Women at the Tomb
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April 13, 2017
[In Northern Italy stands Sacro Monte di Crea. This sanctuary overlooks the Alpine mountain chain. Ever since the 4th century when St. Eusebius of Vercelli brought a statue of Mary to this place from the Holy Land, it has been a place of pilgrimage. Its twenty-three small chapels offer pilgrims a place to meditate on the mysteries of the faith. In one such chapel, the prolific 19th century Italian sculptor, Antonio Brilla, has placed this beautiful tableau of the three women at the empty tomb.]
Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli
Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome the wife of Zebedee rise early. Their grief at Jesus’ death makes them restless. Bearing spices, they come to complete the burial rites of the one whom they love.
Far from their thoughts are Jesus’ own words that he would suffer, die and, on the third day, rise again. For them, as for every pious Jew, the resurrection would happen on the last day when all the bodies of the dead would be raised from their tombs. Not before!
Bewildered, they peer down into the empty tomb. But, an angel points their eyes upward. An angel had announced his birth. An angel now proclaims his Resurrection: Jesus is risen from the dead! The Cross is a victory. Death and sin are not the last words. God has the last word. And it is life!
With his back to the empty tomb, the angel sends the women away from the empty tomb to begin the Church’s mission of evangelization. They rush to bring the others the good news that Jesus has been raised up and is Lord.
And so must we! With the truth of the gospel and our lives of charity, we hasten to let others know that Jesus has been raised up from the dead and, in him, we, too, are raised up to the very life of God!
