Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen!

"White Angel" with Holy Myrrhbearers at Christ's Tomb, c. 1235.  Fresco, Mileseva Monastery, Serbia

 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away -- for it was very large.  And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He is risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him.  But go, tell His disciples -- and Peter -- that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."  So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.  And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

 

- Mark 16:1-8 

 

Our previously posted reading (from Thursday) described the events of the Las Supper.  In Mark's Gospel, this took place on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb.  On this day, Jesus' disciples said to Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?"  And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him.  Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?" ' Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us."  So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.  In the evening He came with the twelve.  Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me."  And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, "Is it I?"  And another said, "Is it I?"  He answered and said to them, "It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish.  The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been good for that man if he had never been born." And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.  And He said to them, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.  Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

 

  Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  My study Bible comments that, because Christ died so close in time to the Sabbath, the burial customs of the Jews could not be completed.  So, these faithful women (who had followed and supported His ministry even from Galilee; see Luke 8:1-3) went as early as possible to complete the rites of burial.  Another note tells us that in patristic literature, some teach that Mary the mother of James was the wife of Alphaeus, and this James was one of the Twelve (Luke 6:15).  But the majority hold that this Mary is the Virgin Mary, as she was the stepmother of another James, who is called "the Lord's brother" in Matthew 13:55; compare with Mark 15:40, 47.  Also, my study Bible says that many teach that Salome was the wife of Zebedee, the mother of James and John.  

And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away -- for it was very large.  My study Bible comments that the stone had been rolled away not to make way for the Lord's exit from the tomb, for in His resurrected body, He needed no such accommodation (John 20:19).   Instead, this stone was rolled away to allow the witnesses -- and us -- to look in and see that the tomb was empty.  

And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He is risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him.  But go, tell His disciples -- and Peter -- that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."  The specific mention of Peter, my study Bible says, reveals a special care for the one who had denied Christ.   My study Bible quotes Theophylact, who comments that Peter would have said of himself, "I denied the Lord, and therefore am no longer His disciple.  The angel's command is a promise that Peter is forgiven.  

So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.  And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.  My study Bible explains that they said nothing to anyone doesn't mean these women never said anything, but rather that they kept silent until Jesus appeared to them (verses 9-11, which follow today's reading).

Here is a wonderful paradox to contemplate:  the greatest news ever given to humankind is given to these women who come to the tomb:  "He is risen!"  And there is even more powerful news for these women who have followed and supported Christ's ministry, only to see Him crucified:  "He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."   But how do we see these women responding?  Do they leap and rejoice at this greatest of good news?  No, they respond with fear.  In fact, they are so afraid that they say absolutely nothing to anyone.  They trembled and were amazed, and they were afraid.  The Gospels truly reveal to us much more about human nature than we're usually prepared to accept.  In this time of myriad upon myriad of stories available through all forms of media at all times present to us, we still might find this response entirely paradoxical and unpredictable.  The stories we tell one another do not necessarily reflect the reality of human nature -- and the human-divine encounter -- that we're shown in the Gospels.  We would do well to pay attention to this, for it helps us to understand ourselves and our limitations, and additionally the struggle for faith as a lifelong journey.  In the Old Testament, there are a series of what we could call "landmark" encounters with God of one form or another.  There is the stunning story of Moses at the Burning Bush, and in that fire of God's energy, there is God's voice, and God even naming God's name, "I AM" (Exodus 3:14).   As this article points out, for the earliest centuries of Christianity (and for Eastern Christianity in general), these encounters with God are encounters with Christ the Lord, the One who became Incarnate for us, who was given a form that human beings could see, the Logos.  But in this story of the Resurrection, the encounter of these women with the angel gives us a dimension of an encounter with God that we perhaps have either forgotten, or watered down, or discounted for various reasons in the modern world.  That would be related to a healthy "fear" of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7), and the meaning of the word "awe" as in "awesome" (Merriam-Webster definition).  Of course this great good news is entirely unexpected, but also perhaps unfathomable -- even though Jesus prophesied His rising after three days many times.  But an encounter with the risen Lord, as many descriptions in the Gospels emphasize, is one of real "otherness," for want of a better word.  It is something so far outside of our experience and expectations that a natural response is fear, because there is what we might call a boundary-less unknown made present to us.  We cannot define the "ends" of God; we don't know where God ends and begins, and we can't circumscribe or classify all aspects of this real aspect of God.  This is why, so often, Eastern theology in particular will describe God more in negative terms (what we know God is not) than positive ones (what God is).  (This is called Apophatic as opposed to Cataphatic theology).  In other words, we can speak more authoritatively as to what God is not, than to what God is.  The message of the angel is so disconcerting because these women have no idea what to expect of this God -- the Lord who has risen and will meet them in Galilee.  And as we ponder the meanings of Easter and Resurrection, we should consider for ourselves how much there is to this risen Lord that we know nothing about -- for God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, is beyond our capacity to fully know, describe, or define.  And yet everything we know of Christ the Lord has been an act of love for us, to encounter us, to even become one of us.  And after the Resurrection, we also have Christ in the Eucharist, even to the point of becoming a part of us on levels we can't determine.  It would take evolution and blossoming of the Church to know what expression all of this would take in the world, the expansion of the communion of saints, the uncountable things that have their root in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, and in the Resurrection -- and all of that is unfolding still.  But for these women, who knew Him so well, who had followed Him and supported His ministry even from Galilee, the angel's words open up an encounter too far outside of experience to be anything but stunning, frightening, to the point of making them tremble and stay silent.  We might be better off to understand that in some ways this is the proper response to God, because it takes into account the vastness and unlimited quality of God, which we forget about all too often.  The shocking nature of the angel's words reminds us that God remains unpredictable and surprising, the ultimate "wild" thing we can't control nor fully define.  And yet, we are to worship with awe, and be grateful for the gifts we've been given, and all that may yet come.

Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!

 

And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.  Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.  But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.  Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.  Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen!  Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'"  And they remembered His words.  Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.  And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.

 

- Luke 23:56b—24:11 

 

Yesterday we read that it was about the sixth hour [or noon], and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour [approximately 3 p.m.].  Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.  And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.'"  Having said this, He breathed His last.  So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!"  And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned.  But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man.  He had not consented to their decision and deed.  He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before.  That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.  And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid.  Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils.  And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.   

 

And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.  Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.  This first day of the week is the day after the Sabbath.  It is Sunday, which in the Christian tradition is called the Lord's Day (in Greek, Κυριακή/Kyriaki) -- the day of worship (Acts 20:7).  The spices which were prepared by the women (see the final verse in yesterday's reading, above) were traditionally prepared against the corruption of the bodies of the dead.  

 

But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.  See Matthew 28:2.  My study Bible suggests that this stone is rolled away not to let the all-powerful Lord out, but so that we may witness Christ's Resurrection.

 

 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.   These two men in shining garments are angels.

Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen!  Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'"  And they remembered His words.  My study Bible comments that, in order to dispel any doubt, the angel confirms this message by recalling the words of Christ Himself.  In calculating the third day, the first day is Friday, the day on which Christ died before sundown.  The second is Saturday, the Sabbath on which Christ rested in the tomb.  The third day, which begins after sundown on Saturday, is the day of Resurrection, Sunday. 

Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.  And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.  My study Bible comments that certain patristic commentary teaches that Mary the mother of James was the wife of Alphaeus, and this James was one of the Twelve (Luke 6:15).  But most hold that this Mary is the Virgin Mary, as she is in fact the stepmother of a different James, called "the Lord's brother" (Galatians 1:19; see also  Matthew 13:55, compare to Mark 15:40, 47).  My study Bible further notes that the Virgin Mary appears in certain icons of the Myrrhbearing Women.  Moreover, in a hymn by St. John of Damascus, it is sung, "The angel cried to the lady full of grace, 'Rejoice, O pure Virgin:  your Son is risen from His three days in the tomb."

 

