Love Calls Us Back to the Place Where We Belong
March 27, 2005
Easter Sunday
Father Ned Brown, LC
John 20:1-9
On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning while it was still dark, and saw that the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one 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 to look in 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 lying with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he had to rise from the dead.
Introductory Prayer:Lord, amid the trials and difficulties of life I sometimes fail to see your saving presence and providential plan of salvation. Grant me faith, Lord, in exactly those moments, so my hope in you will not falter. Lead me to a deeper experience of faith and a deeper commitment to your love.
Petition:In experiencing the power and glory of your resurrection, Lord, grant me deeper faith, trust and loyalty to your divine love.
1. Always Darkest Before the Dawn.Mary was seeking Jesus in the tomb. Because she didnÂ’t find him, she erroneously concluded his body had been stolen. Let us contemplate her darkness in not finding him so as to appreciate her later joy in the Resurrection. What are my own reactions to events that disappoint or discourage me? Do I jump to conclusions? How much time passes before I believe? Will love call me back?
2. At the Speed of Love. If Mary Magdalene’s faith was lacking, her love for Our Lord was still very much alive and operative. She was at the tomb because she loved. After the Blessed Virgin, Mary Magdalene was perhaps the most fervent in love of all the women that ministered to Our Lord. The Gospel of St. John suggests as much, deliberately mentioning only her and saying nothing of the others who were with her, as the other Evangelists do. Mary’s primary urgency of love is a reminder that we can and must search for Christ with love in spite of the obstacles that are before us. We have Mary Magdalene’s example to guide us when we face apparent failures -- the “empty tombs” in our lives. Mary’s lamp of love was still burning, like that of the five wise virgins upon the return of their lord (cf. Matthew 25:1-13). Love sped Mary back to the tomb to be in Christ’s presence. Our Lord would not deny it to her.
3. Fidelity Makes the Difference. Scripture’s testimony to John’s faith upon entering the tomb was that “he saw and believed.” Peter’s faith in this scene still remains somewhat on the fence. But for John, his faith was secure. What was the difference between two men? Fidelity. John at the crucifixion was at the foot of the cross with Mary, Christ’s mother. Peter fled at Our Lord’s most desperate moment of need. There is something about fidelity that quickens faith. Thanks be to God for Peter (and for us) that Christ didn’t give up on him. And if Christ didn’t give up on Peter, then we can’t give up on ourselves. Let us learn the lesson of conversion that we see in Peter and the lesson of fidelity that John’s example teaches us. Fidelity opens the road to a deeper faith. Infidelity slows faith’s progress.
Dialogue with Christ: My dear Jesus, I may have failed you in the past. I may not have always lived faithful to the experiences of love and fidelity that you have shown me. My failure to do your will, my fear of the cross I must bear, and my weak faith all need to be conquered by the power of your resurrection. Accept what imperfect love I do have, and let me run to you as my refuge and strength.
Resolution: I will look for and seize the opportunities to serve my brothers and sisters without looking for anything in retur