Gospel: Luke 24:1-12
On the Sabbath the women rested according to the commandment, but the first day of the week, at dawn, the women went to the tomb with the perfumes and ointments they had prepared. Seeing the stone rolled away from the opening of the tomb, they entered, and were amazed to find that the body of the Lord Jesus was not there.
As they stood there wondering about this, two men in dazzling garments suddenly stood before them. In fright the women bowed to the ground. But the men said, “Why look for the living among the dead? You won’t find him here. He is risen. Remember what he told you in Galilee, that the Son of Man had to be given into the hands of sinners, to be crucified, and to rise on the third day.” And they remembered Jesus’ words.
Returning from the tomb, they told the Eleven and all the others about these things. Among the women, who brought the news, were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. But however much they insisted, those who heard did not believe the seemingly nonsensical story. Then Peter got up and ran to the tomb. All he saw, when he bent down and looked into the tomb, were the linen cloths, laid by themselves. He went home wondering.
Reflection:
"The balsam of life.”
Christ is our life; Christ is our hope. It is he who transforms the trials and sorrows of this life into steps towards our glorious life with God. Holy Week and Easter deepen our awareness of our dying and rising to new life with Christ. Let’s not forget our intimate union with him through our Baptism – a sharing in the power of his cross and resurrection. At the Easter Vigil, in the Light of the Risen Lord, we renew our baptismal promises. We affirm our rejection of evil and renew our faith in God and his Church. We make afresh our commitment to Christ – to stay with him; to walk in his light. Let us deepen our relationship with the Lord Jesus, so that we can touch our wounded world with his joy, his peace and his love. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux called the knowledge of the mystery of Christ through faith the “balsam of life,” which alleviates our earthly state. May our prayer this Easter be heavily perfumed with the “balsam of life.” May it heal our wounds and may its perfume of hope pour from our hearts into the lives of those around us.
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