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Archbishop Banda’s Easter Vigil Homily

“Who will roll back the stone”?

Often times, we are weighed down by many heavy stones that we can’t progress in life, in our career and indeed in our faith. These may range from the stones of anger and resentment to stones of disappointment and frustration. The heavy stones of hatred and malice to the heavy stones of intolerance and indifference.

The heavy stones of fear and guilt from the sins of our own youth to the heavy stonesof infidelity and betrayal in our adult life. The heavy stones of complexes (both inferiority and superiority) to the heavy stones of our own poverty and loneliness. The heavy stones of obsession – for power and authority, money, obscenity and substance abuse to the heavy stones of hate, malice and vengeance.

However, the Resurrection of Our Lord, Jesus Christ offers us a model of our own
Resurrection. Hence, let us not be closed to the newness of life God wants to bring
into our lives, even when we may be weary, disheartened and sad. We may feel weighed down by those stones of our past deeds. We may even wonder as to whether we can cope with our present predicament (age, health, job and financial security).

As much as some of our situations may not change and for obvious reasons; however,let us not close our hearts, let us not lose confidence and let us not give up. There is no situation which God cannot change; there is no sin which God cannot forgive. Here,lies our hope of a new experience and our rising to new life.

Surely, as we enter the “tomb” of our own past, of our own misery and of our own conscience; a question arises: Can I really let-go my guilt and past condemnations? Remember that, love comes to those who still hope although they have been disappointed. Those who believe although they have been betrayed. Those who love although they have been hurt but have the courage to build trust once again.

By remembering what God has done and continues to do in our lives; that in itself
should help us to be hopeful. That our mere life experiences are our moments of grace. Let us remember and cherish everything that God has done in our lives; the encounters we have met (both good and bad). These encounters have made deep and lasting impressions in our lives. They are life changing. They are a source of a new perspective and indeed a source of new life – our own Resurrection.

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