Gospel: Mark 16: 1 - 7
When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.”
Reflection:
Today we celebrate Christ’s victory over the power of sin and death. This is the day when we listen to a series of readings that proclaim God’s constant presence and care for all humanity. It begins with the story of creation, moves through Israel’s miraculous escape from slavery in Egypt, and includes God’s promise of unending love made known by the prophets and fulfilled in Christ.
The Gospel proclaims life, but with a twist. We hear the Resurrection account from Mark’s Gospel with its surprise ending, different from the other Gospels. Mark tells us that the women discovered the empty tomb and then left, filled not with joy but with fear. Clearly, they did not immediately understand what had happened. Their first reaction may have been confusion, but it was not despair.
The Resurrection, the central doctrine of our faith, is the promise of life even in the midst of death. It gives hope and points toward a better future, requiring us to be ready without knowing how or when this might occur.
Today’s celebration is the light we cling to in darkness and difficulty. Even when we lack clear understanding of how God is at work, we — like the women at the tomb that first Easter morning — cling to faith in a loving God who overcomes death with life.
