‘…and so you have made the grave a place of hope even as it claims our mortal bodies.’  I often use the prayer from which this phrase comes when I bless the tomb or grave at the conclusion of a funeral.  The words are lyrical and provocative at the same time: the grave a place of hope?

Yet this is what we are celebrating this Easter: what Jesus does we are destined to do because we are one Body with Him.  As St. Augustine says, where the Head goes the Body must follow.  Why do we believe such an incredible mystery?

Traditionally the proofs for the resurrection of Jesus from the dead have rested on two biblical facts: the empty tomb and the appearances of Jesus to His disciples.  You may have read in this space before another reason for faith which has a more, for lack of a better word, psychological tone.  I discovered it in a book by the noted Benedictine theologian Sebastian Moore.

Though they abandoned Him in the beginning of His passion, the apostles deeply loved Jesus.  They had departed family and profession to follow Him; they could attest what some temple guards said in John’s Gospel, ‘No man ever spoke like this man.’  Emotionally they had put a ll their eggs in the one basket of Jesus.

And then Jesus is taken away—suddenly, unfairly and without their remaining attached to Him—and killed.  The result for these men and the women who accompanied Jesus?  Utter and complete devastation, lostness, sadness, fear and shame.  Any of us who has ever lost a loved one knows some of this emotional turmoil and cutting hurt…

And then…these same apostles are seen by other people to be joyful, confident, free from guilt, uncaring if arrested or even threatened with death, deeply sane, and unafraid to discuss their failure to remain with their Friend.  Now why did this complete change in emotions and spirit come about?  They encountered the risen Jesus, and in so doing learned that they were forgiven and that death is not the final word…and that the grave is indeed a place of hope.

Our faith is apostolic.  That means it rests on the testimony of human beings like ourselves in their weakness and sin who yet handed on to us their experience of Jesus risen from the dead.  Traditionally all but John went to their martyrdom confident in the message that Jesus is Lord and by dying has defeated death for all who come after Him.

I find Fr. Moore’s reflections compelling.  Were any of the departed in my family or from among my friends restored to me soon after their death…let me assure you, you’d hear about it!  One of the qualities noted in the post-Easter apostles is boldness in their prayer to God and in their words to people.  I am delighted to see this same quality so often in the newly baptized and confirmed.

St. Paul goes so far as to tell us baptized ‘you have died’ and that now our life is ‘hidden in Christ.’  Lately I have found these words enormously consoling.  I am aware that all of us are in different places as we face the mystery of death.  I hope that we all may have some share in the feelings of the women racing from the tomb that Easter morning…’fearful yet overjoyed.’

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Special thanks to all who have worked so hard to make this Lent, Holy Week, Triduum and Easter such wonderful celebrations.  God reward all those who have accompanied our elect and confirmandi to the Easter sacraments—this weekend and next [when the children will be initiated]!  Blessings on all those who read this from afar on the internet and to those at home.  Happy Easter to all!