Meditations on Easter

"It is very important to cross the threshold of hope, not to stop before it, but to let oneself be led" - Pope John Paul II from his book Crossing the Threshold of hope

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices so that they might go and anoint him. Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb. They were saying to one another, "Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back; it was very large. On entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were utterly amazed! "You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him. But go and tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going before you to Galilee; there you will find him, as he told you.'" Then they went out and fled from the tomb, seized with trembling and bewilderment. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Today marks the first full day after the death of our Lord and we eagerly await Easter Sunday to deliver us from our self-imposed Lenten penances. For many of us, we can now look forward to the sweet taste of relishes that have been denied for these past 40 days. Christ's Resurrection promises a return to normalcy for us. But is this the true promise of Easter?

Pope John Paul II lived his admonition, "Be not afraid" in every aspect of his daily life. He showed us how we, too, should not be afraid because Jesus promised that he will always be near us, even when we turn away from him. When John Paul delivered his "Be not afraid" speech to the gathered crowds in New York during October 1995, it was two years after the first Trade Center bombing, and America was waking up to the reality of global terrorism's reach. We were no longer safe in our own homes from the tribulations of the outside world. Pope John Paul's message to us then, echoes loudly in today's reading.

Joe Difato, the publisher of 'the WORD among us', presents a daily meditation on today's reading. It is especially explicative and has profoundly affected my understanding of the meaning of Jesus's Resurrection. I reprint it here in full in the hope that it will shed light on your own journey to God:

This is the night of waiting and watching. It's the night when all of creation is silent, listening with eager anticipation for the grating sound of a stone rolling against a cave and the soft sound of footsteps leaving a tomb. It's the night when Peter and James and John, Mary Magdalene and Martha and Joanna, and so many others are counting the hours, wondering if Jesus's words would come to pass. At least three times he told them that he would rise on the third day; did they dare to believe it was possible? Could they dare to hope that they would get to see him again? Did they really have a chance to touch eternity in him -- and to share in that eternity as well?

What are you waiting for tonight? Healing? Reassurance? An answer to prayer? What about simply waiting for Jesus himself? Maybe that’s the best thing to do as we wait for the dawning of a new day and a new age of grace. The disciples didn’t know exactly what Sunday morning would bring, and so they waited in faith and trust. In the same way, we don’t really know what tomorrow will bring either. Every new day is a mystery, and we can only wait for it to unfold before us.

So tonight try spending some time in quiet contemplation before the empty tomb. Leave aside your needs, your wants, and your agendas. Put your intercessory prayer list on hold for just one night. Your Father knows what you and all your loved ones need. He knows your hurts, your hopes, your fears, and your dreams. Lay them aside and fix your heart instead on Jesus and the salvation that he has won for you.

Don’t say a word. Don’t even sing a song. Just close your eyes and picture him coming out of the tomb, your Redeemer and Brother. Picture yourself among the sleeping guards—only you’re awake. Imagine Jesus walking up to you and locking eyes with you. What do you see there? What do you feel? What does he want to say to you? You have waited so long for this moment, and now it’s finally here. Look carefully and listen closely. Your redemption is at hand!


“Jesus, I love you.”

We are all children of God, seeking to be with Him in Heaven. As chilren on Holy Thursday we asked: "Why is this night different from all other nights?" I have been praying since October of last year a novena to Our Lady of Victory. This morning I received an answer to my prayer.