Dominican Vocations

	DOMINICAN VOCATIONS PROVINCE OF THE ASSUMPTION

Site map	O Sons and Daughters: Homily for six30 Holy Hour (Easter 2006)	Br Paul Rowse, O.P.
Home News -------------------------- Welcome Benedict XVI Master -------------------------- History Introduction St Dominic's gift Australia --------------------------- Order Discernment Formation Dominican habit Novitiate Studentate --------------------------- Life Introduction Four pillars Apostolate --------------------------- People Dominican saints Our brethren --------------------------- Resources Lectio Divina Links Prayer Reading --------------------------- Site dedication	Homily for Holy Hour, St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne 20th April, Easter Octave 2006 We Catholics get things right at Easter. The Church's liturgies at this time of year speak in a most moving and profound way to those who participate in them. The symbols we have used to celebrate our faith in the risen Christ are among the simplest available to us: darknesses dispelled, thirsts quenched, words enacted according to divine command. The Church has us build upon these humble and yet noble signs employed to deepen our faith in the mysteries of Christ by punctuating the liturgy with hymns on the same mysteries. These hymns produce still more fruit from these ceremonies for us who believe. Music is inseparable from the liturgy and there have been many who have left us with great musical treasures to ensure that when heaven is wedded to earth in the liturgy, we sound aloud what we swear by faith. One such treasure is the hymn, O Filii et Filiae (O Sons and Daughters). The hymn has us sing of the first precious moments of the first Easter Sunday. As troublesome as it is for this Dominican friar to admit it, the words of the hymn are the creation of a French Franciscan, and the seventeenth-century hymn is still popular enough in France to be a regular feature for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The nine stanzas of the hymn lead us to greet the risen Lord whose angel met faithful women, who himself appeared in a locked room to hitherto terrified disciples, and who relieved Thomas of his doubt. It is the text of this great Easter hymn, O Sons and Daughters, which I would like us to reflect upon tonight, hopefully in aid of a little post-Passiontide thanksgiving. Don't worry: Lent ended last week, so I won't be inflicting on you the penance of having to listen to me sing them. Being very Dominican (and therefore brief) about things, I have chosen three of the nine stanzas of the hymn to the risen Christ. Fourth verse: Peace in trouble That night, th'apostles met in fear; Amidst them came their Lord most dear, And said, “My peace with you here.” Alleluia! On that first Easter Sunday, news of some disciples seeing their friend and master was spreading among the others. They were startled. This was unexpected. The Easter evening found them unknowing, unsure of what's going to happen, uncertain of what's expected of them. And yet, when the Lord appeared to them, the doors were locked. They'd retreated to a place they thought was safe. Trying to secure their indefinite future, they'd hidden themselves from the Jews whom they believed to be a threat to their persons. After all, see what they did to Jesus. See how close Simon Peter came to sharing his fate on Holy Thursday night. The Gospel we're reading this year, the Gospel according to St Mark, even goes to far as to say that the hearts of the disciples were hardened in their unbelief in what Mary Magdalene had told them (cf. Mk 16:11, 13). On hearing the great news of Jesus' appearances, his first disciples hid themselves, and for fear of outsiders who just wouldn't get it even if they told them. There is a little of those first disciples in each of us too. Some of the riches of our faith can be hidden for fear of unbelieving outsiders. Isn't this what might well be called Ostrich-Christianity? Christ used the image of a burning torch when he spoke of the manner life of believers: “No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar ... but puts it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light.” (Lk 8:16). In Byzantine Christian art, the peacock is a favourite artistic motif for the resurrection of Jesus. The peacock, losing its feathers each year, is thus stripped of its glory only to have them return more beautiful than before. Christ returned to the disciples in his glory after the resurrection. The first words he uttered to them ought to console us who live and work among unbelievers; as our hymn has it: “My peace with you here.” (Jn 20:19). The Lord extended his peace, fruit of his resurrection, to those terrified disciples of his to strengthen their faith, as he will do now for you. Eighth verse: Faith for life How blest are they who have not seen, And yet whose faith has constant been; For they eternal life shall win. Alleluia! It would be an altogether too easy conclusion to make that this hymn is all about the doubting