Easter Sunday of The Resurrection of The Lord

Jan 14 2025

Scripture Study for

In today’s first reading, Peter announces that the story of Jesus from his baptism, through his ministry, to his death and resurrection has been reported all over the land. He explains the mystery of Jesus in terms of prophetic expectation, at once both reinterpreting earlier prophetic tradition and developing new theological insight. With just a few words, Peter places Jesus at the heart of both the prophetic and the apocalyptic traditions of Israel. He insists that the power of the Resurrection is not circumscribed by ethnic or religious origin. It is open to all who believe in Jesus. This is truly good news to the Gentiles.

The passage from Colossians contains the fundamental teaching about the Resurrection and how it transforms the lives of Christians. It is set against the backdrop of ancient cosmology. Two different realms are delineated: the world above and the world below. Christ rose from the dead and is now in the realm of heaven, seated at God’s right hand. Christians believe that they are joined to Christ. Having died with him, they have also risen with him. Here is an example of the complex eschatological view, “already, but not yet.” Joined to Christ, Christians are living in the final age already, but this age of fulfillment is not yet complete.

The Resurrection stories begin with a report of Mary Magdalene’s visit to the tomb. The stone had been moved, but she does not entertain the possibility of Jesus’ resurrection, only the removal of his body. She runs off to tell Peter and “the other disciple” (John 20:2). The choice of this reading for Easter Sunday highlights the incomprehensibility of the event. The fact that neither Mary, probably Jesus’ closest female disciple, nor Peter, the leader of the Christian community, was prepared spontaneously to embrace the truth of the Resurrection should caution us lest we too glibly presume to grasp it. There is much in the reality of the Resurrection that continues to challenge us.

Jan 08 2025

Christ is Risen! Let’s Dance!

In her grief and uncertainty, Mary of Magdala is heavy of heart and slow of foot: she “comes” to the tomb, looking. She does not understand. Jesus is dead. Gone. Dead. Truly dead.

On this early Easter morning, what are you and I looking for? Like Mary, we too can be heavy of heart and slow of foot. A twelve-year-old girl asked me recently, “If Jesus is really God, why doesn’t he just fix all the bad things?” In the pre-dawn uncertainties of our day, we too do not understand.

But then the Gospel begins to pick up speed as the sun rises: watch the feet. Mary of Magdala sees the stone rolled away from the tomb; she takes off running. Peter and the other disciple come running. The younger man runs faster. When his sandals come back out of the tomb, they are dancing and boogying, hopping and frolicking—you can see it in his feet—the young man sees and believes! He knows! Peter dashes in, too. He is amazed. Where could Jesus be?

Watch the feet of a toddler. At the wonder of the first crocus, her whole body gets involved—her arms flap, her back sways, and her eyes radiate delight. Even before she is able to talk, she experiences joy; full of life, full of wonder—look at her face, her smile, her feet.

Look at the natural world. A month ago, my yard looked dead— deep snow, bare twigs. Now the raspberry canes are popping with tiny green leaves. The soil is warming. Even the chickadees flit at the bird feeder—just watch their feet!

The beauty of the visible world leads us to the invisible One. Candles, music, lights, movement—even the liturgy itself is like a dance. We sing “Alleluia!” Easter is real. Jesus is alive!

Consider/Discuss

The tomb is empty. The Lord is alive. Lent is over. Death and darkness and despair and uncertainty are not the final answer. What are our feet going to do today? This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad. Are you ready to dance?
On this Easter morning, you and I are also looking for the certainty of faith. The darkness cannot and must not be our final answer. We are looking for the Son. Even though we cannot totally comprehend resurrection, where do you find tastes of new life?

Living and Praying with the Word

Jesus our risen Lord, you have been set free! Open the tombs of our hearts so that we swell with your Easter joy. We thank you for transforming us from the plodding of pre-dawn heaviness to this moment when the sun comes up, when you are risen! Lighten our feet so that we too start to dance and boogie, hop and frolic, with the gift of certainty that you live. Glory to you forever and ever! Alleluia!

Jan 08 2025

Scripture Study for

Peter’s speech occurs within the story of Cornelius (Acts 10). Summoned by the Romans, Peter gives all those gathered in his house the gospel “in a nutshell”: Jesus was anointed by God to preach and to heal, especially those “oppressed by the devil” (including those bound by the power of sin). Despite his good deeds, Jesus was crucified, but then was raised from the dead. Now he has sent others to carry on his mission of preaching and forgiving sin, freeing those in bondage to its power. As if to give divine confirmation to the mission to the Gentiles, the Holy Spirit comes upon Peter’s audience, who are baptized, the first Gentile converts to the Way.

Colossians reminds us that the resurrection of Christ, while a unique event, is not isolated, but in fact has brought about a new order in the cosmos, in which the baptized are called to participate in Christ. Like Christ, they have died to earthly things, those aspects of the world that are opposed to Christ. Now “raised,” believers actually live “above” with Christ, and must act accordingly. When Christ appears again, this new life, now “hidden” (accessible only by faith), will be revealed in all its glory. In the meantime, though hidden it offers the baptized a new perspective and new way of living that must be manifest in earthly conduct.

When Mary Magdalene sees the empty tomb, she thinks at first that perhaps Jesus’ body has been stolen. The Evangelist spends some time, however, describing the empty linens, something thieves would not take the time to leave behind. We remember that when Lazarus (who would die again) was raised, he came forward in his linens. Jesus, who will not die again, has left the linens, like death itself, behind. When the Beloved Disciple sees the empty tomb and the linens, he “believes” that Jesus has been raised from the dead and not stolen, but he does not yet fully comprehend the meaning of the Resurrection. Understanding only comes when one encounters the resurrected Lord.

Dec 16 2024

A Day to Believe In

Peter traces the scope and the spread of the gospel. He states that the power of Jesus’ ministry flowed from his having been anointed by God with the Holy Spirit. It was in and through this power that he performed good works. Peter himself was a witness to all of these wonders. Although Jesus’ ministry began with his baptism by John, it continues through people like Peter who are commissioned to preach the gospel and to bear witness to it. The power of the Resurrection is open to all who believe in Jesus. This is truly good news to the Gentiles.

The short passage from Colossians contains the fundamental teaching about the Resurrection and the way the death and resurrection of Christ transform the lives of Christians. It contrasts the world above (heaven) and the world below (earth). Having risen from the dead, Christ is now in the realm of heaven. True Christian behavior flows from belief in this reality. Joined with Christ, believers are already with Christ in God. This is not merely a dimension of Christians’ future expectation, it is an already-accomplished fact. They have not left this world, but they are summoned to be attentive to the things of another world.

The Gospel reading’s reference to darkness rather than the dawn of a new day may be the author’s way of incorporating the light/darkness symbolism. The stone had been moved from Jesus’ tomb and Mary of Magdala presumed that his body had been taken away. She seems to have entertained no thought of his resurrection. She ran off to tell Peter and “the other disciple,” an example of how Jesus’ disciples did not understand the scriptures concerning his resurrection. They would need both a Resurrection experience and the opening of their minds to the meaning of the scriptures. Neither Mary, probably Jesus’ closest female disciple, nor Peter, the leader of the Christian community, nor “the other disciple” grasped the truth of the Resurrection.

Dec 16 2024