RESURRECTION: THE GLORY OF THE EMPTY TOMB
          Happy Easter! To emphasize and underscore how important this day is for us,
St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians could not express it better when he said, “If Christ has not been raised, then empty is our preaching; empty, too, our faith. If Christ has not been raised, our faith is in vain.” In trying to grasp and understand why the resurrection of
Jesus is considered to be the most central and most important article of our Catholic faith, it would be helpful to look at the scenario, the circumstances, surrounding the resurrection and the personalities of those who first witnessed the resurrection of Jesus. 
      It’s quite interesting that the first messenger of the resurrection, the very first one who announced that Jesus was no longer in the tomb, was Mary Magdala. In the Scriptures, Mary Magdala is referred to as the woman who was possessed with seven demons; she was also referred to in other biblical references as a prostitute, a scarlet woman who eventually turned to the Lord for forgiveness and was purified. Her experience of conversion was so powerful that, after Christ purified her, she became a disciple and was present in the most difficult points of Jesus’ life, especially during his crucifixion. She loved the Lord so much that it must have been devastating for her to see Jesus undergo the Passion and eventually be crucified. We were told that she went to visit the tomb of Jesus very early in the morning. The Greek word that was used for the word “early” is proi, which is the technical word for the last four watches into which the night was divided, which ran from 3am to 6am. Since Jesus died on a Friday, she could not go to the tomb the following day on a Saturday, the Sabbath, because to make that journey would break the Sabbath law, so she had to wait for Sunday to make her first visit to the tomb of Jesus. She could not wait for it—that’s why she came very early, the first opportunity that was allowed. It’s truly amazing how dedicated and loving she was toward Jesus. That’s why it should not be surprising that she was the very first person whom Jesus appeared to. A known sinner, who embraced conversion, a woman who was considered to be a second class citizen during the time of Jesus, was the first messenger of the resurrection. What does this tell us? It tells us that the resurrection of Christ can only have meaning for us if our lives are turned to him. Our past is not important—what counts is our present relationship with him. With the horrific suffering that Christ endured, my humanity in me asks the question, why did Christ not appear first to Pilate or to the Pharisees who put him to death—wouldn’t one quick appearance prove that they were wrong? But he never appeared to them—he appeared first to those who truly loved and cared for him. It’s only with loving eyes that we can see the Risen Lord. Do we have that dedication, devotion and commitment that Mary Magdala had to Jesus after her conversion? Do we seek him out? When do we usually turn to him? Mary Magdala could not wait to visit Jesus’s tomb—do you spend quality time to be with God? Do we only remember him once in awhile or when things are going well?
     One could say or raise the question: but Father, when Mary Magdala found that the tomb was empty, she did not think right away that Jesus resurrected from the dead; she might have thought that someone removed his body—that’s not the point.  If we continue reading this Gospel story, the scene that immediately follows was Mary weeping at the tomb wondering where they brought Jesus’ body, and it was in her agony that Jesus appeared to her—and when Jesus called her name, she recognized that it was indeed Jesus. There are times in our lives when we might not know where God is, especially when we are struck with deep problems, sudden loss, an unexpected turn of events – it is in those moments, though, when God meets us where we are, showing us that his tomb is empty because he has power over death, and that he always has the final word. Mary Magdala could not see the Risen Christ right away, even though she was the very first witness, because her eyes were covered with grief— her loss was beyond her. That is natural but, at the same time, we must never allow our tears, our problems no matter how seemingly unsurmountable they are, to blind us of the glory of heaven and the nearness of God to us.
     My profoundest congratulations to those who received the various sacraments of initiation at our Easter Vigil this year. Some of them have journeyed for a long time, have undergone years of soul-searching, to arrive at this very crucial point in their lives. They have answered the invitation of the Lord with openness, docility and perseverance. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the two RCIA teams (English and Spanish) who have been such a formidable, loving and caring support to the RCIA participants. Our parish is so blessed to have  very dedicated, faith-filled, compassionate, fun and loving RCIA teams led by Mike and Peggy Flanigan (English), Jessica Rios and Letty Rodriguez (Spanish). Let us continue to lift up to the Lord those who received the sacraments at the Easter Vigil that they may remain steadfast in the faith and walk in the light of Christ.
Happy Easter! – Fr. Cary