Word to the Wise
Sunday, April 16, 2017 - 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),59]"Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" [Luke] "Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. [John]
"Christ is risen! Alleluia!" That is the true Easter proclamation! Its first proclamation, however, was a source of confusion and worry. His body is missing? Was it stolen? The scriptures for this day show us this initial reaction and the growing understanding of what had happened. This understanding and belief did not happen all at once. Even after the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus, it took the coming of the Holy Spirit to completely ignite in the disciples the faith that we take for granted today. What John "saw and believed" was probably related to Jesus' promise to return to the Father who had sent him. The disciples on the road to Emmaus had to be instructed in the scriptures to understand what had happened.
We stand on the shoulders of 2000+ years of Easter proclamation by Christians who staked their lives on the events of Holy Week. We also have our own faith in Jesus as the one whom God sent. the "Prologue" to the Gospel According to John says it simply, "But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name." One commentator says that the stone at the tomb was not rolled back so that Jesus could get out, but so that we could get in and see that death had no power over the Lord of life.
It is all the events of Jesus life, death and resurrection that are saving events. Jesus is the one whom God has sent. If we accept this, we can truly proclaim "Christ is risen! He is truly risen, alleluia!" AMEN
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