Every day of Lent, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb of Jesus early on Easter morning but found it to be empty. Not yet realizing what had happened, she went to Simon Peter and the apostle John (“the other disciple whom Jesus loved”) and relayed, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”
It took some time to process these events. Peter and John ran to the tomb. John got there ahead of Peter, but would not enter before him. Peter, who was the head of the apostles, would need to go in first. When Peter went into the tomb, scripture writes, “He saw and believed.” Jesus was not taken from the tomb by anybody. He was alive.
Can you imagine it? On Good Friday Jesus was buried. His heart was not beating, his brain had stopped working, his muscles went stiff, and he didn’t breathe for three days. But in the darkness of that tomb on Easter morning: his heart started to beat, his lungs filled with air, his limbs moved, and he stood up. He folded his burial shroud, the stone moved, the grave opened, and Jesus walked back into the world again.
The Resurrection of Jesus proves God’s love for us. Even though we crucified him, the wood of the cross representing all that is wrong with us, God still came back for us. Even though so many of his followers abandoned him on Calvary, Jesus would not abandon them — not even death could keep him away from us.
The Resurrection gives each of us who follow Jesus the hope that we will rise from the dead as well. Not only will we rise again in the resurrection of our bodies on the Last Day, but we can rise right now, in this moment. Knowing that we follow Jesus, who is with us, causes our hearts and minds to lift up to God. Jesus, present to us, lifts us out of the darkness and into the light. If we are burdened by sin, his forgiveness takes the weight of that burden from us. And if we are caught in the despair of physical or mental anguish, knowing that he is there to help carry the cross with us, helps to lift the load of whatever difficulties we carry, for his yoke is easy and his burden in light.
Every comfort we receive from Jesus is a small hint of the Resurrection that will come for us. Of course, this still requires faith, and faith leads to submitting ourselves to the will of God, which we pray will be done even on this earth, as it is in Heaven.
Because Jesus lives, I live too. And so does everyone who calls him Lord.
If that is not a cause for joy, I don’t know what is!
Happy Easter everyone. Let us thank the Lord for returning to us from the grave.
And have a blessed week!