It is written that Jesus told so many stories that he became one. This past week we have been privileged to listen to Jesus the “storied one” through the readings of the Passion and other Scriptures that speak to us of God’s faithfulness to humankind. In a way, we have been filled up with the wisdom of the God who dwells with us. It is said that it is a truth so large that we can only touch one part of it at a time.”We have to let ourselves encounter it bit by bit, without expecting that we will comprehend the whole story. We can never grasp this mystery; we can only allow ourselves to be grasped by it.”
In our Gospel reading this evening (Lk. 24:1-12), we hear how the women set out to anoint the body of Jesus. Author Irene Zimmerman gives poetic form to this story of the empty tomb as she writes:
“None of the men had offered to go, so the women had set out in haste alone to straighten twisted feet and fingers, comb black blood from matted hair, anoint the precious body with spices.
‘But who will roll away the stone?’ They whispered again as they neared the tomb. When they looked up, they saw that the stone had already been rolled back. From inside they heard –' He has been raised, he is not here.' Fleeing from the tomb, intent on telling no one, they tripped pell-mell over terror and amazement.
After the telling, they set out in haste together this time, a community of equals, to roll away stones, straighten crooked paths, comb the far countries, and anoint the precious world with Good News.”
Over the next few days, we will hear again and again of the power of the Resurrection through all the appearance stories that surround Jesus. He passes from cross to tomb and from death to new life; he shatters all boundaries and moves through closed hearts, locked minds, and anxious spirits, both then and now.
In the Resurrection, we are assured that there are no doors that are eternally closed. Every time we close a door or one is closed to us, God opens another for us to cross over to a new threshold –one that assures us that God never gives up on us.
I’d like to conclude by sharing a story about a group of monks who were filled every day with the Words of Scripture-and they were nourished daily with the stories of God’s love for them, as they too were filled to overflowing and spilling over with amazement, wonder, and awe of the God who loves unconditionally.
Story: The story is told that there was a small group of monks living in the high mountains of a faraway land. Early in the dark hours of morning, they would gather in the chapel. One of the monks would rise and begin the readings of the day, and then there would be a silence. Then some of the monks would leave and return to their cells.
Again, the Scriptures would be read, followed by a long pause for silence and more monks would leave. The Scriptures would be read again and again, allowing the monks to hear and absorb each word of the readings. And when there was no one left in the chapel, the reader would read the Scriptures one more time to the emptiness of the chapel – listening to its echoes and the Spirit, and then he would close the book and leave. Each monk would reflect upon the Word of God, and then later, they all would gather back in the chapel to share what they had heard and how it had impacted their lives.
At this vigil time, we have been filled with the wonder and amazement of the story of the empty tomb – yet, much like the monks, we will leave with our faith, hope, and joy spilling over again and again into our everyday lives. We are challenged to give voice to what we have experienced here this evening and how it has impacted our lives.
So let us too like the disciples in the Scriptures – set out in haste together, as a community of equals, to roll away stones, straighten crooked paths, comb the far countries and anoint the precious world with Good News! Christ is risen! Alleluia, Alleluia,Alleluia!
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