Christ is truly risen...He is truly risen!

Today's Gospel (Mk 16:1-7): When the Sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint the body.

And very early in the morning on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb. They were saying to one another, «Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?».

But as they looked up, they noticed that the stone had already been rolled away. It was a very big stone.

As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right, and they were amazed. But he said to them, «Don’t be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified; he has been raised and is not here. This is, however, the place where they laid him.
Now go and tell his disciples and Peter: ‘Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there just as he told you’».

Today’s Gospel emphasizes that the young man -the angel- that speaks to the women, joins the two concepts of pain and glory: He who has risen is the same one that was crucified.

St. Leo de Great says: «… (The power of the Cross) the believers receive strength for weakness, glory for shame, life for death»; our everyday Cross is, therefore, the path of Resurrection.

Above and beyond the bliss consequence of Christ’s Resurrection, this occurrence also brings us the happiness of being able to rely upon a clear cut and joyful answer to man’s queries: what is awaiting us at the end of life?

What is the point of the suffering on earth? We cannot doubt that, after death, a new eternal life awaits us: «you will see Him there just as He told you» (Mk 16:7).

St. Paul avows with great conviction: «Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him» (Rm 6:8-9).

To the question about the end of life, the Christian logically answers with a happy expectation.

Today, the Church celebrates with joy the main festivity: the triumph of its Head, Jesus Christ. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a reality of which we cannot have any doubt.

It is not infrequent, and it is understandable, that a heavenly event, like a resurrected body, cannot be assimilated by our earthly means. Soon enough, though, Mary of Magdala and St. James’ mother would receive straightforward evidence, later authenticated with many appearances, and carried out in such a way that excluded any suspicion of eventual hallucinations: «Don’t be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified; he has been raised and is not here. This is, however, the place where they laid him» (Mk 16:6).

Have a blessed Easter to all...