WEBVTT 00:00:00.170 --> 00:00:03.529 Christ is risen. Christ is risen. Christ is risen. 00:00:04.650 --> 00:00:14.310 Christ is risen. It's a joy. It's a joy to be 00:00:14.310 --> 00:00:20.890 with you and for us to gather today offering 00:00:20.890 --> 00:00:28.230 thanksgiving to God at this divine liturgy celebrating 00:00:29.210 --> 00:00:35.070 the resurrection. We've been through what I think 00:00:35.070 --> 00:00:39.429 we can call God's own time. That's how we see 00:00:39.429 --> 00:00:44.049 Lent. That's how we see Holy Week. The days of 00:00:44.049 --> 00:00:46.770 Pascha and Bright Week, it's God's own time. 00:00:47.450 --> 00:00:51.229 And we were there with him or he was here with 00:00:51.229 --> 00:00:54.590 us. And all those events that we read about, 00:00:54.729 --> 00:00:59.789 we commemorated. that we entered into on those 00:00:59.789 --> 00:01:05.769 days. As one person said after the 12 Gospels, 00:01:05.769 --> 00:01:13.090 it was like she wasn't here, she was there. Today. 00:01:13.349 --> 00:01:17.010 Because you don't have tomorrow yet. And yesterday 00:01:17.010 --> 00:01:20.390 is gone. So when we say today in the church, 00:01:20.430 --> 00:01:23.680 it truly is. Today, he who hung the earth upon 00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:26.359 the waters is hung upon the tree. It's for us 00:01:26.359 --> 00:01:32.900 today. And we gather it here before midnight 00:01:32.900 --> 00:01:39.180 on that holy Saturday after all those days of 00:01:39.180 --> 00:01:45.359 seeing the betrayal and the trial and the crucifixion 00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:50.480 and the burial of our Savior. If our hearts were 00:01:50.480 --> 00:01:54.340 in touch by any of that, then we need to do some 00:01:54.340 --> 00:01:58.959 serious prostrations and prayer and confession. 00:02:01.840 --> 00:02:05.060 What a magnificent celebration we had then before 00:02:05.060 --> 00:02:07.959 the dawn, as it says in the hymn, with Mary and 00:02:07.959 --> 00:02:12.500 the women came to the tomb lamenting, and they 00:02:12.500 --> 00:02:17.219 found it opened. Christ is risen. Let his enemies 00:02:17.219 --> 00:02:21.340 be scattered. Those enemies, just to be clear, 00:02:21.419 --> 00:02:26.560 are not other people. Those enemies are the demonic 00:02:26.560 --> 00:02:30.539 powers, the devil, and death, which Christ came 00:02:30.539 --> 00:02:34.360 to overcome and has overcome. And in us, one 00:02:34.360 --> 00:02:38.039 person and heart at a time, by baptism and the 00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:42.080 gift of the Holy Spirit, we do also enter into 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:49.800 Christ's victory. When someone says to you, Well, 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:53.740 let me say, Christ is risen. Well, you answer 00:02:53.740 --> 00:02:58.479 in a heartfelt, very confident way. Indeed, he 00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:02.860 is risen. But the women, when they went to the 00:03:02.860 --> 00:03:05.139 tomb, they found it open, and Mary Magdalene, 00:03:05.259 --> 00:03:08.740 as you see in the fresco, actually saw the Lord, 00:03:08.900 --> 00:03:13.759 as did his most pure mother. They went to the 00:03:13.759 --> 00:03:16.979 apostles, the ten hiding in the upper room, and 00:03:16.979 --> 00:03:22.300 they said, Christ is risen. And they said, you're 00:03:22.300 --> 00:03:27.219 seeing things. You're grief. You're just imagining 00:03:27.219 --> 00:03:30.460 this. And people have told me after a loved one's 00:03:30.460 --> 00:03:33.180 death that they had an encounter of some sort 00:03:33.180 --> 00:03:36.800 with that beloved person. So not uncommon. And 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:39.000 this is what the apostles are thinking. Your 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:41.780 grief has got the better of you, ladies. You're 00:03:41.780 --> 00:03:48.939 hysterical. People crucified by the Romans. Don't 00:03:48.939 --> 00:03:53.479 rise. They knew what they were doing. They were 00:03:53.479 --> 00:03:57.319 disappointed. And then Jesus appeared to them 00:03:57.319 --> 00:04:03.159 and said, peace be to you. Silence. And he said 00:04:03.159 --> 00:04:06.939 again, peace be to you. And then were the disciples, 00:04:07.060 --> 00:04:10.039 it says, and it's not quite the right word. They 00:04:10.039 --> 00:04:12.719 were glad when they saw the Lord. They weren't 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:16.000 just glad. They rejoiced. They rejoiced. Their 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:21.759 hearts were bursting. What a beautiful scene 00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:24.220 that must have been. And Thomas wasn't there, 00:04:24.259 --> 00:04:30.220 and he came to them later that evening. And they 00:04:30.220 --> 00:04:35.160 said to him, Christ is risen. He says, I don't 00:04:35.160 --> 00:04:39.980 think so, gentlemen. You're in grief. You're 00:04:39.980 --> 00:04:42.839 in hysterical grief. You're just seeing a ghost. 