Tuesday in the Octave of Easter
Participating in the Triduum and attending the Easter vigil mass this year brought to my attention the thought that each day of the year should involve a recognition and awareness of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. I have a tendency to think of Easter as a day or perhaps as a weeklong celebration (The Octave of Easter). Yet it is more than that. It is an entire season of the Church year, stretching from Easter Sunday until Pentacost Sunday.
The gospel reading for today tells the story of how Mary Magdalene went to Jesus’ tomb early on the first Easter morning. She was seeking Jesus. But instead of finding Jesus’ dead body, she encounters Jesus alive and well. What a surprise that must have been! Although Mary apparently embraces Jesus when she recognizes him, he tells her to let go of him (verse 17). This is symbolic of the fact that Jesus’ journey was not over. He is looking ahead to his ascension to heaven in forty days. He cannot be held on earth, but as he had stated elsewhere, after he goes away God would send the Holy Spirit (John 14: 26).
It is instructive to think about Jesus’ encounter with Mary in the light of the first reading, which describes Peter preaching on the day of Pentacost. Even as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, we look forward to the coming of the Spirit at Pentacost. Peter urges those who have heard Jesus’ message and have been moved by it to examine their lives to accept baptism. Today we are led to consider what Jesus’ resurrection means for us as we have been baptized into his death and resurrection.
In these two readings it is Jesus’ disciples, such as Mary Magdalene and Peter, who bear witness to the reality of Jesus’ resurrection. And as professed followers of Jesus, we are expected to do the same—namely to bear witness to the resurrected Christ. During the entire Easter season Christians say to one another in greeting, “Christ is Risen.” And the response to this is “He is risen indeed.” Why do we do this? Each time we say this we remind ourselves that Christ is risen from the dead. Speaking and hearing these words reminds us of the new life that we have in Christ.
Without Jesus’ sacrifice, we would be captive to sin and death. There would be no hope of overcoming the hardship, darkness, and brokenness that we so often face in our lives. By contrast, Jesus Christ has given us the hope that there is a better way and that our lives can and should be different—that we can be free of despair, hopelessness, and the bad habits and ruts that we so easily fall into. Following Peter’s advice, let us rejoice in this Easter season and accept the gift of the Spirit to meet the challenges that we face in attempting to put our faith into practice. May God give us the grace to receive the new life that is offered to us in Jesus.
Joel Schickel