Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020

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. 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 don’t 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 cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths 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. 

My brother priests and I celebrated the Easter Vigil Mass last night. It was simple and very beautiful.  If I have learned anything during Holy Week this year, it is that the amount and type of  music we use covers up the words and the actions of the Mass, especially during Solemnities.  Instead of organs and orchestras, I think it would be better for us to sing the hymns we know a cappella.  Choirs and organs and musical instruments tend not to lead the people in singing, but to replace them.

In St. John’s recounting of his and St. Peter’s investigation of the empty tomb, he seems to place emphasis on the burial cloths, which he mentions twice.  We might wonder why he would mention a detail like that at all.  If the Lord is risen, it is plain that he should leave the burial cloths behind.  But the cloths provide important evidence for what has taken place.  When Mary says to the Apostles, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb”, she is evidently referring to the leaders of the Jews.  But if this is so, why would they strip the Body of Jesus of the burial cloths?  The burial cloths would make it easier for them to steal the Body.  Also, by this time, the cloths are glued to the skin of the body by the dried Blood.  The grave robbers would have had to tear the cloths from the skin.  In addition to this being unnecessary work, it would have taken time, and when stealing a body from a grave, speed is critical.  Presumably, the Jewish leaders did not want to be caught at this.  And this leads us to a further consideration, and John says that he and Peter noted it at the time: They saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.  Not only were the cloths removed, but they were carefully stored.  This is not a sign of thieves in a hurry.  John says that when he looked into the tomb and saw that it was empty and that the burial cloths were arranged in this way, “He saw and believed.”  

A person reading his account two thousand years after he gave it, may be excused from not paying special notice to the burial cloths.  But for someone who loves Jesus, every detail pertaining to him is to be searched out and pondered, because it will lead to deeper faith and love.  Let us search out the Gospels with real attention and ponder what we read, and ask the Lord for enlightenment so that what faith and love we have for him may be increased, and that we may look upon the Lord in the Gospels and say with St. Thomas, who saw the Lord with his own eyes, “My Lord and my God!”

Happy Easter!  I prayed for all our parishioners at the Mass last night, and I will pray for everyone again in my Masses today!