Not convictions, nor even deep conviction can overcome the fear of death, shame, but only love can make a person faithful to the end, without limits, without looking back. Today we solemnly and reverently celebrate the memory of Saints Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, and the Myrrh-bearing Women.
Joseph and Nicodemus were secret disciples of Christ. While Christ preached among the crowds and was the object of hatred and growing vindictiveness from His opponents, they timidly came to Him at night, when no one could notice their arrival. But when Christ was suddenly seized, when He was taken and led to death, crucified and killed, these two men, who during His life were timid, indecisive disciples, suddenly, through devotion, through gratitude, through love for Him, through admiration for Him, proved to be stronger than His closest disciples. They forgot their fear and revealed themselves to everyone when others were hiding. Joseph of Arimathea came to ask for the body of Jesus, Nicodemus came, who had only dared to visit Him at night, and together with Joseph, they buried their Teacher, from whom they never turned away again.
And the Myrrh-bearing Women, about whom we know so little: one of them was saved by Christ from eternal perdition, from demonic possession; others followed Him: the mother of James and John and others, listening, accepting His teaching, becoming new people, learning the single commandment of Christ about love, but about such love that they did not know in their past, righteous or sinful, life. And they too were not afraid to stand aside – while Christ was dying on the cross and there was no one from His disciples except John. They were not afraid to come to anoint the body of Jesus, rejected by people, betrayed by His own, condemned as a criminal by strangers.
Later, two disciples, when the news of Christ’s resurrection reached them, rushed to the tomb; one was John, who stood at the cross, the one who became an Apostle and preacher of Divine love and whom Jesus loved; and Peter, who denied Him three times, about whom it was said to the Myrrh-bearing Women “tell My disciples and Peter” – because the others hid out of fear, and Peter denied his Teacher three times in front of everyone and could no longer consider himself a disciple: And bring him the news of forgiveness…
And when this news reached him – how he rushed to the empty tomb to make sure that the Lord had risen and that everything was still possible, that it was not too late to repent, that it was not too late to return to Him, that it was not too late to become His faithful disciple again. And indeed, later, when he met Christ by the Sea of Tiberias, Christ did not ask about his betrayal, but only whether he still loved Him…
Love proved to be stronger than fear and death, stronger than threats, stronger than the horror of any danger, and where reason and conviction did not save the disciples from fear, love overcame everything… Thus, throughout the history of the world, both pagan and Christian, love conquers. The Old Testament tells us that love is as strong as death: it alone can contend with death – and win.
And therefore, when we examine our conscience in relation to Christ, in relation to our Church, in relation to the closest or distant people, to our homeland, – let us ask ourselves not about our convictions, but about our love. And whoever has a heart so loving, so faithful and unwavering in love, as was the case with the timid Joseph, the secret disciple Nicodemus, the quiet Myrrh-bearing Women, the traitor Peter, the young John – whoever has such a heart will withstand torture, fear, threats, and remain faithful to his God, to his Church, to his neighbors, to those far away, and to everyone.
And whoever has only strong convictions, but a cold heart, a heart that has not been kindled with such love that can burn away all fear, let him know that he is still fragile, and ask God for this gift of weak, fragile, but such faithful, such invincible love. Amen.
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