In the gospel passage that we just proclaimed, Jesus is risen, but Mary and the two disciples haven't quite figured out what is happening. Mary Magdalen believes that Jesus' body has been taken. We don't know what Peter is thinking at this point, but the other disciple, the one that Jesus loved, saw and believed. He didn't fully understand yet, but he believed.
We all know the rest of the story. A few minutes later in that same garden, Mary comes across a man that she thinks is the gardener. "Tell me where you put his body," she begs. She doesn't recognize the man. It isn't until Jesus looks her in the eye, and whispers her name, that her eyes are opened and the risen Christ is revealed to her. At that moment, all of Mary's doubts, all of her fears went away.
The fact that Mary Magdalen didn't recognize Jesus at first is a theme that is common to all of the post-resurrection appearances. The same thing happens on the road to Emmaus, in the upper room and at the shore when the apostles are fishing.
I used to envy the followers of Jesus and Mary Magdalen in particular. To have walked with Jesus during his three years of ministry must have been incredible. To hear the words ... to witness the miracles ... amazing. But to have a face-to-face encounter with our risen Lord and Saviour! Can you imagine? Words cannot describe what that must have felt like, and so I was envious.
But Jesus is risen today. He is with us still. We believe that Christ is present in the word proclaimed from the lectern. We believe that Jesus is present in the Eucharist. We believe that He is present in the assembly, "whenever two or more are gathered in my name..." And so Jesus is with us today. But sometimes that's not enough.
As a young man, I knew and understood the Jesus is present to us in these ways. Sometimes there is a big difference between knowing something in your head and feeling it in your heart. In my case, there was a void, an emptyness that troubled my soul. Once I understood the problem, I had to come up with a solution. I needed to be closer to God - that much was evident - but I wanted more. I wanted a face-to-face encounter with the risen Jesus - like Mary had - like the apostle Thomas had. I decided to approach the problem as a fisherman does.
If you want to catch a fish, the first thing you have to do is get up off the couch and go to the place where the fish are. You have to go to the pond, go to the lake, go to the stream, to the river, to the sea. If you want to encounter Christ, you have to get off the couch and go the place where Jesus is. You have to go to the church, go to the hospital, go to the prison, to the orphanage, to the asylum.
But just going to these places is not enough. You can't just hold a net over the water and expect that a fish will jump in. It takes effort. You need to bait the hook. You need to drop it into the water. You need to check it from time to time to make sure the bait hasn't fallen off or been nibbled away. You need to be watchful. You need to be patient. And to have a face-to-face encounter with Jesus, you need to watchful. You need to be patient. You need to be engaged. But most of all, you need to try to reach Jesus on his level. What do I mean by that? Well, I stand before you, and I can see each of you, and you can see me, but if I were to stand on top of this altar, I could see everything from a different perspective. Now before Father Lou tries to wrestle me to the ground, I want to assure him that I will not be standing on this altar today. But you can see the point that I am trying to make. We go through life looking at the world from here [indicate line of sight]. But if you want to encounter Jesus firsthand, if you want to be close enough to see your face reflected in His eyes, you can't do it from here [indicate line of sight again].
You have to do it from here! [kneel] Because this is where you will find Jesus, in prayer with the Father. This is where you will find Jesus, washing the feet of the apostles. This is where you will find Jesus, ministering to those whom society have ignored or forgotten. This is where you will find Jesus! You do these things, and that encounter with Christ can be yours as well. [stand back up again]
I have just a couple of final thoughts. You can do all of these things perfectly and the fish still aren't biting. That is where patience comes in. If you don't catch a fish on Sunday, you go back on Monday and try again. You go back on Tuesday and try again.
I also would like to report that my plan worked. I met Him. He came to me five years ago. It was at a time when I was at my lowest. I was doubting my calling to the diaconate. Heck, I was doubting if I could remain a Roman Catholic. But he came to me and he whispered four words. That's it - four words. But at that moment, all of my doubts, all of my fears went away. The void that once existed in my heart was filled with the spirit.
It's a great story, and I look forward to the time when I can share it with you. In the meantime, please accept the testimony of a believer, and know that it comes from here [indicate head] and from here [indicate heart]. Jesus Christ is risen today! Allehulah!
Deacon Darryl J. Diemer
Easter
April 8, 2012
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