Monday in the Octave of Easter
There were a variety of witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Mary Magdalene and the other women, Peter and John the apostles, and the guards at the tombs all saw and heard the sights and sounds that proclaimed that Jesus was no longer dead, but had risen. Although all of these individuals experienced the remarkable events of that morning, some went forth filled with joy, praise and wonder, while others went away in fear and disbelief. How could these people see the same signs and wonders and yet have such a different response? I believe it is because not all of them had been transformed by the gift of faith. The women and disciples who had followed Jesus during His ministry had freely accepted and embraced the gift of faith that had been offered to them. The guards, Jewish leaders and Pharisees also were offered the gift, but had refused the invitation to believe. Whether it was pride, power, fear, or greed, these people could not allow the grace of God to transform them, and they were not open to the gift that the Father was offering- His only Son. Like those at the tomb who believed, we too are called to be witnesses of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. We can only testify to these truths if we have been transformed by the gift of faith. Once we see and believe all that the Lord has done for us, then we are then sent forth to share the Good News with the rest of the world.
In the gospel reading, Mary Magdalene the other Mary are leaving the tomb after they have witnessed the earthquake and the angel sitting on the rolled-away stone proclaiming that Jesus is risen. As they are running to tell the disciples, Jesus appears to them and they “did him homage.” (Mt 28: 9) Jesus comforts them and sends them forth to tell the others about what they have seen and heard. The guards also run off to tell the chief priests and elders what has occurred. Their witness is met with doubt, fear and talk of conspiracy, as they are told to lie and claim that “his disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’ (Mt 28: 13) Money was given to help ensure that the “truth” would not be spoken. It seems striking that two groups of people could see the same event and believe something so different. The women had heard Jesus preach and had come to know and believe in His love, power and divinity. This is why when they meet Him on the way, they fall down and give Him worship and praise. The gift of faith that had been offered to them had long ago taken root and had transformed them into disciples who remained devoted and steadfast even at the crucifixion. Peter also had received the gift of faith, and he is transformed from his three time denial to boldly proclaiming, “God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. (Acts 2:32) The elders and chief priests have had the opportunity to receive Jesus and His message during His ministry, but most of them refused. It is hard to know why they were unable to believe in the resurrection. It could have been pride (they could not admit that they had been wrong), fear (worry that to believe in the resurrection could bring anger and retaliation from the Roman authority), power (admitting that Jesus rose from the dead would put all the power in His hands), or just being close minded. Whatever the reason, their hearts were hardened and unable and unwilling to accept the gift of faith and believe.
So how are we called to be witnesses for Christ? There are 2 parts to being a witness. First of all, a witness sees, hears, and experiences certain events or situations. Then this individual gives “witness”- or testifies to what they experienced and shares this with others. Each one of us has been offered the gift of faith from God. If we accept, then we become transformed so that we are given the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the heart to know the works of the Lord in our life. It is this gift of faith that allows us to seek Him and find Him in prayer, scripture, sacrament, and even in our daily living. Once we have experienced God’s love and presence in our lives, then He sends us forth (just as He did the women at the tomb) to share this Good News with others. We witness to all that He has done for us through His life, death and resurrection, and we then invite others to come to know Jesus and believe. I think one of the challenges for me when I share my faith is to accept the fact that not everyone is open to God and His gifts. Even though we may risk feeling rejected by others, Jesus still sends us forth to share about His kingdom, the Father and the work of His Spirit. Jesus knows that we are not responsible for how our testimony will be received. He sends us forth in love to all people to be witnesses to His truth. As we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection during this Easter season, may we be transformed by our faith so we can see, hear, know and believe all the wonders of the LORD. May we then be empowered by these experiences to go out and tell everyone all that the Lord has done.
Heavenly Father, you give us the gift of faith to open our hearts and minds to you and your love. Jesus, your Son, shows us the depth of your love through His life, death and resurrection. May your Spirit fill us so we will be transformed to become witnesses that boldly go out into the world to share your love with all people. May all that we do bring you glory and praise. We ask this through Christ our Risen LORD. Alleluia! Amen."
Marylynn Herchline