Resurrected into Our True Self

The following was a homily that Fr. Wainio preached on Easter Sunday (April 20, 2025) at St. Patrick Church and The University Parish Newman Center in Kent.

Christ is risen! Alleluia!

Easter is the great unveiling of who we are meant to be. The Resurrection of Jesus is not just a past event—it is an invitation into a new way of living, a call to rise with Christ into the fullness of life.

Thomas Merton

Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk and spiritual writer, once wrote:

"We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone—we find it with another."

This is the mystery of Easter. Christ’s rising is not for Him alone; He rises to bring us with Him, to restore us to our true selves—people made for love, for communion, for eternal life. When Mary Magdalene arrives at the empty tomb, she is lost in grief. She does not recognize Jesus at first, mistaking Him for the gardener. But when He calls her by name—"Mary"—she knows Him. In that moment, she finds herself again—not in isolation, but in relationship with the Risen Christ.

I personally have found the meaning of life—not by myself—but with all of you! I have found the meaning of life in the baptisms of your children and family members. I have found it in my work with our students, both at Kent State and at St. Patrick Elementary School. Life has been unwrapped for me in the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup that I have had the great privilege of celebrating with all of you as a new priest.

I continue to find the meaning of life in my time spent with our Vintage Varieties 60+ group, our young adults, and especially through our youth ministry. I have come face to face with the beauty of life in the middle of millions of daffodils! Yes—those bright, golden trumpets of spring—standing tall, swaying gently in the breeze, as if they were singing "Alleluia" with all their might.

After a long, cold winter, they rise. They push up from the frozen ground, having waited patiently—and now, they bloom. They bloom to show the beauty of life. They bloom to show us that the joy of the Resurrection is real.

The tomb is empty! Death has been conquered! The darkness of Good Friday has given way to the radiant light of Easter morning — of new life!

Icon of the Resurrection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Life that we all share because we have found the true meaning of life with one another. Merton teaches us that we only truly know who we are when we encounter the One who made us—the One who has conquered sin and death for us. Easter is the moment when Christ calls each of us by name and invites us to step into new life.

So today, let us ask: How is Christ calling me to rise? To rise from fear into trust?To rise from selfishness into love?To rise from despair into hope?

May we, like Mary, recognize the voice of Christ and go forth with Easter joy—knowing that in His Resurrection, we find not only Him, but our truest selves.

Alleluia! The Lord is risen indeed!

Peace,