Fr. Christophe N. Chiza, sx.
The Gospel according to the Evangelist John presents us the resurrection of Jesus as a decisive moment in his journey and obedience to the Father. It is not an historical event but a message to proclaim and to be proud of. It is all about glorification and fulfilment beyond telling. “Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb.” The Gospel does not specify the reason why Mary went to the tomb of Jesus at such an hour. The focus is more oriented on what she saw: “the empty tomb”. She went to the tomb while it was still dark. In this context, the darkness does mean necessary the lack of light, in contrast it is about the lack of faith in her despairing situation.
“Mary 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…..,” this statement of Mary does make any reference or projection to the imminent and potential resurrection of the Lord. She is only limited from what she saw. There is no further reference to faith in the resurrection. We must not limit ourselves solely to what happens to us in life or to what we see or feel, let us go beyond our human senses and intelligence. In order to understand some realities of our daily life, we need the intelligence and the eyes of faith.
After Mary has announced the news about the empty tomb, Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. The other disciple outran Peter and arriving first to the tomb, he did not go in. This can be seen not only as a gesture of politeness or respect towards the eldest but also as a sign of anxiety, hesitation and fear. Indeed, we are living also in a World full of anxiety and of fear with hopeless situations. Powerful nations are fighting against other nations. Unfortunately, innocent and poor people are paying heavy price and bearing a heavy burden. The resurrection of Jesus dissipates the darkness in the life of faith of Mary of Magdala and removed the fear and anxiety which paralyzed the life of faith of the disciples.
What can we learn about the events of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection? Jesus alone was crucified because he denounced the roots of prevailing system rooted in the thirst for power, domination and possessions. Our world also is dominated by different “systems” which are like bulldozer with a mission of eliminating anybody who is against. It seems to be difficult to fight against the “system”, the bulldozer of our social, religious and political life.
Jesus was handed over by the temple leaders and condemned to death by the Roman authorities who saw Him as a threat for their power. After Jesus was condemned to death, his disciples and followers were terrorized but they did not stop loving Him. Their faith did not die with Jesus on the Cross. Death has not overcome Jesus; the crucified one is alive. God has raised him. This is the powerful message of this Easter Sunday, a day totally and extraordinary different from other days. God is not a passive observer of Jesus’ passion and death. God did not rescue Jesus from the hands of his executioners but He delivers him from the power of death. The silence of God is powerful than human noise and violence. Resurrection is not reanimation of body without life. It is all about glorification and not a return to a biological or earthly life. It is about victory of life over death, of justice over injustice, of hope over despair. From the Roman Empire to the American power, the innocent people are being killed but we are not hopeless. May the risen Lord dissipate our fears and help us to challenge the “system” of our time. Happy Easter Sunday to all of you and with our eyes fixed on the Crucified and Risen Lord, let us sing: ALLELUIA.
Fr Christophe Ndiwe Chiza, sx.
The Gospel according to the Evangelist John presents us the resurrection of Jesus as a decisive moment in his journey and obedience to the Father. It is not an historical event but a message to proclaim and to be proud of. It is all about glorification and fulfilment beyond telling. “Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb.” The Gospel does not specify the reason why Mary went to the tomb of Jesus at such an hour. The focus is more oriented on what she saw: “the empty tomb”. She went to the tomb while it was still dark. In this context, the darkness does mean necessary the lack of light, in contrast it is about the lack of faith in her despairing situation.
“Mary 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…..,” this statement of Mary does make any reference or projection to the imminent and potential resurrection of the Lord. She is only limited from what she saw. There is no further reference to faith in the resurrection. We must not limit ourselves solely to what happens to us in life or to what we see or feel, let us go beyond our human senses and intelligence. In order to understand some realities of our daily life, we need the intelligence and the eyes of faith.
After Mary has announced the news about the empty tomb, Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. The other disciple outran Peter and arriving first to the tomb, he did not go in. This can be seen not only as a gesture of politeness or respect towards the eldest but also as a sign of anxiety, hesitation and fear. Indeed, we are living also in a World full of anxiety and of fear with hopeless situations. Powerful nations are fighting against other nations. Unfortunately, innocent and poor people are paying heavy price and bearing a heavy burden. The resurrection of Jesus dissipates the darkness in the life of faith of Mary of Magdala and removed the fear and anxiety which paralyzed the life of faith of the disciples.
What can we learn about the events of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection? Jesus alone was crucified because he denounced the roots of prevailing system rooted in the thirst for power, domination and possessions. Our world also is dominated by different “systems” which are like bulldozer with a mission of eliminating anybody who is against. It seems to be difficult to fight against the “system”, the bulldozer of our social, religious and political life.
Jesus was handed over by the temple leaders and condemned to death by the Roman authorities who saw Him as a threat for their power. After Jesus was condemned to death, his disciples and followers were terrorized but they did not stop loving Him. Their faith did not die with Jesus on the Cross. Death has not overcome Jesus; the crucified one is alive. God has raised him. This is the powerful message of this Easter Sunday, a day totally and extraordinary different from other days. God is not a passive observer of Jesus’ passion and death. God did not rescue Jesus from the hands of his executioners but He delivers him from the power of death. The silence of God is powerful than human noise and violence. Resurrection is not reanimation of body without life. It is all about glorification and not a return to a biological or earthly life. It is about victory of life over death, of justice over injustice, of hope over despair. From the Roman Empire to the American power, the innocent people are being killed but we are not hopeless. May the risen Lord dissipate our fears and help us to challenge the “system” of our time. Happy Easter Sunday to all of you and with our eyes fixed on the Crucified and Risen Lord, let us sing: ALLELUIA.
Fr Christophe Ndiwe Chiza, sx.