Seeing and Believing – Easter Sunday – Sermon by Father Levine

Fr. Joseph Levine; Holy Family Catholic Church, Burns, Oregon; April 20, 2025

The Beloved Disciple, St. John, must have been devastated after the crucifixion of Christ just like the rest, except that maybe he had a glimmer of hope, a glimmer that he could scarcely understand or articulate. He had stood with the Blessed Virgin at the foot of the Cross and had glimpsed the strength of her faith. He had stood there to be a strong support for her in her hour of need but found instead that her presence had strengthened him. Like the other Apostles, he had heard Jesus speaking about “rising again on the third day”, but like them it did not make any sense to him then or now. Even so, seeing how the Virgin, in the midst of her indescribable suffering, had remained so steadfast, he sensed that somehow the Cross was not the end, the tomb was not the end. What could that mean?

Then Mary Magdalene burst into the room that morning on the first day of the week, saying, They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him. Peter, downcast, devastated, and overwhelmed with guilt over his denial, yet ever impetuous, is roused from his torpor, he will get to the bottom of this, he will show them. He heads out to the tomb. John follows and quickly overtakes him, but rather than anger that is driving his excitement, it is the anticipation of a mystery to be revealed.

Peter will plunge into the tomb first, will see the burial cloths, and will walk away puzzled. His anger has cooled. He senses the mystery and despite the fear arising from the bitter memory of his denial, a spark of hope is reborn in his heart.

Then John enters the tomb: He saw and he believed. We would like to see what John saw; we would like to share the faith of John; we would like to be free of nagging doubts. Yet, a week later, Jesus will say to Thomas, Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. (Jn 20:29)

Our faith rests on the eyewitness accounts of the Apostles. They saw and we believe. We have a special merit for relying not on our own direct experience, but on the testimony of the Apostles. Blessed are those who believe the apostolic testimony.

Yet think about it, even the Apostles did not see everything. Thomas saw the man, Jesus, risen from the dead, the nail marks in his hands, the wound in his side. He declared, My Lord and my God. His faith went from the visible, though miraculous man risen from the dead, to the invisible God.

John, when he arrived at the tomb, apparently had less to go on. He saw the sign of the empty tomb and that sign was enough, he believed. Peter would only believe when Jesus appeared to him. Thomas would not believe the testimony of the others. Even the women, who had gone to the tomb, did not believe until Jesus appeared to them. After Peter and John depart, Mary Magdalene remains, weeping at the tomb, seeking the dead body of the Lord, until the living Lord appears to her. Only John saw the empty tomb and believed, before seeing Jesus himself. Thomas saw the man, risen from the dead, and believed in the Son of God. John saw the sign of the tomb and believed in the man risen from the dead, who is the Son of God.

The faith of Thomas, after his doubt, is for us a grant guarantee and reassurance. The faith of John shows us more the pattern our own faith must follow. John’s faith moved from the sign – we could say the “sacrament” – to the reality. So our faith must move from the sacrament we see, the appearance of bread and wine, to the reality of the Body and Blood of Christ, risen from the dead.

Our faith rests on the testimony of the Apostles. Why should we believe their testimony, after two millennia?

We could make a little argument: The proof of Jesus Christ is his miracles, above all his resurrection from the dead. The proof of Jesus Christ’s miracles are the miracles worked by the Apostles. The proof of the Apostles’ miracles is the faith of the first Christians and the ultimate conversion of the Roman Empire after three hundred years of persecution. The proof of all of this is the continued existence of the Catholic Church to this very day, through 266 Popes, successors of Peter, whose names are recorded in the history books, saints and sinners. The proof is the continued celebration of the Mass.

John entered the tomb: he saw and he believed. We enter the Church for Mass: we see, why do we not believe?

Christ is Risen! Alleluia!