He Must Rise from the Dead

The glorious dawn of resurrection surrounded me with celestial light and life. My form, encased in death’s linen shroud just hours before, was now freed, transforming before the radiant power of indestructible existence.

As Mary Magdalene neared the tomb in the early morning darkness, she likely sensed the lingering sacredness left behind from my empty grave. Seeing the stone displaced, her grief reopened as she assumed my body had been taken and dishonoured further. Dear woman, if she could grasp the glory thoroughly unveiled!

I heard her summon Peter and John, breathlessly telling them “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb!”

Those two dearest friends, fuelled by urgency, sprinted towards the tomb. John, younger and swifter, reached it first. He peered in, hesitant, the sight of the empty tomb a confusing scene. The linens lay undisturbed, but my body… gone. Fear and a flicker of something else – hope, perhaps? – showed on his face.

There Peter witnessed the evidence of transformation – the head covering separated and displaced. My friend stood still, his mouth wide open in amazement. Even when John came in after him, each piece of cloth left behind in the tomb seemed to change his mind about death, making him believe more in the promise of eternal life.

At that moment, when they saw where I had been lying, the prophecies they had heard before suddenly made sense, and their faith came alive. All the different parts of the sacred writings they knew seemed to come together in that empty space, like pieces of a puzzle fitting perfectly. It was like a new day dawning for them, filled with eternity’s promise. The miracle they witnessed went from being hidden to being revealed in all its glory, leaving them amazed and astonished.

Oh, my beloved children, still wandering in the shadows of death! May the wonder of God awaken your souls, so that this first sight of an empty tomb becomes just the beginning of countless miraculous revelations. For I am alive forevermore, and death’s power is forever defeated for those who embrace the light shining from this empty tomb. (Media Team)

The text above is an adaptation of the Gospel reading for Easter. For the actual scripture, please refer to the Catholic Missal. This adaptation is intended purely as an aid for reflection.