From Darkness to Joy
Listening the Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit you have taught the hearts of your faithful. In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Listening the Word: John 20:1-9
On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.
Reflection
Easter is a day of joy.Not a small, superficial joy,but a deep joy that comes from life.“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.”Because Jesus is alive.
In the Gospel, everything begins in darkness.Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb early in the morning.It is still dark.This darkness is not only outside.It is also inside.It is the darkness of sadness,of confusion,of loss.
Mary thinks it is all over.But then, something changes.The stone is rolled away.The tomb is empty.Little by little, the light begins to enter.The disciples run.They see.And finally, they believe.This is Easter:from darkness to light,from sadness to joy,from death to life.
In the first reading, Peter says:“We are witnesses.”Because Easter is not just a story.It is something real.Jesus died… but God raised him from the dead.And now, everything changes.But what does this mean for us?Saint Paul says:“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above.”This means:Do not live as you did before.Do not remain in darkness.Live as people of life.
Many people today are alive…but inside they feel empty.Without joy.Without hope.Without love.Easter is the answer.Jesus is alive… and He gives life.But there is something very important:To receive this life, we must also learn to love.And this includes loving ourselves.Not selfishly,but sincerely.Accepting ourselves. Forgiving ourselves.Seeing our life as a gift.
Because if I don't accept myself,it's very difficult to love others.Easter is a new beginning.A new way of seeing life.Not with sadness,not with fear,but with joy.The Gospel shows us people running.Why are they running?Because love moves them.Because something new is happening.This is the joy of Easter, a joy that moves us,a joy that gives life,a joy we cannot keep to ourselves.
Like the women in the Gospel,we are called to go and share the good news:Jesus is alive! Today is not just any day.
It is the day of life.The day of hope.The day to begin anew.Let us ask the Lord:Help me to live with joy.Help me to accept my life.Help me to love myself,so that I may love others.
Because when we live this way,we become witnesses.Witnesses that Jesus lives.
Reflection Questions
- In what areas of my life am I still living in “darkness,” and how is the Risen Christ inviting me to move toward light, hope, and joy?
- How can I grow in accepting and loving myself more sincerely, so that I may truly become a witness of Christ’s life and love to others?
