HOMILY 21. Delivered to the people in the basilica of the blessed Virgin Mary, on the holy day of Easter.
READING FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK. At that time, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb, the sun having already risen. And they were saying to one another: Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb? And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. For it was very large. And entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were amazed. He said to them: Do not be afraid. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified one; he has risen, he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him, as he told you.
To many of you, dearest brothers, I have been accustomed to speak through dictation in the readings; but because, with my stomach growing weary, I am unable to read aloud what I have dictated, I observe that some of you listen less willingly. Therefore I now wish to require of myself, contrary to custom, that during the sacred solemnities of the Mass I expound the reading of the holy Gospel not by dictating, but by conversing. And so let it be received as we speak, because the voice of conversation rouses torpid hearts more than the discourse of a reading, and strikes them as if with a certain hand of solicitude that they might awaken. And indeed I do not see that I am sufficient for this work; but nevertheless the strength that inexperience denies, charity supplies. For I know Him who said: "Open your mouth, and I will fill it." Therefore let the good work be in our will, for from divine assistance it will be in its completion. The very great solemnity of the Lord's resurrection itself also gives boldness for speaking, because it is very unworthy that on that day the tongue of flesh should be silent from due praises, on which day, namely, the flesh of the Author rose again.
You have heard, most beloved brethren, that the holy women who had followed the Lord came to the tomb with spices, and to him whom they had loved while living, they render service with devoted care even when dead. But this deed signifies something to be done in holy Church. For we must hear what was done in such a way that we may also consider what we ought to do in imitation of them. We therefore, believing in him who died, if we seek the Lord filled with the fragrance of virtues and with a reputation for good works, we indeed come to his tomb with spices. Those women see angels who came with spices, because those souls behold the heavenly citizens who set out toward the Lord with the fragrance of virtues through holy desires. But we must note what it means that the angel is seen sitting on the right side. For what is designated by the left except the present life, and what by the right except eternal life? Hence it is written in the Song of Songs: His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me. Since therefore our Redeemer had already passed beyond the corruption of the present life, rightly the angel who had come to announce his eternal life was sitting on the right. He appeared covered with a white robe because he announced the joys of our festival. For the brightness of the garment proclaims the splendor of our solemnity. Should we say ours, or his? But to speak more truly, let us say both his and ours. For that resurrection of our Redeemer was both our festival, because it brought us back to immortality, and the festival of the angels, because by calling us back to heavenly things it filled up their number. Therefore at his own and our festival the angel appeared in white garments, because while we are brought back to heavenly things through the Lord's resurrection, the losses of the heavenly homeland are repaired. 3. But let us hear what he says to the women as they arrive: Do not be afraid. As if he were saying openly: Let those fear who do not love the coming of the heavenly citizens; let those be terrified who, weighed down by carnal desires, despair of being able to reach their fellowship. But why should you be afraid, who see your fellow citizens? Hence Matthew also, describing the angel's appearance, says: His appearance was like lightning, and his garments like snow. For in lightning there is the terror of fear, but in snow there is the gentleness of brightness. Since indeed almighty God is both terrible to sinners and gentle to the just, rightly the angel, witness of his resurrection, is shown both with a countenance like lightning and with garments of brightness, so that by his very appearance he might both terrify the reprobate and soothe the devout. Hence also the pillar of fire by night and the pillar of cloud by day rightly went before the people journeying through the desert. For in fire there is terror, but in cloud there is the gentle comfort of vision; and day is taken as the life of the just, and night as the life of the sinner. Hence Paul also says to converted sinners: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Therefore by day the pillar was shown through cloud, and by night through fire, because almighty God will appear both gentle to the just and terrible to the unjust. Coming in judgment, he soothes the former through the mildness of gentleness, but terrifies the latter through the severity of justice.
But now let us hear what the angel adds: "You seek Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus in the Latin tongue means "salutary," that is, it is interpreted as "Savior." But indeed many at that time could be called Jesus, yet not substantially, but only nominatively. Therefore the place is also added, so that it might be made clear which Jesus is meant: "of Nazareth." And he immediately added the reason: "the Crucified One." And he added: "He has risen, He is not here." "He is not here" is said with respect to the presence of His flesh, though He is nowhere absent with respect to the presence of His majesty. "But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He goes before you into Galilee." We must ask why, when the disciples are named, Peter is designated by name. But if the angel had not expressly named him who had denied his Master, he would not have dared to come among the disciples. Therefore he is called by name, lest he despair because of his denial. In this matter we must consider why Almighty God permitted him whom He had determined to place over the whole Church to fear the voice of a servant girl and to deny himself. This we recognize was done by a dispensation of great mercy, so that he who was to be the Pastor of the Church might learn through his own fault how he ought to show mercy to others. Therefore He first showed him to himself, and then set him over the rest, so that from his own weakness he might learn how mercifully he should bear with the weaknesses of others.
