Jesus, who died on the cross, has risen.  Hence, we cannot look for him among the dead, but among the living.

Early in the morning, following the Sabbath right after Jesus’ death and burial, Mary of Magdala goes to the tomb.  Knowing what Mark and Luke say, we can guess that she wants to anoint the Teacher’s body.  And this means that she does not expect to meet the risen Jesus.

Rather, she anticipates to find in the tomb his corpse.  That is to say, a stiff and cold body in which there is no breath or heartbeat.  She and the other disciples, yes, have yet to grasp his telling them beforehand that he will rise from the dead.

But we Christians today do not doubt that the one who died on the cross has risen from the dead.  Thanks to the beloved disciple who will see and believe later.

And this disciple does not have a name of his own.  That is so since he stands for all those who believe in Jesus, for each one of us who believe.  And we are the disciple that has no name if indeed we see and believe in the Risen One, and know his love.

The risen Christ is our life.

Jesus, yes, has risen from the dead.  And we do not doubt it at all.  But we just have to give witness to his resurrection.  In a way that it will be hard to deny as we live the new life.

This is so since it not just Christ who has risen.  We have risen, too (Comentarios a la Segunda Lectura, 6 and 8).  And it is not that we hope to rise later, but that we have now been raised up.  That is to say, Jesus lives after dying on the cross.  And he now lives in us, which stays hidden though, but will come to light later.

But for Jesus to live in us means that we seek what is above where he is at God’s right hand.  That we think of what is above, not of what is on earth where to live means to hoard and to consume.

In contrast, to live the new life that the Risen One shares with us means to seek the other’s good.  Not our own good.  The new yeast and the new batch point to this.  To rise like Jesus is to love, to go about doing good.  To go by the logic of love, of self-giving that brings life, to give up the body and to shed blood.  It is to be “in every way,” “by words and by works,” the Good News for those who are poor  (SV.EN XII:77-78).

Lord Jesus, make us living parts of your risen Body.  Do not let greed that brings death take hold of us. 

9 April 2023
Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord (A)
Acts 10, 34a. 37-43; Col 3, 1-4/1 Cor 5, 6b-8; Jn 20, 1-9