On yesterday’s beautiful feast of Easter, we read in the Gospel of John that when Simon Peter went to Jesus’ tomb he saw the burial clothes were there, but Jesus was gone. The cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was rolled up separately. Jesus had risen, but that realization and its impact had not yet resonated with his followers.
During Holy Week, we had followed along with the climactic days of Jesus’ earthly life: His humble washing of the apostles’ feet; the powerful gift of the Holy Eucharist; his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane; his scourging, crucifixion, and burial. We had considered his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and then his scornful, humiliating crucifixion and death. Extremes!
We all have known extremes—ecstasies and tragedies in our lives. In this Easter Season of new life and rejoicing, shall we consider leaving behind memories of evil, sin, and shortcomings, as if they were the burial cloths in Jesus’ tomb? Can we rise above our material world and devote ourselves—-even in small steps—-to coming closer and closer to our Savior? Can we roll up separately those little bad thought habits, doubts, and fears and leave them in the tomb? Let’s move on with joy!
We might have heard a reading from 1 Corinthians 7-8 at our Easter liturgy that confirms our suggestion:
Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch
as you are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. There-
fore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and
wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
As we hopefully and triumphantly move forward, we might consider coloring more Easter eggs. We could label each egg with a positive, life-promoting celebratory word that could bring a smile to any reader: Alleluia! Rejoice! Health! Vigor! Positivity! Happiness! Laughter! Freedom! Blessed! Holy! Saved!
We know Jesus rose from the dead. We know he ascended into heaven. We know Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit! We have so much good news in a world full of so much bad news every day! May we be faithful and diligent in prayer for all of our brothers and sisters who are suffering. Words from Psalm 16 (verses 7-11) could help us to pray for all of us:
I bless the Lord who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the Lord ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
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Image: Peter and John run to the tomb of Christ, mezzotint by Valentine Green (1784) after Benjamin West. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
The gospel passages are from the New American Bible, Oxford University Press, New York, 1990.
Sharon Krause is a RENEW volunteer whose writing has appeared in several resources for small-group faith sharing. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother residing in Royal Palm Beach, Florida. Over the years, she has served in many parish ministries.