Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord
'On entering the tomb they saw a young man seated on the right-hand side clothed in a white robe, and they were amazed. But he said to them, 'Do not be amazed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: he has been raised, he is not here. See the place where they laid him.' Mark 16:5-6
Gospel Readings for Mass during the day, provide two insights into the resurrection story.
Mark 16: 1-7. Describes how the women came early morning to the tomb only to be told by an angel that Jesus has gone ahead of them to Galilee.
The empty tomb by Frank Ordaz
OR John 20: 1-9. Tells us how Mary of Magdala ran from the open tomb to tell the shocking news to Peter and John who discover for themselves the reality of Jesus the Christ.
'Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed. Till this moment they had still not understood the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.' John 20: 8-9
Peter and John run to the sepulchre by J Tissot.
The Grace to be Amazed
'Let us ask for the grace to be amazed. A Christian life without amazement becomes drab and dreary. How can we talk about the joy of meeting Jesus, unless we are daily astonished and amazed by his love, which brings us forgiveness and the possibility of a new beginning?
Let us be amazed by Jesus so that we can start living again, for the grandeur of life lies not in possessions and promotions, but in realizing that we are loved. This is the grandeur of life: discovering that we are loved. And the grandeur of life lies precisely in the beauty of love.'
Pope Francis, Palm Sunday Holy Week 2021
Resurrection, 2008.
Stained glass window by Stephen A Wilson. St Agnes Catholic Church, Shepherdstown, West Virgnia.