Christ, my hope, is arisen

“Speak, Mary, declaring, what you saw, wayfaring. “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 …”
(Easter stanza)

Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! The first stanza of the Easter Sequence is sung as we raise our eyes and hearts to God with renewed hope and trust. The Lenten path has ended. Today, we rejoice. Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Jesus is seated at the right hand of the father. Jesus destroyed death and restored life. Jesus intercedes for us sinners. Jesus showers us with divine mercy. Jesus loves us. In Jesus we proclaim our witness of hope in eternal life. Because of Christmas, we have Easter. Because of Easter, we have Christmas. New life in the hope of what is to come and renewed hope for what was, is and ever shall be.
A messenger of death to life
Mary of Magdala stood by the cross of Jesus on that Good Friday. She witnessed his final words, the final beat of his heart, his last breath and his death after unimaginable torture. Mary of Magdala looked on as others wrapped Jesus’ body in burial cloth. She accompanied others as they placed Jesus’ body in the tomb. She witnessed the placement of a large stone which sealed the tomb.  There she stood with the Blessed Mother, St. John the beloved Apostle, Joseph of Arimathea and others, filled with sorrow, yet remaining in trust in the unknown. (Mt 25:40)
Mary of Magdala trusted in the hope of God’s plan of salvation in Christ Jesus. She believed in God’s promise of life in creation, ”In the beginning, God created …let there be light …” (Gen 1:1-22); the covenant with Abraham, “I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore …” (Gen 22:1-18); the freedom from slavery through Moses, “Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: I will sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously triumphant; horse and chariot he has cast into the sea …” (Ex 14:15 – 15:1); the prophecies of Isaiah, “Though the mountains leave their place and the hills be shaken, my love shall never leave you nor my covenant of peace be shaken, says the Lord, who has mercy on you … (Is 54:5-14); and Baruch, “Hear, O Israel, the commandments of life: listen, and know prudence …” (Bar 3:9-15); as well as Ezekiel, “I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts …” (Ez 36: 16-28).
Hope in the Resurrection
Mary of Magdala, standing in her faith, believed the fulfillment in the covenants were accomplished in Jesus, Lord and Messiah. She is a disciple of hope. She was an eyewitness to his death and the first eyewitness of Jesus’ resurrection according to the St. Matthew (Mt 28:1-10).  We are, like Mary of Magdala, on this path. Pope Francis writes, “Now that, like the two women, we have visited the tomb, I ask you to go back with them to the city. Let us retrace our steps and change the look on our faces. Let us go back to tell them the good news. In all the places where the grave seems to have the final word, let us go back to proclaim, to share, to reveal that it is true: the Lord is alive! He is living and he wants to rise again in all those faces that have buried hope. Let us allow ourselves to be surprised by this new dawn and by the newness that only Christ can give. May we allow the beating of his heart to quicken our faintness of heart” (Easter Vigil homily by Pope Francis, April 15, 2017).

“Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

The Gospel of St. John reveals the account of the appearance of Jesus in the Upper Room. All were present except for St. Thomas. Jesus, with the wounds of his crucifixion, said to them, “Peace be with you.” The first words of our resurrected Lord are an invitation to peace. Peace of mind. Peace of trust. Peace of security. Peace of love. Peace of hope. Peace of faith. Peace of truth. Peace of mercy. Peace of Christ. It is by his very act of dying to self that we will rise in his merciful peace, life united to God the father and in the Holy Spirit.
It is this invitation to peace where the apostles, frightened and fearful, witness Jesus, resurrected, as he breathes on them the Holy Spirit. Immediately following, Jesus ordains them to his mission of mercy: the forgiveness of sins. All, but one, were present. St. Thomas. Where was he? We do not know. But we do know he did not believe their testimony of an encounter with the risen Lord and insisted on physical evidence to touch the wounds of Jesus. A week passes, and St. Thomas, now with the apostles, is granted the gift to not only see the risen Lord but to also touch his hands and side, marked with the wounds of his crucifixion. “Thomas answered and said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.’ ” (Jn 20:28-29)
Mission of mercy
Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated during this Second Sunday in Easter. As one will discover in the Easter Season, the First Readings are from the Acts of the Apostles. Here we gain insight into the life of the early Christians. They handed on the teaching given to them by Jesus. They followed his instruction to pray and partake in the Eucharist, his body and blood. Their witness of love, devotion and service to God and one another was inspiring, so much so that many came to believe and were saved. We, like them, are disciples of Jesus, followers of the Messiah,  missionaries of hope and mercy, fortified in the sacraments and on the path of eternal beatitude to the heavenly father.
Disciples of mercy
“Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40). As missionary disciples we, in union with the early Christians, receive not only the faith from Jesus but also the grace of the resurrected Lord in the sacraments to build up the church and be living missionaries of mercy. These actions include the Corporal Works of Mercy: To feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned and bury the dead.
We also are called to live the Spiritual Works of Mercy: instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, admonish sinners, bear wrongs patiently, forgive offenses willingly, counsel the doubtful and pray for the living and the dead.
May we, by the light of the resurrected Christ, be beacons of hope and missionaries of mercy, leading all souls to the eternal love of God the father, son and Holy Spirit. Amen. Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen, INDEED!

Dow is the director of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis for the Diocese of Baton Rouge.