Easter Sunday – The Empty Tomb

While the details within and among the gospels vary, all record that Jesus’ body, after his death on the cross, was laid in a tomb provided by Joseph of Arimathea. All four gospels then come to their crowning point in the account of the Resurrection, but each in its own way. They all agree that women came to the tomb:

  • After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning” (Matthew 28:1)
  • When the sabbath was over…Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week” (Mark 16:1-2)
  • But at daybreak on the first day of the week” (Luke 24:1)
  • On the first day of the week…early in the morning, while it was still dark” (John 20:1)

All agree that the Sabbath was complete and it was the first day of the week – Sunday in the Christian reckoning. One might notice that the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) all report that the sun was rising in the dawn of this new day, however, John reports that it was still dark. One needs to remember that John uses “dark” to describe unknowing, unbelief and things similar rather than time of day. In the Johannine gospel “unknowing” is an apt description of Mary Magdalene and the disciples.

If you would like to read more about the Johannine narrative of Easter Mornring, click the button below


Image credit: Canva | George Corrigan | CC-0

Friendship

In Genesis 2 we read the very human descriptions of the role of humankind: “The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it.” (Gen 2:15)  Seems as though our first “vocation” is as gardener. Gen 2:8 specifically calls it a “garden.”  And the “chief gardener” could be found here and there in His garden: “the LORD God walking about in the garden at the breezy time of the day.” (Gen 3:8)

In today’s Gospel, Mary Magdalene encounters a person she thinks is a gardener. Actually, she’s not wrong. St. Gregory the Great in his sermon on this gospel wrote: “Perhaps this woman was not as mistaken as she appeared to be when she believed that Jesus was a gardener. Was he not spiritually a gardener for her when he planted the fruitful seeds of virtue in her heart by the force of his love?” Continue reading

Towards a fullness of faith

Next Sunday is the 2nd Easter of Sunday. You can read a complete commentary on the Gospel here.

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 (Jesus) said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. 23 Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Continue reading