Compassion. Courage. Confidence (2022-04-17, Easter Sunday)

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2022-04-17 –  Easter Sunday  Title: C-3

[_00-a_]     Easter starts out with a race, with running. That appeals to me, because sometimes I think I will achieve what I want by running, racing.  I need to slow down. Do you need to slow down?

          Peter needs to slow down. Why? So that they can follow Jesus Christ in 3 ways that I would like to touch on as à  COMPASSION – COURAGE – CONFIDENCE.

Right now, they are running and they are amazed. We read of the AMAZEMENT of Peter regarding Jesus not being in the tomb. Peter is amazed. Amazed does not equal CONFIDENCE in the resurrection. It’s a journey, sometimes a slow walk, but nevertheless an active choice to be CONFIDENT..and also an active choice along the way to have both COMPASSION and COURAGE.

I’d like to touch on these 3 – COMPASSION – COURAGE – CONFIDENCE.

[_00-b_]   1^st. Choosing Compassion. 

My grandparents lived on their own, in their own home in the Bronx, until they both nearly 100 years old, for one major reason, the compassion of my uncles James and Hughie who took care of them and lived in their neighborhood. Hughie lived in the same house.

Compassion is something they chose. We can also choose – or reject – compassion.

Hughie – living with my grandparents – was a man of great compassion and simplicity.

The word compassion of compassion is central to our salvation and forgiveness.  In the way of the cross and on Calvary, Jesus suffered for us with compassion.

The word “passion” does not simply mean something we like to do… like a passion for a particular sport or food.  Passion means suffering or something we suffer for.

Compassion means we choose to suffer with someone.

As we read in Philippians 2: “Jesus emptied Himself and took the form of the slave.”  This compassion is not accepted by everyone. As St. Paul also wrote” , The cross is foolishness to those who are not being saved, but to the us being saved. It is the righteousness of God.”

We were blessed by his compassion – together with my uncle James for my grandparents. But the good news of Holy Week and Easter is not simply about feeling compassion, because Jesus doesn't simply respond with an emoji.  Certainly, a text can also be compassionate. Just as some texts can be the opposite of compassion!

Jesus’ compassion leads him to COURAGE.

2^nd. Choosing Courage. 

Jesus is courageous, suffers on our part. At times, your courage – my courage – might be to simply do what we are called to do, courage to love our families, courage to go to work every day, courage to forgive the faults of others, courage to correct someone lovingly, while simultaneously forgiving the other person. Courage is cooperating with God's will.

This is an example of choosing courage – but then afterward – on my part – not fully recognizing it.

Many years ago, my father told me of some trouble that his brother – my uncle – had found himself in.  At least, it sounded like trouble.  This related to or HUGHIE.

          It was a Saturday afternoon  and Hughie was at his local bar/restaurant and a man – call him the PERPETRATOR - walked into the bar making very threatening motions and words. As a defense mechanism, Hughie pinned the threatening man up against a wall with a chair. Soon after, the NYPD police were called and settled everything and arrested the threatening perpetrator. We did not know then who the perpetrator was looking for …but we did find out later.

My uncle is average height and build; he’s no bodybuilder or weightlifter. This was shocking to us, to my father to my siblings.

Yes, Hughie had courage, but should we encourage or celebrate this?

Our celebration of that moment was quite muted. We didn't celebrate Hughie with a cake or party. And then my uncle got his picture on the wall  of the bar with the word HERO written below it, but among our family, while we were proud of him, we were also a bit anxious about the whole incident, it could have turned out badly.

How do you feel about the celebration of Easter? We are correct in saying that life is too short. Life is too short. But it is also correct to say that eternal life is long, and we can celebrate eternal life, because of Jesus's celebration, because of Jesus's life for us. And I suggest that part of our conversion to Christ, to be explicit and not muted.

And, Easter Sunday and every Sunday Mass is a victory celebration for you, for me.

Part of our personal relationship with him is to remember that we are called to compassion and to courage.

These are not just muted silent emotions, feelings but also choices.

          Confidence is also a choice.

3^rd. Choosing Confidence. 

You can choose to act and be confident because Christ died and rose for you personally. And this is a reason for you to celebrate, and to put our fears aside and to have confidence.  Easter is a victory celebration.

About a month ago, my father was reminded of the incident with Hughie one more time. We thought we had heard it all, but we had not. 

Meeting my father, this man said – “Your brother – Hughie – saved my life.”

We learned that he's that this man was actually the target of the original guy making the threats.

The man who - as they say on the NYPD cop shows was the victim or the “vic”, but that day he didn't become a victim because of the actions of Hughie and others.

CONCLUSION.

We live in a time of great woundedness and of people hurting.

You and I are also not victims. We don't have to live as victims. We are called to live in freedom and to remember that Jesus Christ lived and died for us. For me, I have to say this is a reminder for me to be more hopeful. expect more and not to go so fast, to run ahead of everyone else in a search for compassion, courage, confidence.    I am also blessed by the compassion – courage – confidence – of so many of you --- at Our Lady of Lourdes to help us in our mission at Our Lady of Lourdes. I am grateful for everyone who has decorated our altar, , who sings in the choir who helps at the doors of the church to keep us safe, who reads at the altar, the lectors, for the many readings of the Easter Vigil,  the ministers who have refilled our holy water, who serve at the altar who light our candles, who work in the sacristy who work in the Office of Our Lady of Lourdes, who worked downstairs upstairs in religious education, teaching our children teaching the faith, all of them. All of you are examples of cooperation and confidence in Christ. And a reminder to me that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. He invites us to celebrate also by going out to spread the Good News  [_fin_]