Tuesday in the Octave of Easter
St. John’s telling of Mary Magdelene at Jesus’ tomb lacks some of the drama of St. Matthew’s version yesterday. In place of a great earthquake, Mary is simply weeping. The depth of her grief over the empty tomb is such that she is neither startled by two angels who are nearby, nor does she immediately know who the gardener is. Upon hearing “Mary!,” she comes to recognize Jesus. He is greatly concerned for all of his scattered flock, and Mary hastily leaves to proclaim the good news to the disciples.
The message of Jesus’ teaching was similar to John the Baptist’s message: repent and be baptized. The forerunner always acknowledged, though, that he was not the Messiah. Jesus was empowered to forgive sins, as well as impart the gifts of the Holy Spirit on those who truly repented. Peter, forgiven and strengthened with this Spirit, now tells this to his Israelite audience. Some in the crowd may have seen the resurrected Jesus before his Ascension. In the end, only those who freely accepted Peter’s message were baptized.
Reflection by Br. Jacob Kubajak, OSB
Posted in Article for Easter, Daily Reflections