 Let us note how matter-of-fact these extraordinary events seem to be as they are told.  We're not given to great extremes here of astonishment, or anguish in mourning, or more superlatives about the emotions of the women, nor even stupendous appearances of these angels or even of the rolled away stone.  The most we're given in terms of unusual descriptive images is the clothing of the angels; they're wearing shining garments.  But even so, the text doesn't tell us directly that they are angels; they are "two men in shining garments."  It is only the shining, light-filled quality of their garments that speaks to us of the glory of the Lord reflected through them, and that they are angels.  The women, in response, are not so frightened that they run away.  Instead, we are told that they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth. This kind of fear is akin to awe at beholding what comes from God, and is therefore a kind of testimony to a power beyond our understanding.  It is a kind of fear that comes from the fact that it is outside of the earthly and the worldly, and inspired by the presence of the holy, which comes from God.  In these short verses, we're given no great cinematic style buildup to this event, but an almost quiet recounting of the way that the truly awesome and extraordinary intervenes in our lives, a kind of perspective that we can only understand upon reflection, and given time to understand all the tremendous meanings and effects that belong to this moment of revelation.  For that is what this truly is, it is a revelation.  As the stone is rolled away, so we might say that this is a type of apocalypse, the root meaning of which is to "uncover."   The stone is rolled away, so that a deeper reality might be revealed.  In this empty tomb, in the presence of these "two men in shining garments" we are given the true reality behind the scenes of the worldly, through their announcement to these women:  "Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen!"   This is also the pronouncement of the fulfillment of prophecy:  "Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'"   And this is how the revelations of God happen in our own lives.  Not with the drumbeat of something approaching we can't quite grasp, not with an announcement before the whole world, but in our private places, like this empty tomb, and even in the quiet of what feels truly personal but may be extraordinary.  What we observe in a worldly sense is the response of the apostles to this earth-shattering news:  they think they are hearing idle tales, and they did not believe them.  So often, even in our own lives, we can expect that this is the way that revelation -- even those which change our lives -- comes to us.  The good news of Christ may come to us as we read the pages of one of the Gospels, as we pray alone, as we sit in Church and sense something of a change of attitude in ourselves, or maybe a sudden ease of the heart.  The powerful work of God does not come to us in the way an earthly spectacle dreamed up for a horror film, for instance, would give us garish images.  But God works in ways that move us deeply, that give us conviction and awareness even though none around may sense the same.  In this quiet place of an empty, unused tomb the angel gives the awesome, amazing, and yet gentle good news that they must no doubt struggle to comprehend.   First, with a question:  "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" and then, "He is not here, but is risen!"  It reminds us of Jesus' own words, teaching the Sadducees about the real nature of the resurrection they can't imagine nor understand, and do not expect -- that "He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him"  (Luke 20:38).  In this light of the true reality behind all the appearances of the world, this becomes perfect sense, that where God is, there is life.  There are those who may appear to us as living, but they are spiritually dead ("Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God," Jesus says to one who wants to follow but first go to bury his father, in Luke 9:60).  Jesus doesn't just promise water to those who thirst, but "rivers of living water" (John 7:38).  We observe earthly life even where there isn't faith, but Christ is the living bread which gives life to the world (John 6:33, 51).  He is the light of the world, which is the light of life (John 8:12).  We might see what we see, and live as we live day to day, but there is a deeper layer of what is real, and it speaks to us of what is truly alive, and what gives life -- even life "more abundantly" (John 10:10).   But one needs faith to take in what is being revealed.  The women come to the tomb, doing their duty, keeping their heads in ways that the frightened men in hiding are not.  But they do not find the dead, they find the angels announcing life and Resurrection, who remind them first of this truth by asking, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" and affirming the truth, "He is not here, but He is risen!"   Let us, also, not seek the living among the dead, because we won't find the life we seek there.  Let us remember these words, that He is risen!

 

 

 

 

Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!

 

 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils.  And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.  But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.  Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.  Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen!  Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'"  And they remembered His words.  Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.  And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.

 

- Luke 23:56—24:11 

 

Yesterday we read that it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.  Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.  And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.'"  Having said this, He breathed His last.  So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!"  And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned.  But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.  Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man.  He had not consented to their decision and deed.  He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before.  That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.  And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid.  Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils.  And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

 

Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils.  And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.  Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.   These are "the women who had come with Him from Galilee," as indicated in yesterday's text, above.  The spices and fragrant oils are preparations for the corruption of Christ's body, intended to delay and disguise decay.  The first day of the week was the day after the Sabbath -- in other words, Sunday -- which in the Christian tradition is called the Lord's Day, the day of worship (Acts 20:7).  

But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.  See also Matthew 28:2.  My study Bible comments that the stone is rolled away not to let the all-powerful Lord out, but to allow us to witness His Resurrection.  

Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. The men in shining garments were angels.  

Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen!  Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'"  And they remembered His words.  My study Bible comments that in order to dispel any doubt, the angel confirms his message by recalling Christ's own words.  In calculating the third day, we understand the first day to be Friday, the day on which Christ died before sundown.  The second day is Saturday, the Sabbath on which Christ rested in the tomb.  The third day -- which begins after sundown on Saturday -- is the day of Resurrection, Sunday.