disciple, Thomas. Four of the nine verses are tied up with recalling Thomas' doubt, stubbornness and profession of faith. That concern this hymn has for the disciple Thomas is brought to a mighty climax in this, the eighth and penultimate verse, with the Lord's last beatitude. Earlier on in the piece, Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount in which he laid out the Beatitudes for all to hear and live by. We discover there that those on the outer of society are blessed by God and will receive great things in the future. The hungry, the poor, the mourning and others like them are consoled with an embrace by God and a pledge of restitution. So we have the beatitude: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:10). Those suffering unjust treatment can take heart that their suffering is not the final word on the subject. Jesus, by his divine and authoritative teaching, has given us hope that there is more to come – in this case, heaven. But those to whom the post-resurrection beatitude applies are left without consolation in a promise of Christ's which follows the beatitude. All we have from Christ's own mouth are the words: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (Jn 20:29). The beatitude is completed by the Beloved Disciple, the author of the Gospel. He tells us that he wrote these things that we may believe and that we may have life in his name (Jn 20:31). John here establishes for us the link between faith and life by means of this beatitude which he completes for the risen Christ. For us who believe, there is life waiting for us through Christ's death, in every sense of 'through'. Through his death, we receive life; through his life, we receive glory; through his glory, we are made one with the Father. Ninth verse: The Day of days On this most holy day of days, To God your hearts and voices raise, In laud, and jubilee, and praise. Alleluia! This week is called the Easter Octave, the first days after the great Paschal Sunday. After Christmas and Easter, the two greatest feasts of Christ the Lord, we celebrate the mystery of Christ's birth and resurrection respectively with not just one day, but eight, carrying the feast over with all its trimmings over all eight days. The flat-out can take heart: this is an eight-day week! In this, the ninth and final verse of the hymn, O Sons and Daughters, we are shown the kind of response which is appropriate to the victory Christ has won, the central theme of this time of Paschaltide. We sing of laud, and jubilee, and praise – all basically the same word, praise. With the frequent Alleluia's, this hymn has us render to God that which is his, that which is owed to him in gratitude: praise. St Augustine said that those who sing praises sing cheefully, meaning that the range of human emotions are employed in worship of the one God by singing (En in Ps 72). And so we return to the place of music. In prayer, sacred music lifts us from the realm of recitation to that of expression. It's been said that Australians are particularly reluctant to show their true feelings. Perhaps it's a little exaggerated, but if it's true, we have good reason to go all out in singing the praises of God in the liturgy to help us pray in the right disposition: praise in Paschaltide. Alleluia! May you unveil the mysteries of Christ for those around you, reflecting the glory of the Lord, and pass from glory to glory in Christ Jesus our Lord. To him be honour, power and glory for ever and ever. Amen. O filii et filiae Rex caelestis, Rex gloriae Morte surrexit hodie. Alleluia! O sons and daughters, let us sing! The King of heaven, the glorious King, Over death today rose triumphing. Alleluia! Prayers Repentance Risen Lord, You appeared to your disciples to give them proof of your resurrection when their hearts were hardened for fear of unbelievers. They did not know what was happening. Confusion led to distrust, and distrust led to unbelief. I am sorry for the times I have turned my heart away from your truth. You are the only Lord, the one who gave me faith and can give me peace. Renew the gift of faith in my heart once more that I may be your true and constant disciple. Intercession Risen Jesus, Your disciple Thomas refused to believe in your resurrection. He required proof from you for faith, and you granted his request. Your beatitude, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” speaks of the importance of faith in my life. Be with all those who do not believe in you, those who refuse to believe in you, and those who need help to believe in you. Renew the gift of faith in their hearts once more that they may be your true and constant disciples. Thanksgiving Risen Christ, Praise is what we owe you as a debt of gratitude. We gather to offer you praise and thanks for all you are for us, for all you do for us. In this Easter season, we praise and thank God for the high dignity you have called us to in your resurrection. Renew the gift of faith in our hearts once more that we may be your true and constant disciples.