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Homily for Easter Sunday
2004 - Jn. 20:1-9
by
Father Daniel Meynen
"Now on the first day of
the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still
dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she
ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus
loved, and said to them, « They have taken the Lord out of the
tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him. » Peter then
came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. They
both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb
first; and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there,
but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went
into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had
been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a
place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first,
also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not know the
scripture, that he must rise from the dead."
Homily:
"As yet they did not know
the scripture, that he must rise from the dead."
The disciples of the Lord,
these men and women who had followed Jesus during his public life and
who had been present at his Passion and his Death on the Cross didn't
expect that Christ would return from the dead. For, before it happened,
could they have imagined that a man like Jesus could return to life, to
live for eternity? Could the disciples of Jesus think that, one day,
death would be defeated? Yes and no. There was in fact only one
disciple of the Lord who firmly believed it: it was Mary, the Mother of
Jesus. All the others had only a vague idea of this truth. Faith in the
resurrection was for them but a mere glimmer in their soul, not strong
and powerful enough to lead them to heroism. Mary alone believed it,
and it is because she believed it so strongly that she was present at
all the difficult moments through which her divine Son had to pass,
including the Cross of Calvary.
"On the first day of the
week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark,
and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran,
and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus
loved, and said to them, « They have taken the Lord out of the
tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him. »"
The first reaction of Mary
Magdalene, when she saw that the body of Jesus was no longer in the
tomb, was to run to Simon Peter to tell him this news. The evangelist
doesn't say whether or not Mary Magdalene believed in the Resurrection
of Jesus. But why would she run to Simon Peter if not because she
believed that an important event, primordial for the community of the
disciples, had just happened? Peter is not the person responsible for
watching over the tomb of Jesus: that belonged to Pilate and the Jews
in his service (cf. Mt. 27:62-66). Peter is the person responsible for
the community of the believers. If therefore an event occurs that is
important for the believers in Jesus, it is to Peter above all that it
is necessary to speak of it. That's why, as soon as she saw that the
body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb, Mary Magdalene went to Peter
and related to him all that she saw. Mary Magdalene believed in the
Resurrection of Jesus: all her faith can be seen in how she approached
Simon Peter!
"Peter then came out with
the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. They both ran, but
the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; and
stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did
not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the
tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on
his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by
itself."
Here again, the evangelist
doesn't say if Peter believed in the Resurrection of Jesus. But was it
necessary to say it? Why is Simon called Peter, if not because he is
the guarantor of the faith of the Church? Yes! Peter believed in the
Resurrection of Christ. He said it once for all: "You are the Christ,
the Son of the living God!" (Mt. 16:16) On that solemn day, Peter
proclaimed forever his faith in the Son of the living God. But his
faith, because it is that of the Head of the Church, must, in some way,
materialize in the events of the life of mystical Body of Christ: Peter
and the Church are one, because those who believe in Christ, Son of
God, are all "living stones" (1 Peter 2:4). So Peter proclaims his
faith by going to the tomb, and seeing with his own eyes the linens
arranged in an orderly fashion, an obvious sign of the action of God
who disposes all things with wisdom and care. Peter sees, and, in his
vision, his faith is made concrete and perfected! Peter believes in the
Resurrection of Christ, because the beauty and the order that presides
over this extraordinary event makes him see the splendor of he who was
resurrected!
"Then the other disciple,
who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed."
Saint John enters the tomb,
following Peter. He also believes, and he says so. For he writes this
gospel, and, in writing it, he testifies to his faith. How could he
write without believing in what the Holy Spirit says to him? What he
writes, he does so in faith and through faith in the risen Christ: his
testimony confirms all that the Tradition of the Church has taught
since its foundation. Saint John confirms what Saint Peter accomplished
in act by his words: "He saw and believed." Once again, the order of
the things in the tomb shows the harmony of divine action! The
Resurrection of Christ already announces the final Resurrection that
will re-establish the order in all things!
Let us receive communion in
this spirit on this day, blessed above all others! Let us also believe
in the risen Jesus! May eternal life, through Mary, be given to us
forever!
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