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.
John 20:1-9 (NABRE)
Easter is upon us.
This account of the empty tomb contains a gradual discovery. First, Mary of Magdala only sees the moved stone. Next, John arrives at the tomb but does not enter. Peter gets there and immediately goes inside. Finally, John joins him in examining the tomb. The ordeal unfolds slowly despite its inestimable significance for humanity. We often reflect upon the Resurrection of Jesus with the goal of searching this glorious mystery for some personal application, and rightly do we do this. What is the lesson for me, especially given my circumstances? What might God be trying to tell me through this part of Holy Scripture? Approaching this empty tomb narrative with that analytical framework in mind, we come to notice that God often works with us in this slow, gradual manner. Easter is a time to leave to God those burial cloths and head wraps that have kept us bound in the tomb, but we must remember that we cannot accomplish this on our own. Given that, we must also keep in mind that sometimes such positive change only occurs slowly. We humans don’t usually like rapid change. We would rather ease ourselves into the water. We should not be surprised if during this Easter season we notice that God is helping us out of entanglements in certain vices or illnesses of the mind in a slow and gentle manner.
Thank you for reading. Peace.
Eat the Scroll 