The Greatest Day

Read the Homily

“After tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light and the stars will be falling from the sky and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”

That description does not sound like it is going to be a very good day. Yet, that is what happened on the greatest day in human history. That is the description of the day Jesus died on the Cross and saved the world. That is the day the Roman centurion saw God for the first time and exclaimed, “Truly this is the Son of God.” That is the day when God showed his greatness by making the ultimate sacrifice for our benefit.

I was invited to give at a parish Bible study in Salem, Massachusetts. The class meets once a month at 6:00 pm. That meant that I had to jump into rush hour traffic leaving Boston. I turned to my GPS and the lady told me that I was going to be directed with the fastest route to my final destination. I thought that this is exactly what I would want. It sounded good at first but in order to take this route, I had to go on roads I never knew existed. It began to give instructions: “In fifty feet take a right; in thirty feet take a left; at the roundabout take the third exit.” On top of that inconvenience, it was dark and raining hard. In addition to this, the last time the city of Lynn painted white lines on the roads was in the ’50s. When I got halfway to the parish, I realized that I had no idea where I was and no idea how to get to the church. I was totally dependent on the GPS. I felt uncertainty and even doubt. Yet, I got there on time. Not only did the GPS know the best path to avoid all of the traffic jams; it knew how much gas I would use, the cost for the tolls, and the time of arrival. Christianity is a bit like taking the best path to our final destination. It will be filled with new roads, storms, darkness, and uncertainty. The greatest day in human history was no different.

I remember the outbreak of Covid. When the businesses and schools shut down, and isolation was a matter of survival, many people came to me with uncertainty. “What do we do?” I replied, “Follow the GPS.” Follow Christ. Did not Jesus say to pick up the cross, and blessed are those who are persecuted and suffer? This is the path. But remember–it is the best path. Nothing could be more certain.