It is well said of our Redeemer: "He goes before you into Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you." For Galilee is interpreted as "migration accomplished." Indeed, our Redeemer had already migrated from passion to resurrection, from death to life, from punishment to glory, from corruption to incorruption. And he was first seen by the disciples in Galilee after the resurrection, because we will joyfully see the glory of his resurrection afterward, if we now migrate from vices to the heights of virtues. Therefore, he who is announced at the tomb is shown in the migration, because he who is recognized in the mortification of the flesh is seen in the migration of the mind. These things, dearest brothers, we have run through from the exposition of the Gospel reading on account of so great a solemnity of the day, but it is fitting that we speak somewhat more subtly about this same solemnity.
For there were two lives, of which we knew one and did not know the other. One indeed is mortal, the other immortal; one of corruption, the other of incorruption; one of death, the other of resurrection. But the Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, came, took up the one, and showed forth the other. He endured the one by dying, and showed forth the other by rising again. If therefore He had promised us, who knew only mortal life, the resurrection of the flesh, and yet had not visibly displayed it, who would believe His promises? Therefore, having been made man, He appeared in the flesh, deigned to die by His own will, rose again by His own power, and showed by example what He promised us as a reward. But perhaps someone may say: He rightly rose again who, being God, could not be held by death. Therefore, to instruct our ignorance, to strengthen our weakness, He did not wish the example of His own resurrection alone to suffice for us. He alone died at that time, and yet He by no means rose again alone. For it is written: Many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep arose. Therefore all arguments of unbelief have been removed. For lest anyone say: A man ought not to hope for himself what God made man displayed in His flesh, behold we know that men rose again together with God, and we do not doubt that they were mere men. If therefore we are members of our Redeemer, let us presume in ourselves what is established to have taken place in the Head. If we greatly abase ourselves, we who are the lowest members ought to hope in ourselves for what we have heard concerning His higher members.
Behold, there comes to mind what the Jews said in mockery to the crucified Son of God: "If he is the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross, and we will believe him." If he had then come down from the cross, yielding to the mockers, he would not have demonstrated to us the virtue of patience. But he waited a little, endured the insults, bore the ridicule, preserved his patience, and deferred their amazement; and he who was unwilling to come down from the cross rose from the tomb. Therefore it was a greater thing to rise from the tomb than to come down from the cross. It was a greater thing to destroy death by rising than to preserve life by coming down. But when the Jews did not see him come down from the cross at their taunts, when they saw him dying, they believed they had conquered him; they rejoiced that they had, as it were, extinguished his name. But behold, from his death his name has grown throughout the world—that death by which the faithless crowd believed they had extinguished it; and the one whose killing they celebrated, they now grieve as dead, because they recognize that he has attained his glory through suffering. This is well signified by the deeds of Samson in the Book of Judges, who, when he had entered Gaza, a city of the Philistines, the Philistines, immediately learning of his entry, suddenly surrounded the city with blockades, appointed guards, and rejoiced that they had captured the mighty Samson. But we know what Samson did. At midnight he carried off the gates of the city and climbed to the top of a mountain. Whom, dearest brothers, does Samson signify in this deed, if not our Redeemer? What does the city of Gaza designate except hell? What is demonstrated by the Philistines except the treachery of the Jews? When they saw the Lord dead and his body already placed in the tomb, they immediately appointed guards, and they rejoiced that they had captured in the prison of hell, like Samson in Gaza, him who had shone forth as the author of life. But Samson at midnight not only went out but also carried off the gates, because our Redeemer, rising before dawn, not only went out free from hell but also destroyed the very bars of hell. He carried off the gates and climbed to the top of the mountain, because by rising he removed the bars of hell, and by ascending he entered the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, dearest brothers, let us love with our whole mind this glory of his resurrection, which was first shown through a sign and afterward was made manifest through the deed; let us die for love of him. Behold, in the resurrection of our Author we have recognized his ministers, the angels, as our fellow citizens. Let us therefore hasten to that crowded solemnity of these citizens. Let us join ourselves to them in desire and mind, since we cannot yet do so in vision. Let us pass over from vices to virtues, that we may deserve to see our Redeemer in Galilee. May almighty God aid our desire for life, he who gave his only Son to death for us, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as God with him in the unity of the Holy Spirit, through all ages of ages. Amen.