This year we are reading from the Gospel of St. Mark on the Sundays of Ordinary Time. We also read from that Gospel on some of the major feasts and solemnities of the year. So it is that on this night when we keep vigil before the celebration of Easter Sunday, we find ourselves reading the story of the empty tomb as it was told by St. Mark. Curiously, the very last verse of this episode of the Gospel is left out of the reading. The very next verse reads: “Then they went out and fled from the tomb, seized with trembling and bewilderment. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” Originally, this was the final verse of St. Mark’s Gospel, the very first to be written. Imagine for a moment that verse eight of chapter sixteen was, in fact, the very last verse of the Gospel to be proclaimed.
In fact, it was not until several years later that the Gospel of St. Matthew told the story in a completely different way. He reduces the number of women who went to the tomb to two, and he tells us of an earthquake to explain the fact that the stone has been rolled away. More importantly, he writes, “Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples.”
We should not be too hard on the women of St. Mark’s Gospel. Would we have reacted any differently? The Gospels tells us stories of Jesus raising people from the dead. However, no one else in human history had ever risen from the dead and burst out of a tomb of their own power. The message of the angel in the tomb would have been very frightening. I am sure that the three women would have been labeled as hysterical by those to whom they may have told the story. So like little children who have done something wrong, they decided not to tell of the experience.
Of course, the story does get told. Even St. Mark’s Gospel was later redacted so that the story doesn’t end with the frightened women running away and speaking to no one. Even more remarkably, Jesus will appear to his disciples on several occasions confirming the women’s story. However, tonight we simply tell the story of the empty tomb – which, of course, means that it is no longer a tomb. Now it would be better called a womb as it is the site which first brought forth the new life that is ours because of Jesus’ resurrection. For the other thing we celebrate this evening is the fact that we also have been reborn and given new life through the life-giving waters of Baptism.
Earlier this evening we heard the story of Israel’s flight from Egypt. The Hebrew men, women and children cross the Red Sea on dry land. One side of the water represents the 430 years of slavery, blood, sweat and tears. On the other side is the promise of freedom in the Promised Land. Twelve hundred years before the baptism of Jesus, God in Sacred Scripture is showing us that in the waters of baptism, we all can be free from slavery to sin, and through water, look to that day when we will know true freedom in the Promised Land of heaven.
On this holy night throughout the world, thousands of men and women are being washed clean of their sins by the waters of baptism. Imagine, if you will, what it must be like for them to walk into their various churches this evening with the burden of their sins and to be able to walk out of the church with all their sins forgiven. Their past is drowned in the waters of baptism, and their future is bright with the promise of being completely forgiven all of their sins.
We all know the power of sin in our lives as we are all guilty. Yet we also know the power of God’s mercy as we have spent these last forty days recalling all that God has done for us. Tonight as we renew our baptismal promises, we are drawn into the mystery of our redemption and are washed clean by the grace of the reception of the Body and Blood of Jesus. For we have been promised that for those who participate in this sacred meal, God’s mercy washes us clean and reconciles us. The power of this night cannot be overstated.
However, we must also remember that we are not to imitate the women in St. Mark’s Gospel. It is now our vocation to tell everyone about what God has done for us. We would not be here tonight if the message had not been shared. Future generations depend upon us to continue telling the story and to continue to sing God’s praises for the marvelous gift of freedom, forgiveness, mercy, and reconciliation. As we heard in the Easter proclamation, let this place resound with joy as we sing God’s praises throughout our day to day living.
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator