EASTER SUNDAY
(Acts.10:34,37-43, Ps.118:1-2,16-17,22-23, Col.3:1-4 & Jn.20:1-9)
MARY MAGDALENE AND THE EMPTY TOMB
Today is Easter Sunday. The day the entire Christendom gathers to celebrate with great joy JESUS’ GLORIOUS RESURRECTION, with a resounding chorus of joy: ALLELUIA! THE LORD HAS RISEN.The Devil has been defeated through JESUS’ GLORIOUS RESURRECTION.Therefore, the entire Church, gathers to celebrate this eternal victory of Christ over sin and death.
Nevertheless, it must be observed that, THE VERY FIRST EASTER DAY did not begin on a joyous note for Jesus’ Followers. Peter and the ten remaining apostles where hiding in the Upper Room grieving the death of Jesus as they were filled with the fear of what the Jewish religious authority who killed their Master might do to them.
Meanwhile, very early in the morning after the Sabbath, as today’s Gospel reading (Jn.20:1-9) relates, MARY MAGDALENE went to the tomb to perform the burial rituals that could not be properly done earlier on Friday because of the Passover and the observance of the Sabbath. Hence, the body of Jesus was hurriedly buried owing to the Sabbath preparations. Therefore, Mary Magdalene wasn’t going to the tomb that early morning of the first day of the week, to see the Risen Lord but rather to anoint his body lying in the tomb.
In fact, the main worry of Mary Magdalene was, ‘WHO WILL ROLL OFF FOR HER THE BIG STONE FROM THE TOMB?’ However, when she arrived at the tomb she discovered that the stone had been removed already and that the tomb was empty. She then ran to tell her story to Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved, that, they have stolen away Jesus’ body. On hearing this, Peter in turn hurried to the tomb with the other disciple. The other disciple reached the tomb first but did not enter and when Peter came later, he entered and witnessed the empty tomb and then he understood, what Jesus had told them earlier while with them that, “he had to rise from the dead.” The other disciple then entered, saw and believed. This was the moment that their mourning was turned into joy, and they began to proclaim, that THE LORD HAS RISEN!
Obviously, the faith and love of Mary Magdalene is quite remarkable. But first let us get it clear who this Mary Magdalene actually is. Mary Magdalene is often been confused by some scholars with the repentant woman who anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair and whose name wasn’t recorded in the Gospels.
However, Mary Magdalene is rather the woman, whom Jesus had driven seven demons out of her as recorded in Mk.16:9. Each of these seven demons must have raked the life of woman. Such that, right from the moment she was delivered and healed, Mary Magdalene had remained a prominent disciple of Jesus and never looked back in following the Lord. She was among those who provided for Jesus and his Apostles out of their own resources.
Therefore, Mary Magdalene must have been a gracious woman of immense substance. She remained among the very few who followed Jesus with Mary the mother of Jesus to Calvary, when many of His disciples had fled for fear. And being the eve of the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene was not able to embalm the body of Jesus as it should. However, she remarked the tomb and planned to go there very early after the Sabbath. This is love and faith in action.
On this Mary Magdalene was the very first of disciple of Jesus to discover the empty tomb and she announced this to Peter and the other apostles. On this, she is over the years being referred to as THE APOSTLE OF THE APOSTLES. Again, according to the Synoptic Gospel accounts, Mary Magdalene is the one to whom the Risen Lord appeared first and was asked to go and tell his disciples. This explains the reason why Pope Francis in 2016 raised the Memorial of St Mary Magdalene to the dignity of a FEAST, (July 22), the same rank given to the liturgical celebration of the Apostles.
Like Mary Magdalene, we in our own era, are the present apostles of the Risen Lord. WE ARE THEREFORE, CALLED TO RUN WITH JOY TO SHARE AND PROCLAIM TO OTHERS THE RISEN LORD, BY THE WAY WE LIVE AND UPHOLD THE VALUES WHICH JESUS DIED FOR. For us to do this effectively, we have to firstly develop a strong COURAGE, FAITH AND LOVE in the Risen Lord as Mary Magdalene did. We have to accept the Good News of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection not with SCEPTICAL DOUBT but with TRUSTING FAITH AND JOYFUL WONDERMENT.
To know the Lord Jesus and experience the power of His resurrection is at the heart of bearing Him befitting witness with our lives, giving Him the first place in our lives and allowing His teaching and values to determine and colour our daily decisions and choices. As we experience the Risen Lord, may we be healed and strengthened all the more to make Him known and loved. HAPPY EASTER TO YOU ALL.
Reflection by
Fr Damian Ikemefuna Ozokwere cssp