According to St Leo the Great, and many other commentators, Jesus kept appearing to his disciples for forty days so that they would recognize as truly risen One whom they knew as truly born, as him who truly suffered, and truly died. “The result was that not only were they not afflicted with sadness, but were filled with great joy when the Lord went into the heights of heaven” (Sermon 73:4).
Homily for the 5th Sunday in Lent Year “C”, 6 April 2025: Isaiah 43:16-21
Behold, I am doing a new thing, now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it? (Is 43:19)
In today’s first reading we heard a brief passage from Isaiah, Chapter 43. Isaiah here speaks in the language of poetry. His words are evocative, musical, stirring: to be savoured and pondered slowly. Clearly they point beyond themselves. We take them very seriously, because we hold them also to be true, and from God.