He’s Not Here

“He said to them,

‘Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here.’”

Mark 16:6

The idea of “resurrection” was still only a concept in the minds of many at the time of Jesus. It was something some Jews believed in, but perhaps they were not quite sure what that might look like or how it would happen. We still really do not know today, but as St. John tells us “we shall be like him” (1 Jn. 3:2). For Christians the Resurrection is not a concept, but a reality.

Furthermore, St. Paul tells us that “For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection” (Rom. 6:5). And so, we have hope that we will share in Christ’s Resurrection, and what a joy it would be!

The women looked inside the tomb and saw that it was empty and the angel spoke with them. They are witnesses of Jesus’s Resurrection. Jesus has truly risen from the dead! The tomb could not contain Jesus. Jesus rose from the dead and dies no more. The Author of Life brings to us new life, life that never ends, life with God Himself. That is the joy of the Resurrection.

We know that sin and death have been defeated and that the final battle has already been won by Christ. This ought to give us hope, hope that even though sin still exists, it does not have the final say. Sin no longer weighs us down or chains us to the cave of darkness. Just as Jesus descended into hell, the Light of Christ dispels the darkness that blinds out hearts.

He has been raised; he is not here. Neither should we stay in the tomb, brothers and sisters. Let us leave the tombs that prevent us from seeing the light. Jesus is waiting to pull us out, just as He rescued the righteous from hell.

What are those tombs that we have allowed to hold us back from living in the light and hope of the Resurrection? Do we want Jesus to pull us out?

Let us pray:

Lord, Jesus Christ, You are the Resurrection and the Life! Remove the darkness from my eyes so that I might come to see the light of your glory.

Blessed Easter to you!

Above is the Easter Sunday reflection from “Return to Me.” To revisit all of the Holy Week Reflections from “Return to Me,” click here.

Click below to watch today’s reflection.

Sleeping Lord

“Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps; the earth was in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled.”

— from an ancient homily for Holy Saturday

Reflection from “Return to Me”

Jesus has died and has been buried. The tabernacle is empty and the Lord of Life has descended into hell. The earth stands still but not for long. Jesus has broken through the gates of hell to free the souls of the righteous. Soon, the Lord will rise in His glorified body, fulfilling the will of His Father.

Death can not hold Jesus back. The Lord of Life tramples the prince of darkness and his lies. The Light of the World descends into the abyss of darkness and the darkness has no choice but to be dispelled. Evil is no match for good for it is only the absence of good. Because God took on flesh, our human flesh is forever changed. Death and corruption is not our end. Eternal life is now extended unto us. The death of the Son of Man brought forth the life of redeemed humanity.

May we allow the Light to penetrate the darkness of our hearts and the world, and bring about newness of life.

To The End

“When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.”

John 19:30

The most unthinkable and unimaginable thing happens – God dies on the Cross. That the Almighty God, Creator of the Universe, would take on human flesh, suffer, be nailed to a cross, and to die a criminal’s death is just unbelievable. It does not make sense, but it’s not supposed to. Love does not always make sense.

When we look upon the Cross in movies such as The Passion of the Christ we see a bloody, gruesome execution scene. However, if we look at it through the lens of faith, we see not an execution scene, but the greatest love story ever told. Even as He was dying, Jesus made sure His Mother was taken care of by entrusting her to John, and John to her. From His pierced side flowed blood and water, giving birth to the Church (baptism and the Eucharist). He gave us His all and loved us to the end, “bowing his head” and “handed over the spirit.”

Thank You, Lord for dying for me. May I never forget Your love.

This is the Good Friday Reflection from “Return to Me.”

Click here for the daily video reflections for Holy Week and other Lenten resources.