from John 20:1-9
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.
The Rising Son
So often over the years, I’ve noticed that we put a tremendous effort into our Lenten observance and then when we get to Easter, we lose our spiritual steam, our fervor fades. Oh, for sure there’s the happy exuberance of finally being able to break our Lenten fast. But all too quickly for many of us, it’s back to same old / same old.
Today’s gospel begins before dawn. Only gradually does the darkness of night give way to the brilliance of that first Easter morning. Only gradually is the truth of what has transpired come to light.
Mary Magdalene goes to the grave, discovers that the stone has been rolled away, assumes that it’s grave robbers, and hurries to tell Peter and the Beloved Disciple. They run to the tomb and discover for themselves that indeed the tomb is empty. But grave robbers don’t strip a dead body of its clothes and leave them behind folded neatly. They go away believing but not fully comprehending what they have just seen.
So, I think it is with us. Only gradually is our sadness transformed into joy, our discouragement become anchored in hope, our confusion give way to faith.
For many years as a young man, I struggled with depression, a kind of low-grade sadness that I simply couldn’t seem to shake. I know I’m not alone in that many Americans have reported similar struggles with anxiety and depression. Through some therapy, regular exercise, poetry, spiritual direction, and lots and lots of prayer, the depression finally lifted for me. But most importantly, this malaise led me to hunger and thirst for a deeper joy and a more lasting peace. In short, I hungered to taste the fruits of the resurrection.
Who has not longed for something more in life? I believe it’s precisely in sitting in the empty tombs of our own efforts that a deep prayer rises up in our hearts for something more, for something and someone so much larger than ourselves.
On this Easter Sunday, perhaps you will be blessed with an immediate experience of joy and hope. And if that gift is given, savor it, rejoice in it. But if you find that after the sugar high from the chocolate bunnies and multi-colored jelly beans wears off, that there is still some hint of sadness lingering, do not despair.
Remember today’s gospel. On Easter Sunday morning, Magdalen is frightened and confused. Peter and John belief but don’t understand. Coming to a deeper faith, a fuller understanding, and a long-lasting joy – THIS is the journey of this Easter season. Indeed, it’s the journey of our lifetime. And it takes time, prayerful patience, and persistent faith.
Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God. Pope Francis has called us to an evangelization with this joy as our calling card. In these 50 days of Easter, ask for this gift of joy. And know that joy is a choice. Choose a joy that is more than a feeling. Live with a joy that is not here today and gone tomorrow. Pray for a joy that is not dependent on external circumstances but is rooted in the victory that Christ has won for us on that first Easter morning. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and like all fruits it needs to ripen slowly in God’s time.
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