 

 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.  And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.  My study Bible says that certain patristic writers teach that Mary the mother of James was the wife of Alphaeus and this James was one of the Twelve (Luke 6:15).  Most, however, hold that this is the Virgin Mary, being in fact the stepmother of a different James, who is "the Lord's brother" (see Matthew 13:55; compare to Mark 15:40, 47).  

What does the empty tomb signify?  How strange that an empty tomb, with the stone rolled away from it, signifies the greatest "contents" anyone could ever imagine.  The Venerable Bede writes on this passage that, having kept the Sabbath in accordance with the commandment, the women come to the tomb to anoint Christ's body because they think He is dead.  To find the tomb empty gives the appearance of finding nothing, but in effect, they make the greatest find of all:  that Christ is risen and will in fact now be present in the sacraments.  The rolled away stone, as my study Bible comments, leaves the tomb open precisely so that human beings can discover this truth.  (Christ did not need the stone to be rolled away!)  It is akin to the tearing of the veil of the temple (see yesterday's reading, above), which enables human beings to come closer to God, to commune with the presence of God which was once hidden behind the temple veil.  This discovery -- although not at first believed by the Twelve -- enables the comprehension of Christ's repeated prophecies of His death and Resurrection, which was hidden from the disciples when Jesus taught them these things.  The proclamation of the angels begins to make sense out of His death.  Both St. Chrysostom and the Venerable Bede comment that the angels affirm that the sufferings and resurrection of Jesus are part of the divine plan as foretold by the ancient Scriptures and by Jesus himself.  The words of the angels will call to the minds of the apostles the remembrance of these prophecies, and gain their understanding.  Moreover, in the spiritual history of Israel, Genesis tells us that it was a woman who caused corruption to be brought into the world through temptation and lies; but here it is women who are the first to be told the truth of the Resurrection, and who spread that news to the disbelieving men.  St. Cyril of Alexandria teaches us that just as angels appeared at His birth, so they now appear in the empty tomb.  But they are not there to announce death; they are once again present to announce life itself (John 14:6).  St. Cyril writes, "Let no one seek among the dead him who ever lives."  In yesterday's commentary, we noted St. Cyril of Alexandria's commentary:  "Observe that no sooner had Christ endured the Passion on the Cross for our sakes than He began to win many unto knowledge of the truth."  This quick resolution of so many open questions continues especially in today's reading, in the image of the empty tomb, the presence of the angels, and the women who are the first to hear and to relay the good news.  The empty tomb confirms the presence of life itself, the opening of communion with God in the sacraments, the presence of the angels immediately teaches us the reality of the good news, making full sense of Christ's teachings and predictions of His death and Resurrection.  There is, of course, more to come, but the immediate effects are palpable and enlightening, as if something that one day seemed entirely undone is suddenly wrapped up as a beautiful gift.  We should always remember this in our own lives also, on an intimate scale, that where there is a crucifixion, with Christ there will always be a Resurrection, for He is the way, the truth, and the life.  The angels ask, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?"  In Luke 9:60, Jesus taught one who would be His disciple, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  To "follow Him" is the way of life and the good news is in the empty tomb.

 

 

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature

"The Ascension of our Lord," by John La Farge (1835-1910), completed 1888. The Church of the Ascension in the City of New York

 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away -- for it was very large.  And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He is risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him.  But go, tell His disciples -- and Peter -- that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."  So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.  And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will follow those who believe:  In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.  Amen.

- Mark 16:1-8 (9-20)

Yesterday we read that at the crucifixion and death of Jesus were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.  Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.  So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.  Then he brought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen.  And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.  And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  My study bible comments that because Christ died so close in time to the Sabbath, the burial customs of the Jews couldn't be completed.  So these faithful women went as early as they could to complete the burial rites for Jesus.

And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away -- for it was very large.  And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He is risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him."  The stone had been rolled away not for the Lord to exit the tomb, as in His resurrected body He does not need such accommodation (John 20:19).  Instead, my study bible says, the open tomb was to allow these witnesses -- and us -- to look in and see that the tomb was empty.

"But go, tell His disciples -- and Peter -- that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."  My study bible calls the specific mention of Peter is a revelation of a special care for the one who had denied Christ.   Theophylact comments that Peter would have said of himself, "I denied the Lord, and therefore am no longer His disciple."  But the angel's command is a promise that Peter is forgiven.

So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.  And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.  My study bible comments that this doesn't mean the women never said anything; rather, it means they kept silent until Jesus appeared to them (as revealed in following verses).

