Word to the Wise
Sunday, April 24, 2011 - Easter Sunday: The Resurrection of the Lord; The Mass of Easter Day - ABC
[Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8; John 20:1-9 or Luke 24:13-35 (for afternoon Masses)]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. 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." So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first......"
Amid the solemnity and glory of the Lord's Resurrection and the constant echo of "Alleluia!" from joyful voices in churches around the world, I find something humorous that has implications completely in keeping with what all of the celebration demands! This requires that we get up early in our imagination to join Mary Magdalene and stumble in the dark along the way that leads past the place of the crucifixion and over to the tomb. Since it is dark we have to get close enough to see that the stone in front of the tomb entrance has been rolled back! UH, OH......! Now the humorous part begins because we are told that Mary RAN to tell Peter and John, and that they in turn RAN back to see for themselves and that John RAN FASTER and arrived first! Are WE out of breath? Are we amazed that these folks could run like that? I'm not sure I could, at least not at this point in my life!
Under certain circumstances, we summon the adrenalin necessary to do amazing things. The "circumstances" today are certainly beyond the normal and create an urgency that can propel us beyond our ordinary abilities! Or do they now? Most of the running that I experience on Easter Sunday nowadays is by youngsters hunting Easter eggs, or cooks running to get dinner ready! Amazement and excitement at the Resurrection of the Lord are not the predominant features. An internal "faith-happiness" at Mass (perhaps more intense for those who are received into the church at the Easter Vigil) is the more likely thing! We will say, "Happy Easter!" many times. Our brothers and sisters of the Eastern Church do better with their" "Christ is risen!" greeting. However, it's not likely to set us to running to tell others! The wild and intense running on that fateful day has become "domesticated" in our celebration! If we are out of breath at the end of the day, we've been running to Mass, running back home, running to get food and drink ready, running after little ones headed in the wrong direction, trying to digest a big meal.....all part of contemporary celebration! If only we could show the same urgency to tell the world, "HE IS RISEN! ALLELUIA!" Mary Magdalen, Peter and John can inspire us and cheer us on! RUN!, RUN! HE IS RISEN! ALLELUIA! AMEN
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