Today is Easter Sunday, the Sunday of the Resurrection. We have prepared for this day with forty days of Lent, and we have experienced the liturgies of the Sacred Triduum. On Holy Thursday, we gave thanks for our Lord’s institution of the Holy Eucharist. On Good Friday, we walked together with Our Lord his bitter passion. On Holy Saturday, we watched and waited, most especially with Mary, Our Lady. And on Saturday evening, with the Easter vigil, we began the season of Easter, continuing our solemn celebration in the Masses of Easter day.
In the Gospel, we heard of the experience of the disciples and the empty tomb. They came to the tomb, saw, and only then, did they believe. Until then, they had not understood what Our Lord was saying about his resurrection. St. Augustine writes that “they were so accustomed to hear parables from Him, that they took this for a parable, and thought He meant something else” (Catena aurea, vol. 4, pg. 475, 2014). Basically, the apostles thought that Jesus was telling them another pious story when he was talking about his resurrection. They see the reality of the empty tomb, and that spurs them on to belief. Notice, however, that they did not see the Risen Lord. I think that at times a similar thing happens with us, who are already believers in Christ. Like the apostles, we too at times think that some of Jesus’ promises, some of the things that Our Lord says in the Gospels are just pious stories, that do not really correspond to reality. With His resurrection, Jesus Christ reminds his followers, of all times and ages, that His words carry weight, authority and power, and that His words are trustworthy. Jesus Christ speaks His words as true God, and true man, united in one person, and his words should spur us on to greater faith and trust.
Mary Magdalene, too, has an experience of the Risen Lord. Though initially she mistakes Him for someone else, she recognizes Jesus when He calls her by name: “Mary.” Our Lord is the Good Shepherd, who recognizes his sheep, and knows them by name, as the Gospel of John states (The New Interpreter’s Study Bible, pg. 1949, 2003). It is important for us, this Easter, to recognize ourselves as sheep, whom the good Master knows. Jesus comes to us in our daily circumstances, in our being a child, a youth, an adult, or a senior, and he knows us by name. To know someone by name is to know someone well, even very well. We are not nameless, faceless beings, but people whom God loves, as individuals, and as members of the human race. Our Risen Lord wants to introduce us to the Father – His Father, and our Father. Our Lord deeply desires us to live in such a way that we will be able to go up to heaven at the hour of our death. Our Lord knows us by name.
There is yet another person mysteriously present in the Easter mysteries. This is Mary, the Mother of the Crucified and Risen Christ. The name Mary, according to Saint Bede, signifies “mistress, enlightened, enlivener, star of the sea” (Catena aurea, vol. 4, pg. 481, 2014). The hardest day for the apostles and disciples was Holy Saturday, the day after the Passion, when all seemed lost. All the apostles and disciples scattered. Mary, our Lady, kept the faith, and this is one of the reasons why every Saturday is devoted to her honour. We asked Mary to help us live our Lent well. Let us now ask her to help us live well these days of Easter celebrations.
Brothers and sisters, Christ is truly risen. His words are trustworthy. He knows each one of us by name. Let us allow the Easter season to further build our faith, hope and love.
Chrystus zmartwychwstał – prawdziwie zmartwychwstał.Christ is risen – He is truly risen.
(Fr. Paweł Ratajczak, OMI, March 31, 2024)