April 24, 2011
Easter
They stayed at the cross and came to the tomb -- the women! There is an earthquake and angelic pronouncement: "Be not afraid. I know whom you seek. He is not here. Go tell the disciples that the He goes before you. You will see him." Mary of Magdala and the other Mary, still frightened yet overjoyed, run to tell the good news. Jesus appears to them! Like the women, we may be looking for Jesus in the wrong places. When we leave and tell others that he has been raised, we too will see him. We see Jesus in Pam (our catechumen) and in Cassandra, Linda and Rachel (our candidates) who received the Easter Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion during the Vigil. We see Jesus in this assembly. We hear the voice of Jesus in the liturgy of the Word. We touch Jesus in Holy Communion -- Eucharist. We encounter the Risen One in all the precious sacraments of life: birthing and dying, loving and serving, forgiving and healing. And there is another place! Jesus tells us where to look in chapter 25 of the Gospel according to Matthew. We will see Jesus in the least of our brothers and sisters. When we recognize the dignity of vulnerable and forgotten persons in our society, we begin to see Christ disguised in the poor. If we keep our eyes open today, we will see the Risen Lord hidden in likely and unlikely places. He assures us at the end of the Gospel that he will be with always even until the end of time. Look for him.
Previous:
Palm Sunday
