Easter Sunday Homily - 2009

EMPTY IS BEAUTIFUL


Fr. Rene Butler

Usually we think of emptiness as not good, when something that is supposed to fill that space is gone.

That was the reaction of most of the disciples who found the tomb of Jesus empty. One important exception was the Beloved Disciple, who ran to the tomb with Peter after Mary Magdalene told them that Jesus’ body was missing. When he entered the tomb after Peter, the Gospel says, “He saw, and he believed.”

In other words, he understood what had really happened, and for him that empty tomb became one of the most beautiful places in the world. You can just imagine him thinking the biblical equivalent of “cool!” “awesome!” “wow!”

We make our churches as beautiful as possible for Easter. And that beauty is enhanced by the fact that our churches are fuller than usual. Ideally the fruit of the empty tomb is a full church, people of faith gathered together to celebrate the Risen Christ, week after week after week.

How wonderful it would be if all Christians realized that their church services are never so beautiful as when they are present, and their church is never so beautiful as when they are in it.