Monday in the Octave of Easter
The risen Christ goes ahead of his disciples to Galilee. There they will see him. Back to Galilee where it all began, their lives as disciples begins anew. Galilee is where the first disciples became followers of Jesus. And Galilee was the last place from which the messiah was expected — although it seemed as though there was one on every corner. Galilee was full of fanatics, upheaval, banditry, and rebellion. Brutal Roman domination led to a forest of crosses planted across the blood soaked land. In Galilee hope was of short supply. Back to Galilee?
Yes, back to Galilee. “Back to their experiences, back through their pain, back through their failures, and disappointment and loss” (Anglican Bishop Barkley Thompson). All this was transformed by Easter. They couldn't fathom what the LORD has in store for them.
Like the myrrh-bearing women, Galilee is where our faith journey begins, too, yours and mine. Our Galilees may be places, but they can also be the faithful and grace-filled believers we’ve encountered along the way. We’ve come to faith through their examples. Yes, Galilee means, above all, to return to that blazing light by which grace touched us at the start of the journey. The risen Jesus awaits us there. Where the LORD is least expected, there he is to be found.
—Timothy J. Cronin