When the Sabbath was over, just as the sun was rising, Mary of Magdala and Mary,
the mother of James
and Salome went to the tomb.'Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb?'
All at once there was a violent earthquake,
because the angel of the Lord had descended from heaven and rolled away the stone.
'There is no need for alarm. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified!
He is not here; he has risen! See! Here is the place where they laid him.
You must go and tell his disciples what you have heard and seen.'
The women came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved.
'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb.' We don't know where they have put him.'
So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple,
running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first. Simon Peter, who was following now came up.
They went into the tomb and saw the linen cloths on the ground, and the cloth that had been over his head. Till this moment they had failed to understand the teaching of scripture, that Jesus must rise from the dead.
Later, Jesus came and met the women. 'Greetings!’ ‘Do not be afraid;
go and tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee; they will see me there.’
Later, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb, weeping. She saw Jesus, but did not recognise him.
‘Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?’
Supposing him to be the gardener, she said,
‘
Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.’‘Mary!’
‘Master.’ ‘Go and find the brothers and tell them I have risen.’
Later that day, two disciples were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.
Jesus approached, but they did not recognise him. He explained that the scriptures were about Jesus of Nazareth.
When they came to the inn, they said to him,'Stay with us; eat with us.'While he was a table, they recognised him in the breaking of bread.
Then he disappeared from their sight.
The disciples immediately returned to Jerusalem, where the apostles said to them,
‘Yes, it is true, the Lord has risen.’
Jesus died for our sins; he was buried and was raised to life on the third day,
He appeared to Peter and then to the twelve.
Next, he appeared to more than 500 of the brothers at the same time,
some of whom are still alive, though some have died.
Then he appeared to James, and then to all the Apostles.
Last of all, he appeared to me. I am the least of the Apostles.
Since I persecuted God’s people, I hardly deserve the name, Apostle;
but, by God’s grace, that is what I am.
May this Easter Garden, remind us of the joy of your resurrection;
may we rejoice because we can greet you here in the Mass
May the flame on the Paschal Candle
remind us of the light of faith we received in Baptism;
may this faith shine through our love
You brought peace to your worried followers at Easter;
may we bring your strength to the worried, the sick and the poor