Where are you?
Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-9
Surely, the question “where are you” takes our minds back to the garden of Eden. It reminds us of the Fall of our First Parents, and God’s journey to them with the question: “Where are you?” After creation, there was the need to redeem creation because of sin – Adam, where are you? This same question is pertinent today, Easter Sunday, for a number of reasons: 1) the disciples returned to their former job – fishing. The troubled road to the grave was too traumatizing for them, their beliefs about the Messiah squared off with the reality they witnessed. 2) There was an active bribery and corruption attempt to stamp out the resurrection saga. 3) Even today, the message of the resurrection still meets with incredulity! But for you and me: where are you/we?
For Mary Magdalene, the question “where are you” has a clear answer – at the tomb! There was no story telling us that Mary Magdalene walked the walk to Calvary with the other women. We encounter her during Jesus’ ministry as a woman with a bad reputation – possessed and a prostitute. Today, we meet her walking away from the tomb a prophetess and a messenger of the resurrection to the apostles! Walking to the tomb was a drama and spectacle. It was the journey of Jesus to his death, with many spectators around. At the resurrection, the drama was over, the spectators gone, only a lonely Christian woman remained standing!
The story of the resurrection is a story of encounter – the concept of being born-again. To be touched by Christ, like Mary Magdalene was, is to be resurrected. The ability to say, I used to be this kind of sinner or the other, but not any more, is the story of the resurrection. Not the empty tomb, but walking away from it as a Christian is the issue at stake. Even the disciples of Jesus needed conversion to the reality of the resurrection – second evangelization. But Mary Magdalene prepares the way for our first reading today, she convinces us that the power of the resurrection is already present in the Word of God, an encounter with Jesus. To have heard the Word of God, and embraced it, is the root of the resurrection/immortality: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24).
In his speech, our first reading, Peter takes his listeners down memory lane, in order to prove the power in the encounter people had with Jesus: “You know what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil for God was with him” (Acts 10:37-38). Mary Magdalene was one of the beneficiaries of such an encounter, and she remained standing ever after, even to becoming the apostle-to-the-apostles on the day of the resurrection of Jesus.
Our second reading provides us with an index to measure whether we have resurrected: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). Our daily aspirations, the things that keep us awake at night, these will indicate to us whether we are resurrected or not. For example, Mary Magdalene abandoned her sleep and was at the tomb before day break. Do you relish spiritual things or are you still attracted to earthly things? In the case of Mary Magdalene, she shared the good news with the apostles of Jesus. You and I, are we also missionaries of the resurrection or political vanguards and rumour mongers? When you speak, do you talk about your encounter with Jesus like Peter in our first reading and Mary Magdalene in our gospel?
Happy Easter!