The Gospel for this Easter Sunday tells how Mary of Magdala arrives early in the morning and sees that the stone has been rolled away and the tomb is empty. She has come to grieve and spend some quiet time with her beloved friend and to try to make some sense of what has happened. She is greatly surprised to find that the tomb is empty and she runs off to find the apostles. John waits for Peter to enter first. We don’t hear Peter’s reaction when he sees the linen clothes and the empty tomb. We know that when John enters, he sees and believes. All that Jesus taught and preached suddenly becomes clear and John knows that Jesus is the Son of God who has risen from the dead. Suffering, evil and death have been conquered. The kingdom of God can continue to be preached. From this joyful scene at the tomb, the fact that Jesus has risen from the dead spreads to Peter and then to other apostles and discipes. We are people who carry the light of Christ to others and have the responsibility to hand on this faith.
This new life invites us to model our attitudes and actions on those of Christ: to love the weakest members of the community, to be generous to those who are poor, to forgive wrongs, to heal those who hurt. To help each person to rise up to meet Christ through us. We pray that God who has begun this good work in us may bring it to fulfillment. May we, and the whole world, know peace and joy this Easter Day.