LONDON - 23 March 2008 - 540 words
Text: Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor's Easter Homily at Westminster Cathedral
In his Homily for Easter 2008, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor has emphasised the power of God's love to lift humanity out of darkness, fear and uncertainty.
Speaking at Westminster Cathedral during the Easter Vigil last night, he said:
" Christians believe that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ touches the whole of Creation and brings hope to everyone. In the resurrection of Jesus things get moving. Just as the stone was rolled away, so our fears can be rolled away: our fears for the Church, our fears for ourselves and our families, our fears of our weaknesses, our fears for our lack of faith. Today all our fears are allayed by a Love which conquers death and darkness."
Reflecting that this love is modelled in Mary, mother of the Church, and lived by countless women and men in the world, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor drew attention to the important role played by women after the resurrection of Christ.
"It is interesting that in all the Easter Gospels it is the women who go to the tomb and meet the Risen Lord. So women were the first witnesses of the resurrection. From the beginning of Christ's mission, women show to him and to his mystery a special sensitivity which is characteristic of their femininity. This is especially confirmed in the Paschal Mystery, not only at the Cross but also at the dawn of the Resurrection. The women are the first at the tomb. They are the first to find it empty. They are the first to hear: "He is not here. He has risen, as he said" (Mt 28:6). They are the first to embrace his feet (cf. Mt 28:9). They are also the first to be called to announce this truth to the Apostles (cf. Mt 28:1-10; Lk 24:8-11)..... I suppose each of us, whether men or women, have something within us of the feminine and it is in the silent impulses of our heart that we experience resurrection. It is here, deep within us, that the Risen One moves us and gives us the courage to get up, to say the word that is on the tip of our tongue, to proclaim by word and deed that the new life of Jesus is with us so that we are able to say that Christ is Lord and Jesus is risen. Alleluia."
Full text follows below.
My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
For the Early Church, Eastertide constituted the middle of its
year. For fifty days, not just today, Christians would celebrate
the Resurrection of the Lord. Day by day they would sing the Easter
Alleluia, again and again. In singing, they would express their
joy at Love's conquest of Death, rejoicing in the fact that through
the resurrection we take part in the glory of Jesus Christ. St.
Augustine, in one of his sermons, said about the Easter Alleluia,
"Let us sing the Alleluia here on earth where we are still
in sorrow so that one day we can sing it in heaven in safety Today,
let us sing, not in order to rejoice in the quiet but in order
to find consolation in distress. Sing as warriors, sing. Sing,
but stride out, singing, console yourself in distress. Do not
love misery. Sing and stride out. St. Augustine has caught the
very essence of what we celebrate today. Amidst the trials and
distress of this world of our time, Christians rejoice in the
springtime of new life. The Early Church did not break a distinction
between nature and Easter. Easter was a spring festival. Christian
faith finds that within the mystery of Easter is the true spring.
Life is stronger than death.
I always find it very moving during this
Mass when I ask all of you together if you believe in God and
in Jesus Christ and in His resurrection from the dead. And all
of you proclaim, with loud voices, "I do, so that the end
of our proclamation of faith is, "We do the Church crying
out with joy and with gladness that their Lord not only has risen
but the Lord is risen, He is with us now. I know that profession
of faith is particularly significant for those to be baptised
and those to be received into full communion with the Catholic
Church this evening. Through these Easter Sacraments you become
one with us in the family of the Church. There is much joy in
our hearts to welcome you, and much joy in the heart of God that
you have found your "home with us in His Holy Catholic Church.
That Church is modelled most especially
in the Person of Mary the Mother of God, the first to say "Yes
to God. Mary is not only the model of the perfect disciple saying
"yes to God but also of the human person living a life full
of meaning and hope. She not only brings Christ into the world
through the Incarnation; Mary exists still in the Church through
all of us who try to respond to God,s initiative and to be a sign
of hope in our troubled world
It is interesting that in all the Easter Gospels it is the women
who go to the tomb and meet the Risen Lord. So women were the
first witnesses of the resurrection. From the beginning of Christ's
mission, women show to him and to his mystery a special sensitivity
which is characteristic of their femininity. This is especially
confirmed in the Paschal Mystery, not only at the Cross but also
at the dawn of the Resurrection. The women are the first at the
tomb. They are the first to find it empty. They are the first
to hear: "He is not here. He has risen, as he said"
(Mt 28:6). They are the first to embrace his feet (cf. Mt 28:9).
