Today is the feast of feasts, when we celebrate the resurrection and it’s becoming part of us. Christ’s great gift to us, his selflessness in dying for humankind, is a mystery that we celebrate at every Mass throughout the year. But today is the day of days which, following our liturgy of the Triduum, helps us to live the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection as though it were happening before our eyes.
Today, we are invited to go with Mary to the tomb. Seeing it standing open, empty, we question what has happened. Pondering all of this, we return with the disciples and, viewing the linen cloths on the ground, we believe. There has to be a belief here. There has to be a moment when we open our hearts to the belief in the resurrected Jesus.
Today we reignite our belief with that of our fellow journeyers, with the Sacraments, the Gospels and the traditions of the Church as our guide and food.
GOSPEL
A reading from the Gospel according to John (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 from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved.
‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb’ she said ‘and we don’t know where they have put him.’
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 who was following now came up, went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths 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.
Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed. Till this moment they had failed to understand the teaching of scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.