By Bishop Sanchez
You may have heard the story of the young boy who returned home from his religious education class. The boy’s father inquired, “What did you learn today?” The boy said that he learned how Moses led the people from slavery across the Red Sea on the road to freedom in the Promised Land. The boy said that when the people of Moses arrived at the Red Sea, Moses radioed for multiple helicopters to fly across to rescue the people. When the people were safely transported to the other side, Moses then radioed for bombers to prevent the Egyptians from crossing the sea. When the boy’s father heard the lesson, he reacted with amazement and said, “That’s incredible.” And the boy responded and said, “If I told you what they really taught me from the Bible passage, you would say ‘That’s incredible, also.’”
Such is the nature of our gift of faith—a leap of trust in God’s incredible love that overcomes our weaknesses. The Easter mystery reminds us of that truth more vividly than at any other time of the Christian year.
There is a curious feature in John’s account of the disciples arriving at the empty tomb of Jesus. In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, there is a verbal clue that Jesus has risen, given either by an angel or two or a young man. In the Gospel of John, the visitors to the tomb encounter an empty tomb and empty linen wrappings.
Emptiness is an appropriate symbol to remind us what we have been through these past few weeks of coronavirus. The Easter message reminds us that it sometimes takes time to deepen our understanding and to unravel the meaning of events around us. Through the renewed presence of Christ in the lives of the Apostles when he appeared to them in various ways after His Resurrection, the Apostles grew in strength and grace. So also the Risen Lord will enlighten our minds and strengthen our hearts in these fifty days ahead of us.
May the Easter days ahead bring clarity and renewal and joy to our hearts. May the Risen Lord keep you safe and accompany you always! Alleluia!
Easter Time: the 50 days, spanning from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday