could go on forever, unless something or someone breaks the circuit.

Our Lord, the Lamb of God, has taken on Himself the sins of the world. He has made Himself the victim.

It is as if He is saying to us: do not hurt each other; if you must hurt someone, load it all onto Me!

This is one way of seeing the Crucifixion. All our hostility to each other, all hatred, enmity, malice, desire for revenge etc… He takes it all from us. In Him there is no more Jew or Gentile…(Ga 3,28).

Our Lord’s hope was that, having crucified Him, we would then see how insane our behaviour was, and leave all malice behind. They shall look on Him whom they have pierced and weep for Him (Zech 12,10).

We are reconciled with each other as we all look together on Him.

He takes the rage from us, and He also takes the guilt of sin.

He is saying to the Father: do not harm them, Father, but Me instead. Load onto Me all that they deserve!

And so the Father does, accepting the sacrifice of His Son, the Paschal Lamb.

And we are set free from all punishment and all rage. We are free of both the guilt of sin and the desire for sin – a complete cleansing.

That is, if we let ourselves be cleansed. The sacrifice has been made; the Lamb has taken away our sin, in principle, but we have to want to be free for the full effect to take hold.

The human race, in general, has not grasped the importance of the sacrifice of Christ. They have acted since that time much the same as they acted before.

We have not learned the lesson. It is like having a book on the shelf that contains all the wisdom we need, but the book has never been opened.

When we do open it, we are amazed that we have not opened it before.

So now we learn the lesson, at least those of us gathered here around the altar of sacrifice.

We let the full impact of His sacrifice take hold on us, and we learn the lessons there put before us.

We learn not to kill each other; and also not to kill the Son of God.

At least let us not kill Him again through apathy and indifference.

And there is one other lesson He wants to teach us – to do as He has done; or at least to share in His sacrificing action.

When we realize what He has done we become grateful; and out of that gratitude we want to help save others.

Many sheep are still in the dark, either not knowing or not wanting the salvation which is available to them.

The Lamb took these attitudes upon Himself also; all the malice of the world, and all its ignorance; whether wilful or not.

All are included in His heart as He makes this sacrifice. On many, the ‘many’ we speak of at the Consecration, the light will dawn, and they will be saved.

This is the book on the shelf that needs to be opened. Each time we renew His sacrifice at Mass this is our prayer – that His sacrifice not be in vain; that as Shepherd He will gather in a great many sheep.