April 9, 2023: The Resurrection of the Lord. The Mass of Easter Day

Gospel: John 20:1-9

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;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.

When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. 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 yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.

Reflection

It is interesting to note how each of the persons in John’s narrative experience the empty tomb. Mary sees the stone rolled away from the entry to the tomb and assumes it is empty. She is distraught and runs to tell Peter and John, fearing that someone has taken away the body of Jesus. Peter and John take off for the tomb to find out for themselves, but they go in – Peter first and then John. We are not really told Peter’s reaction, just what he saw. John sees the same burial cloths neatly placed that Peter saw and, we are told, he believes.

Action

Spend some time placing yourself at the Easter morning empty tomb. What is your experience? Each day this week, the Gospel reading will introduce us to another Easter person. Each has an experience of Jesus risen. Spend some time with each person and their experience of Jesus. Think of your own experience of Jesus.