There is a story about a hardened criminal serving a life sentence, who felt such despair that life no longer had any hope for him. His behavior got so mean that he was sent to solitary confinement for three weeks to what was known as "The Hole."
One day while in "The Hole," a significant thing happened. He was doing sit-ups on the cold cement floor when he noticed something was wedged behind the sleeping platform. He wiggled it out and saw that it was a copy of the New Te...
There is a story about a hardened criminal serving a life sentence, who felt such despair that life no longer had any hope for him. His behavior got so mean that he was sent to solitary confinement for three weeks to what was known as "The Hole."
One day while in "The Hole," a significant thing happened. He was doing sit-ups on the cold cement floor when he noticed something was wedged behind the sleeping platform. He wiggled it out and saw that it was a copy of the New Testament, and he began to read it.
As he was reading, he began to wonder what would have happened if he had he used his power and energy for good rather than for evil. For a long time, he lay there thinking: "Why did God create me? Why did God create someone who would end up behind bars? Why did God create someone who would die to goodness and love and be buried in a tomb of evil and hate in a prison cell?"
Then a surprising thought entered his mind: “The greatest event in history began in a tomb — a tomb just as secure and guarded as his prison cell.” That event, of course, was the Resurrection of Jesus and he realized that Jesus still lives.
Another thought came to him: What happened to Jesus in the tomb could happen to him too, in "The Hole." Because of Jesus' new life and glory, he too could be reborn; he too could be re-created; he too could rise from the dead.
At that moment he asked Jesus to come to him and raise him to new life, to re-create him into a new person. And what happened to Jesus in the tomb happened to the prisoner in his “tomb,” "The Hole." The resurrection power of God brought him to new life.
That man was named Starr Dailey, who, after being released from prison during the Great Depression, became a voice of faith and one of the pioneers of prison reform in the United States. For the rest of his time on earth, he lived a faithful and productive life.
In so many ways, our life on this earth has many tombs that imprison parts of our souls. The Good News that we hear in our readings today is that Jesus wants to give us the power to rise from our tombs and out of our holes. That is the Good News of the Resurrection: that no tomb can hold us anymore — not the tombs of despair, discouragement, or doubt; not even the tomb of death itself
We are God's holy people; we are called to be one with God in this life and in the life to come. God promises us that the Resurrection experienced by Jesus will one day be ours. God calls us to hold on to this promise regardless of what we experience in this life. May we ask God to make us aware of His presence whenever we feel discouraged, despairing, alone, or without hope. May our faith in God's love always turn our sorrow into joy. +
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