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.  The remainder of Mark's Gospel, beginning with these verses, is not included in two early manuscripts.  But nearly all other manuscripts ever discovered contain them.  They are canonized Scripture, my study bible tells us, having been considered by the Church to be inspired, authoritative, and genuine.   That Jesus appeared in another form shows that our Lord's resurrected body transcends not simply physical space and time, but also appearance.  My study bible comments that He was sometimes recognizable to His disciples, and at other times He was not (see, for instance, Luke 24:13-35).  

Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."  This is called the Great Commission.  It is Christ's final command given on earth.  My study bible says it is to be lived out in the Church until He returns again.  To make disciples is not done in the strength of human beings, but only in the power of God.  It says that the power of Resurrection isn't only for Jesus Himself, but it is rather given to all the faithful for Christian life and mission.  This is simply and profoundly what it means to be "saved."

And these signs will follow those who believe:  In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."   New tongues is a reference to the capacity to speak in languages one has not learned in order to edify others in worship (1 Corinthians 14) and also to preach the gospel (Acts 2:1-11).  To take up serpents is a figurative image of spiritual battle against demons (Luke 10:19).  My study bible sums it up in saying that Christ is promising, therefore, to deliver believers from the powers of sin.  Moreover, this would include certain physical protection, it notes.  St. Paul was bitten by a serpent and suffered no harm (Acts 28:3-6), and according to tradition, Barsabas Justus (Acts 1:23) was forced by nonbelievers to drink poison and survived.  But nevertheless, a note reads, while God's grace can protect believers from both physical and spiritual harm, to test God by deliberately committing harmful acts against oneself is a grave sin (Deuteronomy 6:16, Matthew 4:7).

So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.  Amen.  Christ's Ascension is celebrated forty days after the Resurrection (Acts 1:3).  My study bible says that this event fulfills the type given when Elijah ascended in a fiery chariot (2 Kings 2:11).  This marks the completion of Christ's glorification and lordship over creation.  At the Incarnation,  Christ's divine nature was brought to human nature.  Here in the Ascension, Christ now brings human nature to the divine Kingdom.  My study bible tells us that He reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit in His glorified body, revealing His glorified human nature -- even human flesh -- to be worshiped by the entire angelic realm.  In some icons and other depictions of the Ascension such as the one above, Christ's white robes of burial are tinted red to indicate the shedding of His blood for the redemption of the world and the ascent of His life-giving blood into heaven (Isaiah 63:1-3; see also Psalm 23:7-10). 

In all things, as we are repeatedly reminded, Christianity upholds the essential foundation of the Incarnation in all of its ramifications and possible aspects.  Christ was both fully human and fully divine, this is the full impact of Incarnation.  But that translates into many sorts of powerful meanings for each of us with faith in Christ.  The Ascension is a shattering moment of cosmic history, because what it means is not only that our Lord descended into the world to live life fully as a human being, but that His glorified human nature has ascended into heaven, even to be worshiped by angels.  And in being "lifted up" He therefore lifts us up with Him where He is (John 12:32).  Many people wish to separate the human from the divine, but the Incarnation teaches us differently.  The very Eucharist given to us by Christ also teaches us differently.  We're given to understand that, in fact, our true natural state is union with God.  That is, we were made to be in this communion, this synergy of divine energies (what we know as God's mercy at work in the world) and human life.  Our lives are meant to be touched by the divine.  We are to live our lives in a prayerful manner, seeking to turn all things to God and find God's way for ourselves in each step.  It is, in fact, what it means to be truly humble, seeking to give our will to Christ's, just as Christ prayed in the garden for His Father's will over His own human impulse, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will" (see Mark 14:32-42).  When Jesus teaches that "with God all things are possible" (Mark 9:23, 10:27), this is not simply a testimony to God's power alone, but also to God's power and grace which may also work in us and with us.  The Ascension confirms, indeed, that this synergy is what we are made for.  In one of the most famous statements foundational to Christian theology, attributed to St. Athanasius (and repeated by many), we are taught that "He was made human so that he might make us gods" (De incarnatione 54,3, cf. Contra Arianos 1.39).  In other words, when Christ tells us, for example, that it is possible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven because with God all things are possible, it is a testimony to God's power and grace at work in us to transform us more closely into the image in which we are created, the likeness with God (Genesis 1:26-27).  In the Ascension, and with this image of Christ's red-tinted white robes, we are to understand the fullness of communion, and even the fullness of possibility contained in our faith and in the mission of Christ.  He ascends as fully Lord, and yet in this picture of the ultimate triumph over death, He may carry with Him each one of us.  Indeed, His very mission was to save, and not to condemn (John 3:17).  And this is the real meaning of salvation; that our lives -- even as we live in the world -- may be lived also as part of the Kingdom, an eternal prospect.  We are meant to live as followers of Christ not simply in word or concept, but through a spiritual divine-human synergy, even as He will send His Holy Spirit for all.  If that seems too strange to ponder, consider the entire meaning of Christ's mission into the world.  It was not to separate us further from heaven, but to unite us in communion -- even our very hearts.  Where does His life-giving blood take you, in the here and now?  Where does His Resurrection and Ascension take you past the sin and sadness of the world and into a changed life, His road of faith?  Let us remember He lived, ministered, died, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven simply for the life of the world.  In all ways, He gives us life, even as He meant to abide in us and we in Him.  We are free to accept or deny His gift of abundant life to us; but how sad and profound the loss should we refuse.  Let us keep in mind, also, that Jesus tells us literally in the Greek to "preach to all the creation."  Indeed, this completion of His mission is for the life of the whole world.