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:48.379 And you know what he said. Unless I see the print 00:04:48.379 --> 00:04:52.050 of the nails. and put my hand into his side. 00:04:52.149 --> 00:04:59.629 I will not believe. Thomas was showing discernment. 00:05:01.050 --> 00:05:04.209 The hymns of the church don't say doubting Thomas. 00:05:04.410 --> 00:05:08.329 They say his most wise doubt led to a firm belief 00:05:08.329 --> 00:05:11.649 and the most beautiful confession of faith that 00:05:11.649 --> 00:05:15.149 we find anywhere in the New Testament. My Lord 00:05:15.149 --> 00:05:23.149 and my God. We praise Thomas for that. He is 00:05:23.149 --> 00:05:27.189 our example. His confession is most perfect, 00:05:27.350 --> 00:05:31.129 my Lord and my God. It's most exact. It's the 00:05:31.129 --> 00:05:34.110 most wonderful thing because he saw the risen, 00:05:34.310 --> 00:05:37.350 bodily risen Lord, not a spirit, not a ghost. 00:05:38.230 --> 00:05:42.389 We don't need to consult the Department of Disinformation 00:05:42.389 --> 00:05:50.189 about this. This is the truth. There are two 00:05:50.189 --> 00:05:54.990 ways that we come to faith. Maybe more, but let 00:05:54.990 --> 00:05:59.350 me tell you two that I can think of. One is, 00:05:59.509 --> 00:06:02.790 let me do a little demonstration that Archbishop 00:06:02.790 --> 00:06:06.389 Michael of New York does when he wants to talk 00:06:06.389 --> 00:06:08.509 about the difference between faith and knowledge. 00:06:10.689 --> 00:06:18.899 Let me see my trusty server here. I have in one 00:06:18.899 --> 00:06:23.720 of my hands a prayer rope. Which hand is it? 00:06:23.939 --> 00:06:27.939 The right hand. It's not a prayer rope. Why did 00:06:27.939 --> 00:06:30.220 you come up with that answer? I guessed. You 00:06:30.220 --> 00:06:36.300 guessed. That's guessing. I have in one of my 00:06:36.300 --> 00:06:41.160 hands, actually in my left hand, I have a prayer 00:06:41.160 --> 00:06:43.740 rope. Which hand is the prayer rope in? The left 00:06:43.740 --> 00:06:50.100 hand. That's trust. in faith in the person that 00:06:50.100 --> 00:06:57.600 told him. Which hand is the prayer roll pin? 00:06:58.259 --> 00:07:01.139 That's just knowledge. That's no big deal. That's 00:07:01.139 --> 00:07:09.100 just observation. You may sit. Thank you. We 00:07:09.100 --> 00:07:12.860 trust in the witness of the apostles, what they 00:07:12.860 --> 00:07:18.680 went through. After The Feast of Pentecost. And 00:07:18.680 --> 00:07:21.980 you heard today in the reading from Acts the 00:07:21.980 --> 00:07:26.600 significant change that came over them in the 00:07:26.600 --> 00:07:28.759 Gospel of John before they meet Christ. They're 00:07:28.759 --> 00:07:30.860 in the upper room afraid of the Jews because 00:07:30.860 --> 00:07:34.339 they might be arrested and crucified. In Acts, 00:07:34.500 --> 00:07:37.959 they have no fear whatsoever. No fear of death. 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:40.779 No fear of being arrested. They were arrested 00:07:40.779 --> 00:07:44.939 for preaching. The angel releases them and says, 00:07:45.449 --> 00:07:48.889 Go out and speak all the words of this life. 00:07:49.089 --> 00:07:52.730 What life? The life in Christ, the life that 00:07:52.730 --> 00:07:57.709 changes and transforms us. And the people, seeing 00:07:57.709 --> 00:08:02.370 the apostles' incredible faith in Christ, which 00:08:02.370 --> 00:08:05.709 is real and true because of the Spirit, they 00:08:05.709 --> 00:08:09.949 believed, and many signs and wonders were performed. 00:08:11.470 --> 00:08:14.290 St. Luke doesn't call them miracles. He calls 00:08:14.290 --> 00:08:17.550 them signs and wonders, signs of the presence 00:08:17.550 --> 00:08:21.089 of the kingdom of God in our midst. This is our 00:08:21.089 --> 00:08:23.870 task, brothers and sisters, to be like those 00:08:23.870 --> 00:08:28.149 apostles. We are not the apostles. We trust in 00:08:28.149 --> 00:08:31.569 their witness, but we have received the Spirit. 