Dear sisters,
I’ve been meditating on how the apostles felt during that first Holy Week and that first Easter season. Fear and uncertainty kept them in the Upper Room, even after they were witnesses of Christ’s resurrected body.
We, too, are locked in our upper rooms, though not of our own choosing. And yet, I can’t help but feel that we have a choice that the apostles didn’t realize they had. For them, they were in the tomb with their Lord. Though they had not shed blood on a cross, they were lost, unsure of where to go next. So they hid in the tomb.
But then we hear of the witness of Mary Magdalene, rightly called the Apostle to the Apostles. Determined to minister to Christ’s body, she hurries to the tomb and becomes the first to see the miracle that God had triumphed over death. She then draws Peter and John to the Lord’s grave, pulling them out of their tombs to enter into the glory of the Resurrection.
Even if we cannot leave our homes for much of the Easter season, we can still leave the tomb. We can claim the victory of Christ and celebrate his goodness, even while uncertainty and fear reign in the world. In fact, as Christians, it is our baptismal mission to preach this good news, especially in the darkest of times.
So, my sisters, don’t let yourself linger in the tomb. Rise with your families as a domestic Church. Rise with your friends through social media and Zoom chats. Rise as an individual determined to live in the confidence of the Resurrection. Rely on our Lord during this time, reminding yourself and others of the goodness he has done for us!
Know that I am praying for you and your loved ones during this time.
In Christ,
Ava