March 31, 2024 Easter Sunday: The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Daily Readings: Acts 10:34a, 37-43, Colossians 3:1-4, John 20:1-9
The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is a festival of faith. Faith demands loyalty and commitment. A faithful person is a reliable person. Contrary to Mary of Magdala, who doubted a robber to have robbed the body of Jesus and Peter, who was inconclusive after inspecting the tomb, John the Beloved Disciple “saw and believed." All believers embark on an unending and rewarding faith journey in their spiritual lives when they believe in the risen Lord Jesus. The Resurrection of Jesus is the central feast of Christian life and the calendar. Keeping aside one’s excessive rational approach to the resurrection, it is good to walk into faith with loyalty and commitment.
The writer of St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians challenges the Christians at Colossae to live according to their beliefs. They believe in the resurrection of Jesus, who is in heaven, seated at the right of God. Consequently, they will have to focus on matters that pertain to heaven. They can’t afford to bog down in material reality, namely the world in which they live. Those who choose to die with Christ will certainly rise with him.
St. John says that only Mary of Magdala went to the tomb of Jesus, contrary to the Synoptic Gospels. Matthew speaks of two people (28:1), while Mark reports three (16:1). Luke writes about “the women who had come with him from Galilee.” The stone that covered the tomb was never an issue for Magdalene, as she saw it removed from the tomb. There is an urgency to share the good news with Simon Peter and the other disciples. That is her missionary spirit. Most likely, it took place on April 30, AD.
The scene changes as a strange competition emerges between Simon Peter and John. Both of them run towards the tomb. The younger reaches the tomb first but does not go in as a mark of reverence and respect to the senior, who is now the leader of the Twelve. Peter goes into the tomb and sees but his seeing does not lead him to believe. John goes in. He sees and believes.
Certainly, this event reflects the historical context of the early church. The Petrine Church depends on the faith declaration of the Johannine Church. The disciples as a whole did not understand the scripture “that he must rise from the dead." This testimony of St. John has remained valid through the centuries. No wonder why St. Jerome coined the most renowned exhortation: “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ!”
Call to Action for Catholic Living: Knowledge of the Sacred Scripture and love for Jesus Christ are integral parts of living one’s Christian faith. This knowledge should lead one to love Jesus faithfully. How strong is my faith in the resurrection of Jesus?
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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