In the Easter Sunday Gospel, we meet courageous and bold women. They went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus with spices. They are told to go from the tomb and tell the (male) disciples to go to Galilee, where they will meet Jesus. These women become the first messengers of the resurrection, and they are also the first to have a personal encounter with the risen Jesus.
In these days after Lent and our celebration of Jesus’ passion and death, we are being invited into a new personal encounter with him. It is in this fresh encounter that we, too, will find a new boldness and courage and a renewed energy to be messengers of his resurrection. It is personal encounters that help us re-energise and renew relationships and friendships. The Easter Octave is a time that is especially put aside so that we, like the various people in the Gospels, can
encounter the risen Jesus again and again.
Our personal encounter with the risen Jesus will give a different quality to our lives. One can soon tell the difference between a Christian whose encounter with Jesus halts or culminates in Holy Week and one whose encounter is with the resurrected Jesus.
The Holy Week Christian is fearful, worried that they could be overcome or even condemned if they do not observe
every religious law meticulously. These kinds of Christians are serious and sad; there is a heaviness about them, and sometimes, one wonders how free they really are. They seldom allow themselves to
laugh. Often, one feels that they are watching you, and they are all consumed by making sure that you simply obey the law.
The Christian who encounters the risen Jesus experiences a new energy. They live
with enthusiasm. They observe religious laws because they know that the laws lead to a deeper encounter with God – they are not simply just avoiding being overcome or condemned. There is a lightness about them, and wherever they go, people are filled with hope and feel encouraged by their joy and laughter.
Take time on this Easter Monday to spend time contemplating the risen Lord Jesus – perhaps imagine you are one of the women at
the tomb. Where might the Lord be inviting you to something new at this time? In what ways can you, today, offer hope and encouragement to others flowing from the hope and encouragement the risen Jesus gives you?
Reflections by Russell Pollitt SJ
