Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 20, 2-8
On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene 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 do not 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.
Be a witness to the risen Lord
1) They went out. This is John’s attitude. He is a young, strong apostle. And like every young person, he puts passion into what he does. As Christians we should be passionate about our faith and enthusiastically share it with others. John believes in the Master and constantly searches for Him. I believe you’re going to do the same thing: believe in our Master and always search for him. John bore the moment of the Crucifixion, alone with Mary; he put up with criticism and humiliation, like many Christians do nowadays. Christians are persecuted because of their faith all over the world these days. But John withstood the moment of the Crucifixion and now he goes out to confirm that his Master is alive, that Christ lives and reigns and that death has been defeated. Today we have to go out, like John. Let’s stop running around in circles, doing the same thing over and over, wasting time. Let’s go out because Christ is risen, let’s go out and find Jesus because He is alive and find the people who are ‘dead’ so that they can ‘come alive’ with Jesus. Go out and spread the joy of being a Christian. Be cheerful and be youthful. Put passion into what you do, that’s where your strength is, that’s where your faith is, where Christ is alive and risen.
2) He saw. Today, see Jesus again. Try to get together with him. Rekindle that life. Remember that moment when He gave you life: at a retreat, at a Mass, or through someone’s testimony. There are so many ways Jesus can touch people’s lives. Think of the moment when Jesus marked your life. Today, the linen cloths and the bandages are on the floor, but still, they are in order. Christ has already redeemed you. He has removed what binds you. With Him, and in time everything will be in order if you put your life in His hands. Have faith, trust in Jesus Christ. Look around you and see that there is light. Let the bandages fall from your eyes; look in the mirror and notice that you are free, that nothing binds you. Don’t let anything or anyone make you their slave. Jesus has redeemed you and calls you a “Child of God,” because He wants you to be free. He wants you to be his brother or sister, God’s child.
3) Believing. I love the Pope’s phrase “a faith without a crisis is a crisis of faith.” Believing is a process and we walk along the path of faith. There won’t always be a full Wi-Fi connection with God in Heaven. There will be moments when prayer will be hard for you, or you won’t even feel like praying at all. Educate yourself in the faith you believe in, read the life of the Saints, study the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and talk to someone about your doubts. That’s the nice thing about our faith, we can delve into the Word of God to discover the answers to things and find explanations. That is theology. Remember your life and mine is believing, celebrating life, and living to pray.
Never forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you, be with you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