It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. And their words seemed like idle tales, and they did not believe them

 And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.  Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing spices which they had prepared.  But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.  Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.  Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen!  Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' "  And they remembered His words.  Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to the rest.  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.  And their words seemed like idle tales, and they did not believe them.

- Luke 23:56b-24:11

Yesterday we read that at Christ's crucifixion,  it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.  Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.  And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.' "  Having said this, He breathed His last.  So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!"  And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned.  But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.  Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man.  He had not consented to their decision and deed.  He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before.  That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.  And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid.  Then they prepared spices and fragrant oils.  And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

 And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.  Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing spices which they had prepared.  Those who rested on the Sabbath are the women who had come with Christ from Galilee; on Friday (the Preparation) they had prepared spices and fragrant oils for anointing His body for burial, against corruption.  The first day of the week is the day after the Sabbath; that is Sunday.  In Christian tradition this is called the Lord's Day, the day of worship (in Greek, Κυριακή/Kyriaki).  See Acts 20:7.

But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.  Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  My study bible says that the stone is rolled away not because Christ needed to be let out, but rather so that we can witness His Resurrection.

And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.  These men in shining garments are angels.  We note the similarity to the shining garments of Christ at His Transfiguration (9:28-36).

Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen!  Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' "  And they remembered His words.   My study bible says that in order to cast away any doubt, the angel confirms the message by recalling Christ's words to them.  In calculating the third day, the first day is Friday, the day on which Christ died before sundown.  The second is Saturday, which is the Sabbath on which He rested in the tomb.  The third day, which begins after sundown on Saturday, is the day of Resurrection, Sunday.

Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to the rest.  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.  And their words seemed like idle tales, and they did not believe them.   Some Church Fathers teach that Mary the mother of James was the wife of Alphaeus, and this James was one of the Twelve (6:15).   But most hold that this Mary is the Virgin Mary, who is in fact the stepmother of another James, called "the Lord's brother" (see Matthew 13:55; compare Mark 15:40, 47).

The text tells us that the apostles did not believe the women when they told of what they saw, that their words seemed like idle tales.  Once again we have to be impressed by the Gospels.  Our Book does not gloss over mistakes!  It does not gloss over poor behavior, it does not gloss over the failings of the followers of Christ.  It gives us the whole story, the real deal.  Let us remember that the angels, as reported by Luke, repeat Christ's own words to the women to affirm the Resurrection.  They say, "Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' "   Seemingly everyone has forgotten this.  The women need to reminded again, and the apostles don't believe a word the women say, it all sounds too fantastical.  But at least, in the people who form the cast of characters in the Gospel and the story of the Church, we have the reality of all of us given to us.  That is, we all begin in faith from the place we know, the worldly.  There is nothing left out here.  The assumptions of the apostles and of the women going to the tomb are the same as all of us, the same as those who find faith in this story impossible, preposterous, foolishness and stumbling block (see 1 Corinthians 1:22-25).  We are there with them, they are there with us -- the Gospel takes us through this story of faith right from where we all start.  It does not gloss over the difficulties and "foolishness."  It does not constrain us to say that there is something wrong with us if our faith is not immediately perfect.  It takes us as we are -- as they are -- and leads us through the story of our faith, the story of life and Resurrection, of that which is raised from the dead and also has the power to bring life to the places where we feel we are dead, hope is lost, despair our only choice.  The Resurrection is not simply the good news of Christ as the One who lives.  It asks us to come along with Him, to a life in which our own dead ends are nothing of the sort, but may be simply a crucifixion before Resurrection.  It asks us to come along to the place where there is life, and in our own lives, to stop seeking the living among the dead.  It asks us, like the apostles and the women, to find the life He holds for us -- and to continue although our own story might feel like it's done.  This is the reality of the empty tomb, and the disciples who cannot believe the women.  We are all here in this world with its dead ends and its finalities, its certainties, only that's never really the end of the story.  He brings us life, and where we least expect it.

