Easter Sunday! 2014

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/042014.cfm

John 20:1-10, (11-18)

The passion narrative is framed by two garden scenes; when Christ is arrested in the garden of Gestheme, He asks the soldiers, “Who are you looking for?” When Christ appears to Mary in the garden after the resurrection He asks her, “Who are you looking for?” While a garden symbolizes new life and harmony, it is planted on purpose and has order and structure. Likewise Christ’s question to us, “Who are you looking for?” frames our beginnings and endings, the moments of transition in our lives.

“Lazarus came out with his grave-clothes on, for he was to use them again; but Christ, rising to an immortal life, came out free from those incumbrances…When we arise from the death of sin to the life of righteousness, we must leave our grave-clothes behind us…” (Matthew Henry). Grave clothes are very similar to everyday dress-up clothes these days, so we must be very mindful, metaphorically, as to what we are actually covering ourselves with. St. Paul makes many lovely references to clothing ourselves in the Light of Christ.

Mary is frightened that the stone over Christ’s tomb was rolled away. We try to bury Christ and put big boulders in His way all the time; He then needs to roll them away, so He can make His presence known. Like Mary, we crave His presence, but panic because He manifests Himself in unexpected ways.

Christ’s appearance after the resurrection is exclusively for his friends, those chosen as his own. On the contrary, His ministry and death are both public. While His post-resurrection Presence is private, it is for the many. Indeed, they rely on each other’s experiences and strengths to understand their personal experiences more completely. Peter is back in the fold and trusted by the other disciples, despite his fall and fear. His courage offers us hope of redemption from our own weaknesses.

Like Peter and John, we may believe in His presence in the world and our lives because we have no other explanation for what we have observed. We may recognize the voice of Christ when he identifies us, as Mary did. The other disciples must wait in hope and joyful expectation because of their trust in Mary, Peter and John’s interpretation of their experiences; we are these disciples at times. In whichever case, Christ told them that He would rise on the third day, but when it occurred, they didn’t comprehend. It is easy to label the disciples as “thick, unbelieving, lacking faith, or otherwise clueless.” It is often difficult, however, to make sense in the moment of what in hindsight seems obvious, or logical. Likewise we often forget what we are told explicitly.

Peter and John come to the tomb, make some observations and declare belief, and leave again. We are told the story of Mary’s interaction with the Risen Lord, with the word ‘meanwhile’ introducing the narrative. This may mean that she was conversing with the angels and Christ with Peter and John present but unaware, or perhaps she stayed behind when they left. Either way, in John’s account she was the first He spoke to and the first who recognized Him. She was able to have this interaction with Him because she remained present (while Peter and John had left.)

The exchange between Mary and the Risen Jesus is characteristic of many a conversation with the Lord. Like Mary, we weep for a loss that is not in fact a loss, but a transformation. She has lost Christ’s body, she is correct, but she has gained His spirit. As in this case, angels and/or other people often ask us the question that Jesus will ask us; i.e. they give us a head’s up. In this case the question is, as it is so often, “Why are you weeping?”

The moment of recognition occurred when He called her by name. Christ identified Mary, which enabled her to recognize His presence. Her response was to identify the relationship they had, and all He was to her. In other words, Christ calls us by name because He knows our souls intimately. We respond to the voice and call of our Lord (the sheep know the Shepherd’s voice), by noting His importance and role in our lives. Jesus has a function in our lives, a purpose; He is our Savior, Teacher, Master, Friend, Brother. Our function to Him, is however, only to be known and loved by Him.

It is fitting that this is the first interaction with the Risen Lord, for indeed, did He not have life and suffer the Passion so we could arise from our own living deaths when He calls us to be one with Himself, Father and the Holy Spirit? And is not this Union with and for us His glory?

Journal Questions:

What I am typically clothed in? In what inappropriate circumstances am I wearing my grave-clothes?

Writing Exercise:

Recount and reflect on a time when you needed to rely on other people’s perception of an event or situation to get a fuller understanding of your own experience.

Creative Arts:

Fabric art- Create “grave clothes.”

Paper art- Play with the images of boulders; What are they blocking? What is set free as they are rolled away.

Home art- Imagine Christ asking you, “Why are you weeping?” How do you respond? Sometimes weeping and bemoaning are our default positions. Strategize ways to establish a different “default.”

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