By Father Paul Nord
Sunday Scripture
First Reading: Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Responsorial: Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-4; Sequence: Victimae paschali laudes; Gospel: John 20:1-9
Today’s Easter readings describe Christ’s resurrection and its saving power. The first reading (Acts 10) contains Peter’s words immediately before the baptism of the Roman centurion Cornelius with his relatives and friends. The preceding verses (10:1-33) recount how God revealed to Peter that these Gentiles should be baptized. After a vision, and led by the Spirit, Peter travels to Cornelius’ home.
Today’s reading is next: Peter recounts Jesus’ miraculous works to Cornelius and company. Peter declares about Jesus: “We are witnesses of all that he did.” Then Peter asserts that he and his colleagues have been commissioned by Jesus to preach and testify “that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead.”
Peter and the other apostles are commissioned as witnesses to all that Jesus has done. The Holy Spirit enables Peter and the apostles in their witness of word and deed. Peter’s baptism of Cornelius and his household is directed by the Holy Spirit. While Peter was speaking the prophetic words of 10:34-43, the Holy Spirit descended upon Cornelius and his household (10:44-49). This gift of the Holy Spirit to Gentiles convinced Peter that they must be baptized immediately — without first becoming Jews.
Next, from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, is a powerful exhortation that we Christian believers should live lives worthy of salvation by Christ’s resurrection. We are exhorted to “seek what is above” and to “think of what is above.” This way of living is a consequence of “dying in Christ” and thus having our life “hidden with Christ in God.” This is a recurring theme of Paul’s — that it is necessary for us to die with Christ if we hope to also live with Christ. Paul boldly states that Christian believers will appear with Christ “in glory.” This will occur when Christ appears in his second coming – the parousia.
On Easter the “Victimae paschali laudes” is sung before the Alleluia and its verse. This type of hymn is called a “sequence.” Before the Council of Trent (1545–1563), sequences were composed and sung for the Eucharistic liturgy on many feast days. While reforming the Eucharistic liturgy, the Council of Trent greatly reduced the number of sequences.
The “Victimae paschali laudes” is full of praise, thanksgiving and abundant joy. Its first half makes vivid contrasts: sinless Christ versus reconciled sinners. Death versus life — battling in “combat stupendous.”
The second half begins by addressing Mary Magdalene directly: “Speak, Mary, declaring
what you saw, wayfaring.” Responding, Mary Magdalene describes what she saw: “The tomb of Christ, who is living, the glory of Jesus’ resurrection; bright angels attesting, the shroud and napkin resting. Yes, Christ my hope is arisen!” Mary Magdalene was the first eyewitness of Christ’s empty tomb and resurrection. This beautiful liturgical hymn gives us her witness in poetic form. The hymn closes with an exclamation of the truth of Christ’s resurrection and calls to Christ: “have mercy!”
In today’s Gospel, Mary Magdalene arrives at Jesus’ tomb “early in the morning, while it was still dark.” The darkness reflects Mary’s lack of understanding/faith. Mary’s arrival at the tomb early in the morning shows her love for Jesus. Mark’s Gospel (Mark 16:1) says that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb with two other women to anoint Jesus’ body on the day after the sabbath. John 20 probably describes the same event, but does not mention the two other women.
When Mary arrives at the tomb, she is immediately alarmed by seeing that the stone, which had covered the tomb entrance, had been removed. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had buried Jesus in this rock-hewn tomb (John 19:38-42; Mark 15:43-47). Both were prominent Jewish leaders. They were risking their positions by showing such reverence for Jesus.
Seeing the stone removed, Mary assumes that Jesus’ body has been stolen. So she runs and finds Simon Peter and “the other disciple whom Jesus loved.” Tradition usually identifies this “other disciple” as John the Evangelist. Mary tells them: “They have taken the Lord from the tomb.” She is greatly alarmed, and now they are also — so they begin running to the tomb.
The text contrasts the actions of Peter versus the “other disciple.” Although the “other disciple” arrives first at the tomb, he only enters the tomb after Peter arrives. While still outside, the other disciple “bent down and saw the burial cloths” inside the tomb. He is bending to cautiously look through the tomb entrance.
Peter enters the tomb first. Peter notes that the burial cloths have been “rolled up in a separate place” — that is, separate from the “head cloth.” This is strong evidence that Jesus’ body has not been stolen. First, thieves would leave a dead body wrapped because carrying an unwrapped dead body is more unpleasant than carrying a wrapped body. Second, thieves would not take time to carefully roll up burial cloths. They would be in a hurry to escape. Thus, Peter was surprised by what he saw.
The “other disciple” also enters the tomb and sees the same thing. The gospel texts notes that the other disciple “saw and believed.” Similar language is found later John 20 after Thomas insists that he will not believe that Jesus is risen until “[I] put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side” (John 20:25). When Thomas does encounter the risen Jesus and proclaims his belief, Jesus responds “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (John 20:29). The gospel narrator recognizes that Jesus’ words apply well to the readers of his gospel — including us today.
Today’s gospel text remains silent about Peter’s belief upon seeing the burial cloths rolled up carefully, and the head cloth laid separate. He and the other disciples did not fully believe until they had a direct encounter with the risen Jesus. Today’s text ends: “For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.”