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature

 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away -- for it was very large.  And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He is risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him.  But go, tell His disciples -- and Peter -- that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."  So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.  And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will follow those who believe:  In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.  Amen.

- Mark 16:1-8,9-20

Yesterday, we read that at Jesus' crucifixion there were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.  Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.  So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.  Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen.  And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.  And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.   As Christ died close in time to the Sabbath, the burial customs couldn't be completed.  They come to the tomb very early in the morning to complete the rites of burial as soon as possible.  Many teach that Salome is the mother of James and John Zebedee.  Mary the mother of James is sometimes said to be the wife of Alphaeus and mother of one of the Twelve, but most teach this is Mary the Mother of Jesus, stepmother of James, the "brother of the Lord" (Mark 6:3).

And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away -- for it was very large.  My study bible points out that the stone had been rolled away not to accommodate the exit of Jesus -- that's not necessary in His resurrected body (John 20:19), but rather to allow in the witnesses, these women, so that they may see that the tomb was empty.

 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He is risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him.  But go, tell His disciples -- and Peter -- that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."  So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.  And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.   Peter is specifically included, after he denied Christ three times while outside the house of the high priest during Jesus' trial before the Council.  Peter himself would most likely have said of himself that he could no longer be a disciple of Christ having done so.  But the angel's command, says my study bible, is a promise that Peter is forgiven.

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.  Verses 9-20 are not contained in two early manuscripts, but nearly all other manuscripts ever discovered do contain them.  My study bible tells us that they are canonized Scripture and are considered by the Church to be inspired, authoritative, and genuine.  Jesus "appeared in another form" to the two other disciples (perhaps those on the road to Emmaus in Luke's Gospel).  My study bible teaches that our Lord's resurrected body transcends not only physical space and time, but appearance as well.  He was sometimes recognizable to His disciples, but at other times He was not.   And universally, we read here, those who see Him are disbelieved by the others.

Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will follow those who believe:  In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."  This is the "Great Commission," to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  It's Jesus' final commandment on earth and meant to be lived out in the Church until His return, the Second Coming.   My study bible says that to "speak with new tongues" indicates the ability to speak in languages one has not learned in order to edify others in worship (1 Corinthians 14) and to preach the gospel (Acts 2:1-11).   To take up serpents is a figurative way of speaking about spiritual battle against demons (Luke 10:19).  This is a promise to deliver believers from the power of sin, and would include certain physical protection as well, says my study bible.  It notes, "St. Paul was bitten by a serpent and suffered no harm (Acts 28:3-6).  According to tradition, Barsabas Justus (Acts 1:23) was forced by unbelievers to drink poison and survived."  But while God's grace can protect believers from both physical and spiritual harm, it is considered a sin to deliberately commit harmful acts against oneself in order to test God (Deuteronomy 6:16, Matthew 4:7).

So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.  Amen.  This is the Ascension of Christ, celebrated forty days after Resurrection (Acts 1:3).  My study bible says the Ascension fulfills the type given when Elijah ascended in a fiery chariot (2 Kings 2:11), and it marks the completion of Christ's glorification and lordship over all creation.  It notes, "At the Incarnation, Christ brought His divine nature to human nature.  In the mystery of the Ascension, Christ brings human nature to the divine Kingdom.   He reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit in His glorified body, revealing His glorified human nature -- indeed, human flesh -- to be worshiped by the whole angelic realm."   Some traditional icons of the Ascension and also more modern Western depictions (such as this mural (1888) at Church of the Ascension in New York City, by John the La Farge - detail during restoration) show Christ's white robes with a tint of red to indicate the shedding of His blood for the redemption of the world, and the ascent of His life-giving blood into heaven (Isaiah 63:1-3, see also Psalm 24:7-10).

