Easter Sunday, 27th March 2016
"Peter and John run ’together’ to the tomb. John ’saw and believed.’
Ac.10,34a.37-43 Ps.117 Col.3-4 or 1 Co.5,6b-8 Jn.20,1-9
“It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away for the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. ’They have taken the Lord out of the tomb’ she said ’and we don’t know where they have put him.”
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. Not finding Jesus’ body she gets two of the disciples to come, and this will allow them to have a wonderful experience.
Two men come out of the tomb. This means that the Resurrection is not just for Jesus, it is theirs too; it is already mine, it is ours.
When I believe in the Risen Lord Jesus, I also believe in myself who is risen with Him. I am the beloved disciple, I am also invited to follow the ’Only Beloved’, a name that Jesus wants to give us today so as to pass from death to life with Him.
The Gospel teaches us to look at the tomb as a presence and a plenitude on this day of the Resurrection. It is the permanent passage from death to Life, from sadness to joy, from emptiness to hope and from solitude to the peaceful Presence of God. It is Christ who died and who is alive ’for us men and for our salvation’ who begins His work of gathering together all of mankind.
"So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in.
Simon Peter, also following him, came up went into the tomb, saw the linen cloths lying on the ground and also the cloth that had been over his head ; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself."
When Peter and the other disciple left to go to the tomb, they situate the movement of their own life to Christ Jesus’ life.
Peter goes into the tomb, then the beloved disciple makes his way in after him. They go in and then come out of the tomb. The empty tomb is full, it doesn’t
empty, they come to accomplish a gesture which a word is soon going to accompany : ’The announcement of Christ, died and Risen.
It is by faith that we are going to announce the passage of death to Life. The beloved disciple ’sees and believes’. Peter will be approached by Jesus later on: ’Peter, do you love me?’
As far as we are concerned, what is essential is to make the gesture of passing from death to life with the One who was dead and who is now Alive. Today’s Gospel teaches us on this day of the Resurrection to no longer think of our tombs as an absence and of emptiness, but in terms of presence and of plenitude.
“Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in ; he saw and he believed. Till the moment they had still not understood the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.”
On this Morning of the Resurrection, two men, Peter and John, went in and came out of Jesus’ tomb. As what often happens for us also, with the Living Word of God, we accomplish something that we don’t understand first of all, but it is later on we understand.
Peter and John will understand the immensity of what they have lived.
Peter hasn’t yet come back from his denial, and he runs with John. Peter and John run ’together’ to the tomb, they confirm that the tomb is indeed empty.
John, who had received Mary, now understands Jesus’ Word. He believes that Jesus is already risen. Already, he believes in Jesus who makes him rise with Himself.
We ask for a grace of light for ourselves and for all those who are seeking truth.
Each year, in a very fragile manner, the Church makes the same inner journey once more, letting itself be guided by the Word of God. It bears within her the treasures of Eternal life, of Jesus’ Resurrection. For Mary his mother, the Resurrection is on an inner level, in the night of faith. Each one of us can come and warm ourselves close to the Risen Lord Jesus!
This happiness is given in the Church gathered together to implore the immense Love of God.
John, who received Mary in Him, ’saw’ the empty tomb. Something happens in him that is quite surprising and makes all he lived over the last few days, the night of faith, very precise. He is enlightened : ’He saw and he believed.“In an instant, darkness was transformed in light and emptiness in truth : ’Jesus must rise from the dead.”
We ask for the grace to be renewed on this Easter morning, so as to go forward towards the Risen Lord Jesus.
EASTER EVENING MASS
“Jesus said to them, ’You foolish men! So slow to believe all the prophets have said! Now that very same day, two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together of all that had happened.And it happened that as they were talking together and were discussing it, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but their eyes were prevented from recognising him.”
On the night of the Vigil Paschal, the vigil amongst all vigils, we have listened to the Word of God.Meditating upon this Word, we discovered that the Resurrection is an inner mystery. It was first of all in the heart of Mary that it came about, and this happened in a secret manner, through a very intimate experience. Mary who was given to John, was taken hold of by this whole new Fire of Love.
On Easter morning, John and Peter run to the tomb, called to go there by Mary Magdalen. Peter is the first one to go in.As Mary Magdalen said, he sees that the tomb is indeed empty. Jesus is not there. He sees the linen cloths placed there. John, the disciple who had rested his head next to Jesus, saw likewise and he believed! It is his faith that the Church announces! Mary had leaned upon the Word of Jesus. She remained faithful.
"He said to them, ’What are all these things that you are discussing as you walk along?’ They stopped, their faces down cast. Then one of them, called Clophas, answered him, ’You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days.’ He asked, ’What things?’ They answered, ’All about Jesus of Nazareth, who showed himself a prophet powerful in action and speech before God and the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death and
had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And this is not all: two whole days have now gone by since it all happened!’ “We contemplate the Risen Lord Jesus on this Easter evening.”You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days“say the disciples on the road to Emmaus to the companion who joins them. How miserable these two men are :”They stopped, their faces downcast.“They had had such hope in their hearts!” We had thought he would be the Saviour of Israel,’ they tell Jesus. Disappointed, because what they had hoped for did not come about, they are very saddened. Life no longer has any meaning once the “object” of our love is taken away.When the Risen Lord Jesus appears and comes towards them, He offers them comfort. He had always been with those who suffer and who are poor and without anything. Once risen, He spends his first moments with this kind of people.
“Some women of our group have astounded us : they went to the tomb in the early morning, and when they could not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothing’. Then he said to them, ’You foolish men! So slow to believe all that the prophets have said!’”
The disciples of Emmaus tell everything they are carrying inside of themselves and Jesus listens to them. We were deeply affected, they say, by some women in our group who told us about everything they had seen at the empty tomb! The apostles went to have a look, but they did not see the One they were looking for. They were so deeply saddened. The Risen Lord Jesus takes up the Word : “”So you haven’t understood! “Jesus speaks about Himself and the Word of God :”Christ had to suffer before entering in his Glory.“As he was still talking to them, they reached their destination. He goes on his way. so they say to him,”It is nearly evening and the day is almost over. Stay with us." Jesus goes in and sits down at the table. After having shared the bread of the Word, he makes a Blessing…and suddenly they recognise him :’It’s him!’ When they saw him, he vanished from their sight. In His Church, the Risen Lord Jesus keeps on teaching us about His Resurrection. Witnesses of the Resurrection take up the Word to tell of God’s Marvels.