Easter Sunday

The speaker greets the audience and expresses joy in sharing the Gospel on Easter. They encourage listeners to prepare their hearts to encounter Jesus by quieting themselves. They invite everyone to participate in Lectio Divina, a form of prayer that involves reading and meditating on scripture. The passage being read is from John's Gospel, which describes Mary Magdalene's visit to the tomb and the disciples' reactions. The speaker highlights the themes of vision, faith, and belief in this chapter. They emphasize that the aim of the Gospel is to manifest the risen Lord Jesus Christ and invite listeners to reflect on the passage and allow it to touch their hearts. The speaker concludes by encouraging listeners to remain with the Easter Gospel and talk to Jesus about how it affects them. Greetings, friends. What a joy to share the Gospel. Christ is risen. Truly He is risen. Happy Easter, everybody. The Gospel we will reflect on from Easter morning's liturgy is, according to Fr. Francis Martin, fraught with tremendous mystery and enlightenment. To prepare ourselves to encounter Jesus, risen and present to us here and now, let's take a moment to prepare our hearts to yield to the Gospel by quieting our inner selves. If you will, take a deep breath slowly in and slowly out. Come, risen Lord Jesus. Allow your Holy Spirit to bring your word to life in me. May I hear your voice, good Shepherd. The ancient prayer of Lectio Divina invites us, first of all, simply to read a passage from Scripture. By reading, we grow acquainted with the Word and begin to open ourselves to the movement of the Holy Spirit carried on the words of the Gospel. On this Easter Sunday, we read from John's Gospel, chapter 20, verses 1 through 9. On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and told them, They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they put him. So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first. He bent down and saw the burial cloth there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloth there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloth, but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead. Join me now in allowing Fr. Ignace de la Poterie to shed light on John's Easter proclamation. The whole of chapter 20 in John's Gospel is given over to the revelation of Jesus risen from the dead. Fr. Ignace tells us that this chapter, beginning with the passage we just shared, is constructed with varying combinations of four words. First there is the correlation between two kinds of vision, the vision of sight and the vision of faith. Then there is the correlation between the two objects of seeing and believing. Between the visible Jesus and Christ in glory. Words of vision, Fr. Ignace makes clear, appear with remarkable frequency in this chapter, some thirteen times. Friends, be sure of this. This remains true for us as we approach the scriptures. We can see the story of Jesus unfolded in the words of the Gospel. We can, through those same words, be brought to the faith experience of the living presence of the divine Son of God, the person of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. Fr. Ignace insists that the evangelist's aim is to describe in the case of the first witnesses to the resurrection, the progressive deepening of their attitude to Jesus. As they move over the course of this chapter, from the simple noticing of an empty tomb, as we heard in our Gospel passage, to the declaration of faith, we have seen the Lord near the chapter's conclusion. Fr. Ignace finally insists, this chapter manifests continuous progression toward the final proclamation. Those are those who have not seen, but have believed. This is the aim, my dear friends, of the Gospel, to manifest the risen Lord Jesus Christ before the eyes of faith, triumphant over sin and death, present now to us with authority in glory, radiating the faithful love of God the Father for His children. Let us turn now again, for a second time, to read our Gospel passage. Notice as we do what stands out for you. Become sensitive to that word or phrase or a sense being stirred up within you. In this word that moves within you, Jesus is manifesting Himself present and alive for you. We read again John 20, verses 1-9. On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they put Him. So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first. He bent down and saw the burial cloth there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloth there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloth, but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture, that he had to rise from the dead. This brings us now to the second step of Lectio Divina, which is, after reading, meditation. In meditating, we pause before the Word, surrendering to the movement of the Holy Spirit carried on that Word. Become curious now about what is touching you in this passage, and give yourself to it. This is an Easter grace. What is speaking to you at this moment? I am moved by that phrase near the beginning of this account. Mary Magdalene went to the tomb while it was still dark. Her eyes, her heart, has yet to be enlightened by faith. She cannot see or hear or touch Jesus, living and present, though the tomb is empty. O Jesus, I believe. Help my unbelief. Fill the darkness in me by the rising sun of a new day. Bring me from sight to faith, from seeing to believing. Open me by the gentle movement of the Holy Spirit to the radiant grace of your resurrection. Bless to me your glory, your faithfulness, your healing life. O friends, please remain with this Easter Gospel. Go with Mary, Peter, and the beloved disciple to the tomb. Talk to Jesus about how this story affects you now. Before leaving prayer, be sure to intentionally place the words you have received deep in your spirit, where the Lord might bring it growth throughout this week ahead. And friends, it is a joy to share the Gospel with you.