It's important to consider the "full circle" of Christ's life, death, Resurrection, and Ascension.  It tells us so much about our faith, that overall it's about healing and restoration, about wholeness and unity, intimate relationship to our Creator.  It's often cited that the early Councils regarding Christ's identity can be summed up in the words attributed to St. Athanasius:  "God became man so that man could become a god."  What does that really mean?  Christ takes on our nature and transfigures it.  He comes in ministry to the world and makes whole and heals.  He restores the condition of humanity to that which is in communion with Creator, and gives us an idea of what it is to be restored to the image in which we were created, to be "God-like."  Love is the key to it all, but love is also tinted, if you will, with sacrifice.  His sacrifice for us is one of love, and the "blood-tinted" robes of Ascension tell us about the love of our Creator for us, elevating human nature to a permanent eternal place glorified in heaven by the One who became one of us for a reason and purpose beyond any encapsulation or limitation.  He shows us the way to become more like Him, to follow Him so that we may be eternally with Him.  But everything is transfigured, changed by His grace, nothing is just left behind.  We look to the scene of His Nativity, and understand every creature transfigured by the presence of holiness, His birth in a manger, a place where the animals are kept.  We look to His Ascension and the blood-tint to His robes that rises into heaven.  If we lose our sense of wholeness, healing, and restoration as part and parcel of our faith then we miss, really, the great big overall picture here.  We miss the whole impact of God's love, Christ's sacrifice, and His bond and covenant with us.  It is we who are forever elevated by Him, even all the world, "every creature" says the Gospel reading.  In the Greek, it reads more literally as if Christ tells them they are to go "everywhere" -- and to preach to all "the creation."   Just as the presence of holiness tinged every element at His birth, there is nothing left out in this work to do after Ascension.   It's where He came in, and it's where He leaves us, with a job to do, a work for Him, with His help.

He is risen

 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.  And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.  But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.  Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.  Behold, I have told you."  So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.  And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!"  So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid.  Go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."

- Matthew 28:1-10

In yesterday's reading, we were told that at the crucifixion, many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.  Now, when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.  When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.  And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.  On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.'  Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.'  So the last deception will be worse than the first."  Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how."  So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.

 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.  My study bible says, "The earthquake is a sign of our Lord's great victory over death, foreshadowing the general resurrection of all humanity.  Note that the angel does not roll back the stone to let the Lord out, for in His glory, Christ could pass through solid rock (see John 20:19).  Rather, this allows the witnesses in to see that He has already risen."

His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.  And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.  But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.  Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.  Behold, I have told you."  So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.  And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!"  So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid.  Go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."  My study bible points out that "these women are the first witness of the supreme event in all history:  the Resurrection of Christ and the destruction of death.  The angel refers to Christ as the one who was crucified, teaching us not to shy away from His death, but to glory in the Cross (1 Corinthians 2:2; Galatians 6:14), which is the weapon Christ used to destroy death and the trophy of His victory.  At the liturgical services of Pascha (Easter),  Orthodox Christians sing the following hymn hundreds of times:  'Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.'  As St. Paul says, 'If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile'  (1 Corinthians 15:17)."

So, the great good news is here, in this place carved out of rock to make room for the body of Jesus.  But, it's really carved to make room for all of us, for each of us.  As noted in yesterday's reading (especially by St. Hillary of Poitiers and other commentators), this is the stone of our hearts, pristine and carved out to make room for Christ.  It's for everyone, the whole world, the world of the Gentiles, in I suspect the only way this could have happened.  And that's really the power of the Cross.  It's the power to transform sacrifice into Resurrection, suffering to joy. This is the thing that Christ does for us. It's what has been predicted of Him all along in Scripture.  It's in His mother's song at Gabriel's announcement to her:  "He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.  And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.   He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He has put down the mighty from their thrones,  and exalted the lowly.  He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty"  (Luke 1:49-53).  Jesus' greeting to these women, "Rejoice!" is the same (in the Greek) as Gabriel's to Mary at the Annunciation.   The stone is rolled away for us to come in; Christ has no need of such help. The stone also symbolizes our need to guard our hearts so that false Christs do not enter.  Let us remember the words of Gabriel.  It's an angel who gave us the good news of His birth, a leader of the angels who gives us the power of the good news of His Resurrection:  "He is risen."  It's the  news that turns the world into a place where we can truly see what is what, the grace of all graces, that helps us find the joy and purpose in our lives.  It turns all endings into new beginnings.