They are also the first to be called to announce this truth to
the Apostles (cf. Mt 28:1-10; Lk 24:8-11).
I suppose each of us, whether men or women, have something within
us of the feminine and it is in the silent impulses of our heart
that we experience resurrection. It is here, deep within us, that
the Risen One moves us and gives us the courage to get up, to
say the word that is on the tip of our tongue, to proclaim by
word and deed that the new life of Jesus is with us so that we
are able to say that Christ is Lord and Jesus is risen. Alleluia.
I have been reflecting in these past few weeks about the particular
experience of two remarkable women that I have met.
Two months ago I was in Zimbabwe, to see for myself the desperate
situation of so many people and to offer my support and solidarity.
For me it was a deeply moving experience. Many of those living
with HIV/AIDs are now too malnourished to take the drugs they
need, though they have them. Whilst I was there I met Sister Margaret
McAllen, director of an AIDs programme in Harare, and I asked
her what she could do. She replied: "How can we give hope
to people in such a desperate situation? Through love. Change
comes through love." Sister Margaret and the many women and
men who work in such situations witness to the Risen Christ. Their
faith is no obstacle to facing the most horrendous realities.
It is a resource with which to change them, and to give dignity,
hope and meaning in what are often some of the most terrible conditions.
The Second woman I have being reflecting on is Chiara Lubich who
died last week. She and her companions in the Focolare Movement,
which she founded, have committed themselves to building dialogue,
love and understanding between Christians, between all faiths
and with those who have no faith. Yet it is clear that Chiara's
own faith was clearly focused on Jesus Forsaken, her spouse, whom
she sought to discover living in every person. In one of her reflections
she says,
"We need to allow God to be reborn within us and to keep
him alive. We need to make him overflow onto others like torrents
of Life and resurrect the deadkeep Him alive by loving one another
(From "The Attraction of Modern Times in Chiara Lubich: Essential
Writings, p.174)
This love is so badly needed amidst the troubles, insecurity and
pain existing in our society. This is not so much about economic
uncertainty for it would not be wholly untrue to say that for
many people to have less would make them a lot better off. It
does, however, touch very many people who are deeply concerned
about so much fragmentation in the social structures of our society,
particularly the family. They long for a renewal of the values
that hold a society together in justice and peace and where each
person has a sense of being at home, at one with the people who
share their life. It is this rebirth and resurrection for which
people yearn.
Christians believe that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ touches
the whole of Creation and brings hope to everyone. In the resurrection
of Jesus things get moving. Just as the stone was rolled away,
so our fears can be rolled away: our fears for the Church, our
fears for ourselves and our families, our fears of our weaknesses,
our fears for our lack of faith. Today all our fears are allayed
by a Love which conquers death and darkness. This love is modelled
in Mary, mother of the Church, and lived by countless women and
men in the world. Today is a day when we proclaim, not alone but
together, our belief in Jesus Christ and His resurrection. He
is with us, and he has given us his Spirit the Holy Spirit dwelling
in us and His Bride, the Church. At the end of St. Matthew,s Gospel,
you know the words that Jesus said to His first disciples "Know
that I am with you always, yes, to the end of time. Yes, Jesus
is with us, and he has given us His Mother in the Church where
we can all find a home and the meaning and truth we need to live.
Therefore we can rejoice and be glad. Christ is risen. Jesus is
Lord. Alleluia.
© Independent Catholic News 2008
Contact Independent
Catholic News tel/fax:
+44 (0)20 7267 3616 or email
Chaplain • Latest news • Archive • Listings • Pictures •