2002

19th March 2002
What is Truth? A Message for Easter 2002 from Bishop Michael Malone
During the days leading up to Easter Sunday we experience low points in human behaviour. While a crowd of enthusiastic well-wishers welcomed Jesus Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, only a few days later they called for his death. One of his close friends enjoyed dinner with him, then left the room to sell him out for thirty silver coins. To cap the duplicity off, his closest follower, Peter, pretended he did not know him. The religious establishment persecuted him and politicians condemned him.

Sound familiar?

Remember Oscar Romero? When he was chosen as Archbishop of San Salvador he was regarded as a safe, politically correct choice. War-torn El Salvador didn't need a stirrer!

Much to the surprise of his supporters and opponents, he delivered an uncompromising message of justice and reconciliation against the military regime. His courage cost him his life. He was murdered in his cathedral in March 1980.

In our own day, the Governor-General, Dr Peter Hollingworth has become a victim of public opinion. While we can never excuse or condone child abuse; and while we may think that the Governor-General did not respond well to the questions put before him, never-the-less, the treatment he received from too many people was disproportionate.

Jesus Christ, Oscar Romero and Peter Hollingworth were reduced to helpless, powerless victims. Further words were useless; self-defence was futile as their opponents made their bloody intentions clear and as their supporters grew strangely silent.

And so the deed is done and troublesome men are removed. But where do we stand outside the empty tomb? Here we discover things about ourselves; we begin to realise the consequences of our actions.

Did we really hate them so much? Did we ever consider dialogue? Did we forget that one of them recommended that we be prepared to forgive seventy-seven times? Was removal the only option?

It was the women who brought a sense of practical reality to the empty tomb of Jesus. They arrived with their ointments and bandages; found the tomb empty and went to raise the alarm. The women quickly tumbled to what had happened. They came to see Jesus with new eyes: their resurrection had begun.

One thing that we learn as we gather around the "tomb" is that God can be found in amazingly strange places and in ways we never thought possible. We also learn that God rises in our lives only after we reach that moment of sheer helplessness. Only then can we let go and let God! It is then that resurrection happens.

Moreover, we learn that others can be instrumental in helping us to arrive at that moment of truth - women, for instance. Instead of allowing ourselves to be swayed by the voices of jealous and self-righteous people or by public opinion, we ought listen to truth rather than sacrifice it on the altar of expediency.

Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It also celebrates our resurrection from fear and ignorance. It is the promise of life.

A very happy Easter to all.

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