Faith

'You know what has happened...'

Friday, April 3, 2026Faith

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Christ is risen indeed, alleluia! Even so, we may wish to notice that this joy is not easy or immediate for our Christian forebears.

Archbishop Richard G.
Henning

On Easter, Christians rejoice at the news of Jesus' resurrection. The readings for the feast attest to the power of that transformative moment in the history of salvation. The psalm rejoices in the wonders wrought by our Gracious God. In the passage from the letter to the Corinthians, Paul exhorts his fellow Christians to rejoice at the feast of the Resurrection. But his imagery makes clear that the joy is not mere emotion. Their joy must express itself in the goodness and honesty of their lives. The Gospel passage also proclaims good news with John's account of the astonishing discovery of the empty tomb. The neatly arranged burial cloths subtly attest that there has been no hasty theft of Jesus' body. Something far more profound is occurring here, and we learn as much when we are told that the "other disciple" sees the cloths and the tomb and believes.

As Christians, we are quite familiar with these events, and our minds might easily rush to the joyful news. Christ is risen indeed, alleluia! Even so, we may wish to notice that this joy is not easy or immediate for our Christian forebears. Their trauma at Jesus' passion and death filled them with fear and clouded their understanding. In this passage, Mary Magdalene believes that Jesus' body has been taken. Immediately afterward, she will remain at the tomb weeping. Despite the belief of the one disciple here, the group of the disciples will remain paralyzed by fear until Jesus appears to them in the locked upper room. There is something very understandable about the disorientation of those who love Jesus. They need time to absorb the remarkable news of the Resurrection.
Peter's speech from the Acts in the first reading also indicates the Christian struggle to understand the meaning of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Peter is addressing soon-to-be converted Gentiles, and he reviews the events of the Gospel. He speaks of Jesus' ministry but also revisits the trauma of the cross in figurative terms: "They put him to death by hanging Him on a tree." Is it possible that Peter still cannot utter that terrible word "crucified?" The Resurrection has transformed Peter along with the others, and now they witness to Jesus openly. But even this transformation required Jesus' appearances after the Resurrection and time to eat and drink with them. After such terrible darkness, their eyes needed time to see in the light.
We have walked the penitential path of Lent and accompanied Jesus in the memory and reality of his sacrificial death. It may be difficult for us to shift so suddenly to Easter joy. Perhaps we have difficulty feeling joy due to burdens or sorrow. If so, then we may appreciate the experience of Jesus' disciples who only came to their Resurrection joy through the crucible of the Passion. Like Peter's community, we "know what has happened," but we may need time to understand it all. We are fortunate to have the next 50 days to reflect on the meaning of these events. The resurrection is no summons to easy rejoicing or cheap grace. It is a call to pass through the darkness and stand blinking in the light of day. In that light, we, too, will be transformed into authentic witnesses of deep and lasting resurrection joy.

- Archbishop Richard G. Henning is the Archbishop of Boston