Easter Sunday: Empty Tomb

Today we find the tomb empty. The violence of Good Friday, followed by the deafening silence of Holy Saturday, and now the sun rises on an open and empty tomb. I love putting myself there, at the scene with Mary Magdalene and the disciples. What would I have felt? Would I have rejoiced even in my fear like in Matthew 28:8? - “Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples.” 

When I think of that moment-of realizing that the tragedy of Jesus’ death was not the end, I am filled with hope. If He’s not in the tomb, where is He? I think this is a vital question I forget to ask myself. If He’s not dead, He’s alive. He’s on the move. He’s completed the sacrifice, and now His mission is to give us His new life. 

I think new life means I have to let Him roll away the stone on my heart. I have little tombs in my heart - things I hide away, ugliness I don’t want to show Him, the parts of me I gave up on and buried. Sometimes I hide myself behind seeking approval, acceptance, perfection, not wanting to change or be different. That hiding quickly turns into building barriers to love. C.S. Lewis wrote about this in his Four Loves:

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.”

So this Easter season, I’m going to ask myself over and over again “If He’s not in the tomb, where is He?” and I will choose to hope that He is breaking open the tombs I make for myself, bringing me new life, fresh air to breath in His Spirit, and ultimately a love beyond understanding. He’s on the move.

My name is Mary Schneider, and I’m one of the FOCUS missionaries with Catholic Hoos. This is my 3rd year as a missionary, and it’s a wild ride that’s taken me to many places, but I’m originally from Alexandria, Louisiana. I’ve been really getting into St.Joseph’s life these days, and he’s lowkey saint-stalked me in the past. Two of my favorite ways to pray are definitely just sitting with Jesus in Adoration, and prayer journaling.