Easter Sunday

We believe that having died with Christ we shall return to life with him Romans 6: 3-11
Luke 24:1-12

In 1982 my beloved father, aged 62, had a heart attack without warning and died. Mum, my sisters and brothers and all of our family were totally unprepared for his loss and so were devastated. We clung together for strength and comfort. The next day, however, my niece, Cathy then aged 10, came into the house and declared that she had just seen Grandpa and he said to tell us that we were not to be sad as he was fine and would be waiting for us. Did she really see him? We don’t know. Each of us probably wanted to believe it was true. Did it help? Yes, and we have spent the last 28 years wondering.

Two thousand years ago on a Sunday at sunrise some women went to the tomb where Jesus had been buried and found the cover stone rolled away from the opening. They had been through the devastating horror of his crucifixion on the Friday before. When they went into the tomb (probably a cave) Jesus’ body was not there. They stood dumbfounded, not knowing what to do or think, until they were spoken to by two men in brilliant clothes who said; “Why look among the dead for someone who is alive? He is not here; he has risen.”

They ran back to tell the eleven apostles and the rest of the community what they had been told. When they told what had happened, the apostles and the others said it was pure nonsense and they did not believe them.

Peter, however, went running to the tomb. He reported seeing the binding cloths but nothing else. He then went back home amazed at what had happened.

None of us understands death.  Jesus’ death, in all of its devastating cruelty, was a death seemingly as final as any other.  The community didn’t expect to see him again, or even initially believe eye witnesses.  We read in the gospels, however, numerous accounts of people talking to Jesus, walking with him, touching him and even eating food he had cooked in the days and weeks after the women proclaimed their message – that he is alive.

Paul tells us that the resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our lives as Christians and that if it did not happen then Jesus is still dead and we are the most unfortunate of people.

For us who believe, that Jesus is risen and alive, all we can say is “ALLELUIA!”  

                                                                                                Diana Santleben OP