St. Mary's Church Elizabeth, IL

5/11

Bulletin -Fourth Sunday of Easter

More, much more, than an empty tomb

                                                                                                            
Read Matthew, chapter 28, verses 1 to 15

Matthew's Resurrection narrative is the closest we can get to an actual live report, and yet the
evangelist refrains from picturing Jesus actually rising from the dead and coming out of the
tomb. While the other three evangelists agree in reporting Mary Magdalene and other women
coming to the tomb and finding it empty, Matthew makes no mention of the same Mary
Magdalene and "the other Mary" bringing spices for anointing. They come, as Mathew puts it
plainly, "to see the tomb."

                                "He has been raised from the dead, and indeed
                                       he is going ahead of you to Galilee..."
                                                                                                                Matthew 28:7
     What they will actually see and experience, though, is totally unexpected and spectacular:
"Suddenly" the ground shakes, and the angel of the Lord comes down from heaven and rolls
the stone back. The appearance of the angel "was like lightening, and his clothing was white as
snow." Yet, despite this spectacular course of events, nowhere do we see Jesus in person.

       What we are given to see, however, is no less than theophany, that is, God's selfmanifestation. For the Angel of the Lord is, in biblical tradition, no one else but the Lord, and
the combined mention of earth-quake and lightening remind us of God's self-manifestation on
Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16-19) and suggests that the glory of God is now best manifested
through God's intervention to raise Jesus from the dead.
     The rolling of the stone, the appearance of a heavenly messenger, and the joyful
announcement he makes are not enough to generate faith in the resurrection of Jesus. Such
faith can only arise from a personal encounter with the risen Jesus and from his Easter gift of
peace.
     Who are the living witnesses who best helped me to believe in the resurrection of Jesus?
Prayer Starter: Lord Jesus, we acclaim you in your victory over death and evil, and we acknowledge you as the Lord of our lives

Fr. Joachim