Bishop Bambera’s Homily for Easter
April 8, 2012
St. Peter’s Cathedral
Video of Easter Vigil
April 7, 2012
St. Peter’s Cathedral
BISHOP BAMBERA’S EASTER MESSAGE – 2012
Dear Friends,
On Holy Saturday night during the great Vigil of Easter, 55 catechumens from throughout the Diocese of Scranton will be baptized into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and 135 candidates will present themselves for full communion in the Catholic Church. These catechumens and candidates – our relatives, neighbors and friends – will join with tens of thousands of catechumens and candidates from around the world to publically profess their faith in Jesus Christ and to assume their place in his body, the Church. In so doing, they offer a powerful witness to a world fraught with secular ideologies and godless traditions. Their very presence in our midst affirms that for many, it is not enough to simply place trust in the passing things of this life. Rather, for them and us, life only makes sense when we hand ourselves over to the power of God manifested in the resurrection of Jesus and the gospel for which he gave his life.
Some time ago, Pope Benedict offered these insights that speak so powerfully to the presence of new members in the Church and, indeed, to our own journeys of faith. “One doesn’t become a Christian because of an ethical decision or a great idea, but rather because of an encounter with an event, with a Person, who gives new horizons to life, and with that, a decisive orientation. … Only in this personal relationship with Christ, only in this encounter with the Risen One do we really become Christians.”
This relationship with the Risen Christ is born in many ways. We hear his consoling words spoken to us through the sacred scriptures. We are nourished by his life through the sacraments of the Church, particularly the Eucharist. And we are touched by his love through the community of believers who are his people, the Church. In all of these experiences, we encounter the eternal life of God, here and now!
But, my friends, as precious as this gift of participating in the life of God is, it is not a gift to be selfishly consumed. Jesus imparts new life to the baptized and then sends them forth to share this life with the world. This is the nature of the Church. This is who we are as the Church. We do not exist for our own sake, but for mission and for the work of God.
We exist to gather those who are scattered and alienated from one another, themselves and God. We exist to proclaim justice and respect for creation, especially that part of creation made in the image and likeness of God. We exist to feed and clothe and heal the wounded and broken. We exist to extend mercy and forgiveness. We, the Church, exist to love and labor for peace. We exist to do the work of God.
As bishop of this great local church that we know as the Diocese of Scranton, I am profoundly touched by the example of your lives. In the midst of all that life unfolds, from moments of disappointment, loss and grief to those of joy and peace, you continue to live your faith. You continue to serve your brothers and sisters. And you continue to derive hope from a living relationship with Jesus, risen from the dead and very much alive in our midst.
May we pray for the grace and wisdom to nurture our relationship with the Risen Christ. It is a treasure that neither thieves can steal nor laws can extinguish. And it is the reason why we Christians boldly proclaim “Alleluia!”
Faithfully yours in the Risen Christ,
+ Joseph C. Bambera
Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L.
Bishop of Scranton
Video of Good Friday Service – April 6, 2012
Bishop Bambera’s Homily for Good Friday – April 6, 2012
Video of Mass of the Lord’s Supper - April 5, 2012
Bishop Bambera’s Homily for Holy Thursday – April 5, 2012
Video of Chrism Mass – April 2, 2012
Bishop Bambera’s Homily for Chrism Mass – April 2, 2012
Video of Palm Sunday Mass – April 1, 2012
Bishop Bambera’s Homily for Palm Sunday Mass – April 1, 2012
Bishop Bambera’s Lenten Reflections
Bishop Bambera’s Reflection for Fifth Week of Lent
Bishop Bambera’s Reflection for Fourth Week of Lent
Bishop Bambera’s Reflection for Third Week of Lent
Bishop Bambera’s Reflection for Second Week of Lent
Bishop Bambera’s Reflection for First Week of Lent
Bishop Bambera’s Message for Lent
Dear Friends in Christ,
The first words of scripture in the Liturgy of Ash Wednesday come to us each year from the Old Testament prophet Joel. “Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping and mourning. Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God.” In effect, Joel calls us to change our lives and to set aside all that keeps us from reflecting the life of God in our own lives. But he boldly challenges us to do so, not merely through gestures and religious practices, but by peering intensely into our hearts to insure that our spirit – the core of our being – is honest, pure and open to the transforming presence of God.
Historically, Lent has always been a time for the People of God to reflect upon the sacrament of Baptism. On the First Sunday of Lent we will welcome catechumens into the ranks of the elect; those from our midst who have begun the journey of conversion and who will soon experience the saving power of Jesus in the Easter mysteries of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Their “yes” to the Lord’s call gives us hope and should encourage us to recommit ourselves to the vows that were made at our own baptisms. Their “yes” reminds each of us that we are all called to look beyond ourselves to something more in life.
In his message to the Church for this Lenten season, Pope Benedict gives us insight into where we should look. He shared these thoughts, “The Lord’s disciples, united with him through the Eucharist, live in a fellowship that binds them one to another as members of a single body. This means that the other is a part of me, and that his or her life, his or her salvation, concern my own life and salvation. … Our existence is related to that of others, for better or for worse.” The Holy Father goes on to note, “In a world which demands of Christians a renewed witness of love and fidelity to the Lord, may all of us feel the urgent need to anticipate one another in charity, service and good works (cf. Hebrews 6:20).”
Our Lenten journey, my friends, draws us to the very heart of what it means to be a Christian. We are baptized into the Lord Jesus for our life and salvation but not solely for our own well being. We are also baptized into the life and ministry of the Church, which demands a response from every disciple of the Lord. This journey eventually leads us to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum, when we will once again hear profound words of challenge and hope from Jesus on the very night before he died for us. Having assumed the role of a servant and having washed the feet of his disciples, Jesus called all to embrace his example of servant leadership. “As I have done, so you must do.” True disciples, as Pope Benedict reminds us, are called to lead lives deeply rooted in service – to God, neighbor, self and creation.
I pray that the season of Lent, which culminates in the Paschal Triduum with its profound assertion that Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again, will prompt us, through the renewing grace of the Sacrament of Penance, to commit ourselves to authentic discipleship and to living fully the mystery of our Baptism in the same Christ.
Please know how grateful I am to each of you, who daily seek to embrace the true spirit of this sacred season. May we support one another and find hope as we journey together in faith.
Faithfully yours in Christ,
+ Joseph C. Bambera
Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L.
Bishop of Scranton
