The resurrection of our Lord

“1 On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”

3 So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; 5 he bent down and saw the burial cloth there but did not go in. 6 When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there 7 and the cloth that had covered his head, not with burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.

8 Then the other disciple also went in, the one who arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. 9 For they did not yet understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead.”

*** Didn’t our Lord Jesus Christ give His apostles and disciples prophecies of His death that He would be handed down to the chief priests to suffer and die on the cross and on the third day be raised from the dead? Now you may ask: Why did Mary Magdalene go to the tomb so early in the morning when it was still dark? For sure, she, too, took the words of our Lord Jesus seriously; she probably got curious and wanted to check things for herself.

Allow me to do a reflection from 1 Corinthians 15: 13-14, which says, “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then empty is our preaching; empty, too is your faith.” What a beautiful preaching on the truth that, indeed, Christ has been raised from the dead because this is where all our hopes are pinned on — that when it is time for us to die here on this earth, we too shall be raised on the last day and enjoy our eternal reward in heaven.

The second gospel reading for those who go to Holy Mass in the afternoon comes from Luke 24: 13-35 on the Road to Emmaus.

“13 Now that very day, two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus 14 and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. 15 And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, 16 but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19 And he replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to him, “The thing that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 who our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him.

21 But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. 22 Some women from our group, however, have astounded us; they were at the tomb early in the morning 23 and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive.

24 Then some of us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory? 27 Then beginning from Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures.

28 As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. 29 But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.30 And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. 31 With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. 32 Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning (within us) while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us? So they returned to Jerusalem.”

How lucky was Cleopas and his friend for our Lord Jesus Christ made them understand completely what was prophesied about Him from the time of Moses and the prophets. How lucky that while listening to Him, their hearts were burning with the zeal of the Holy Spirit. Then our Lord Jesus Christ gave them His body in the Holy Eucharist. What a great blessing on Easter Sunday!

*** For email responses to this article, write to vsbobita@mozcom.com or vsbobita@gmail.com. His columns can be accessed through www.philstar.com.