00:08:32.909 --> 00:08:38.460 And we should think, what has this... celebration, 00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:42.419 this commemoration, the keeping of Lent and Holy 00:08:42.419 --> 00:08:46.019 Week and Pascha, how has that affected us? What 00:08:46.019 --> 00:08:50.000 change has come over us? Year after year, we 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:53.620 should be gathering something. There's another 00:08:53.620 --> 00:08:56.340 way we come to faith after we have received the 00:08:56.340 --> 00:08:59.100 Holy Spirit. You know, we believe so that we 00:08:59.100 --> 00:09:02.539 can understand. If you try to understand before 00:09:02.539 --> 00:09:07.480 you believe, you're out there on the sea. Getting 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:12.340 sloshed around. We receive during these holy 00:09:12.340 --> 00:09:17.200 days according to the measure that we offered 00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:22.840 ourself. According to the measure that we suffered 00:09:22.840 --> 00:09:26.799 with Christ in our own trials and difficulties 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:30.580 and illnesses and worries about people in the 00:09:30.580 --> 00:09:36.629 world. We received according to how much we pray, 00:09:36.769 --> 00:09:40.649 how much we cry to God. We're filled to the degree 00:09:40.649 --> 00:09:45.629 that we are empty before him, that we make room 00:09:45.629 --> 00:09:50.049 in our hearts for Christ. And then the assurance 00:09:50.049 --> 00:09:53.509 of the resurrection is not just that you believe 00:09:53.509 --> 00:09:57.429 what you were told. You can say when the choir 00:09:57.429 --> 00:10:02.450 sings that hymn every Saturday night and on Pascha. 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:05.340 Having beheld the resurrection of Christ, having 00:10:05.340 --> 00:10:08.559 beheld the resurrection of Christ, let us worship 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:11.519 the Holy Lord Jesus. We behold it with the eyes 00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:16.980 of faith. And then we answer the incredible message 00:10:16.980 --> 00:10:20.980 that Christ is risen with a firm, committed, 00:10:21.139 --> 00:10:28.320 confident response. Indeed, he is risen. So we 00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:32.700 trust in the eyewitnesses because Thomas, was 00:10:32.700 --> 00:10:36.539 indeed invited to see and touch Christ's wounds. 00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:40.440 He didn't need to. And I'll just say, those wounds, 00:10:40.679 --> 00:10:48.159 they remain in Christ. They remain. Those wounds 00:10:48.159 --> 00:10:53.220 speak to our wounds. Number one, that Christ 00:10:53.220 --> 00:10:59.299 has experienced the pain we experience, the sorrow 00:10:59.299 --> 00:11:06.009 we know. The fear that we can experience. His 00:11:06.009 --> 00:11:10.549 wounds speak to our wounds. And his wounds speak 00:11:10.549 --> 00:11:12.909 to our wounds because they are a sign of his 00:11:12.909 --> 00:11:18.169 love for us. What he endured in our behalf. So 00:11:18.169 --> 00:11:22.330 now, does anyone ask, what is the difference 00:11:22.330 --> 00:11:26.669 with you? Boy, you're different. Why the joy 00:11:26.669 --> 00:11:29.429 and the peace? Don't you know the world's a mess? 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:34.299 Don't you know it's all crushing down around 00:11:34.299 --> 00:11:39.759 us? Why are you joyful? Having accepted the words 00:11:39.759 --> 00:11:45.059 of St. Thomas, my Lord and my God, we can be 00:11:45.059 --> 00:11:47.620 with the apostles. Let me just read and finish 00:11:47.620 --> 00:11:52.480 so you can hear their courage one more time. 00:11:53.700 --> 00:11:57.820 When the high priest rose up and all those that 00:11:57.820 --> 00:12:01.970 were with him, This is the high priest that arranged 00:12:01.970 --> 00:12:04.710 with Pontius Pilate for the Romans to crucify 00:12:04.710 --> 00:12:09.049 Jesus. They were filled with indignation that 00:12:09.049 --> 00:12:11.850 Jesus was being talked about as the Messiah and 00:12:11.850 --> 00:12:15.909 that he is not just a Messiah, but he is the 00:12:15.909 --> 00:12:20.669 Lord, the Most High God. And laid their hands 00:12:20.669 --> 00:12:22.870 on the apostles and put them in the common prison. 00:12:24.029 --> 00:12:27.120 But at night, An angel of the Lord opened the 00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:30.139 prison doors and brought them out and said, Go, 00:12:30.399 --> 00:12:36.700 stand in the temple. Speak to the people all 00:12:36.700 --> 00:12:41.240 the words of this life. Who will you speak to 00:12:41.240 --> 00:12:45.100 today? Words of joy and encouragement and faith. 00:12:45.340 --> 00:12:49.279 The words of this life. May it be the simple 00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:51.059 words that Christ is risen.