Gospel Of John 20:1-9
On the first day of the week,
Gospel Of John 20:1-9
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.
Easter Sunday Gospel Reflection
Rejoice! He is risen! This is one of the best times of year to look at your life and all that you have to be grateful for. We are saved from sin and death!
Easter is always a good reminder that everything is grace. In an age of entitlement, it is easy to forget that the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the life we have are all incredible graces from God. Taking time to pray in thanksgiving for the graces in our life is often a practice that keeps us aware of what we have and gives us a disposition of gratitude and joy.
One more thing that I always try to remember at Easter is how many graces came from the sacrifices of Lent and the additional prayer I added to my life. In the joy and celebration of Easter, it is easy to forget those graces and treat the Paschal Mystery as “that time of year when I get to eat chocolate again.”
As you celebrate Easter, take a moment to consider what Lenten practices brought you closer to God. Maybe giving up Netflix gave you time for prayer and brought you closer to God. Now that Lent is over, maybe consider watching less Netflix than you were before Lent so that you now have time for both! The deeper meaning behind the sacrifices of Lent is to change our relationship with the world around us and to rely more on God. Take the lessons learned through sacrifice in Lent out into the rest of the year to grow in holiness and virtue. In this Easter season, please keep me in your prayers and know of mine in return for you! Happy Easter!
Photo by Bruno van der Kraan on Unsplash
