Easter Sunday (C)

(Edited) Sunday Reflections for Liturgical Years 2011 (A), 2012 (B), and 2013 (C)

Easter Sunday (C), March 31, 2013

Liturgical readings
Acts 10:34, 37-43
Psalm 118
Colossians 3:1-4
John 20:1-9

"He saw and believed."

The gospel passage from John 20:1-19 presents a sign of the Lord's Resurrection. This passage in the Jerusalem Bible is subtitled "The empty tomb". How did the Jerusalem Bible translation present the resurrection event? The gospel narrative begins with Mary of Magdala going to the burial site. After Mary Magdalene reached the tomb she discovered it empty. Surprise by what she saw, and probably filled with mixed emotions, she went in haste to report to Simon Peter and to John exactly what she saw. Both Simon Peter and John went to the burial site running. John arrived first, being younger and faster, but he did not go inside the tomb. When Simon Peter arrived, he went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths lying on the ground. John entered the tomb also; when he saw with his own eyes, he believed.

There are many interpretations of this Resurrection event in the gospel of John. One interpretation is given by Scripture scholar MacRae. He made a study of this gospel passage. Since verse 9 of John's gospel says that "they had not yet understood the teaching of Scripture, that the Lord must rise from the dead", then the disciple whom the Lord loved, did not really know that Jesus had indeed risen. What he had faith in, was the word of the Lord - that He would indeed return to the Father, as He had promised after He entered into His Passion and Death. (cf. John 16:26-28). So MacRae's understanding of John's "he saw and he believed" was that John remembered the words that Jesus spoke about His death and rising again. It would take risen appearances of the Lord for all apostles to verify that indeed Jesus has risen.

Faith is a gift from God. The beloved disciple saw with the eyes of faith, because he believed in the words of the Lord before the events of the Passion and Death on the Cross took place. All the faithful too are called to believe in the words of Jesus. All are called to believe and have faith in the Word Himself - Jesus, our Lord and Savior, who became man like us except for sin, that we may learn the Way to salvation. We receive this faith at our baptism, and are entasked to nourish it daily with prayer, the Sacraments, and works of charity - according to the circumstances of each one's state of life.

Scripture quotes

• "They killed Him..."hanging Him on a tree", only to have God raise Him up on the third day." (Acts 10)
• "The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." (Psalm 118)
• "You have been raised up in company with Christ...set your heart on what pertains to higher realms."(Colossians 3)