Yes, Jesus is truly risen from the dead!
No doubt Mary Magdalene and the other women, who walked to the tomb early that morning, thought that all was lost after the death of Jesus, although they had a vague memory of Jesus talking about dying and rising again – it was a faraway dream… They find the tomb empty! How indignant they are at the thought that someone has dared to remove the body of Jesus from the tomb! They go away, sad to be unable to bid their Lord a fitting good-bye.
Mary remained, weeping outside the tomb. Inside the tomb, two angels asked why she is weeping. “She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Turning around, she sees Jesus, but does not recognize him. Then he says: “Why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” As Jesus speaks her name, Mary is suddenly jolted out of her sadness and tears, as she recognizes this man who she thought was the gardener: IT IS JESUS! She then “went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’” and she tells them that he had said these things. She was already carrying out the mission of spreading the Good News of Christ’s Death and Resurrection. (cf. John 20.1-18)
We also are invited to rise with Jesus into new life and to spread the Good News. Are we ready to continue our Journey with the resurrected Christ on our way toward love and union with God now and in eternity?
HAPPY BLESSED EASTER!
Submitted by Sr. Janice Fournier, p.m.
