Gospel Reflection Mar 31 – Dcn Stephen Petrill
Sunday, March 31
Easter Sunday The Resurrection of the Lord
John 20: 1-9
Gospel:
On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.
Gospel Reflection:
This Sunday we celebrate Easter, the culmination of the Lenten season and the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a day of immense joy and hope, for the resurrection is the central event of our faith; one that witnesses the power of God and his victory over sin and death. The resurrection is also an invitation to new life and new beginnings through, with, and in the Risen Lord.
This is a reality that Christ’s disciples grew into, as we see in Sunday’s Gospel. Mary Magalene comes to the tomb in the early morning while it is still dark and grows fearful when she sees the stone has been removed. Peter and John race to the tomb because they heard that Jesus was missing, and they want to find him. They don’t understand what is really going on yet. But what they lack in knowledge they make up for with love. Mary Magdeline approaches Christ, even in the darkness because she loves him. Peter and John race to find the Lord, even though they don’t quite know where he is, because they love him and want to find him.
As we celebrate Easter Sunday and move into the Easter Season, may we too begin by focusing on our love of Christ, our devotion, and our desire to be close to him, even if we don’t understand or know exactly where to find him. Like those first disciples, the Risen Lord will reveal himself to us, take that love and devotion, and through the power of his love, transform it into a deep, abiding, and confident faith. Happy Easter to all!
Deacon Stephen Petrill