There had never been an occurrence when an emptiness said so much. Today we celebrate Easter when the stone was rolled away to uncover an empty tomb. Absent, unseen but present, seen with eyes of faith. An empty tomb filled with nothingness yet this nothingness was so full; full with new life. ‘New life’ made real because He has risen! 

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad. 

This is a newness we are invited to embrace; to live new each morning as each day brings new hope and new graces. We have no more reason to fear, entrusting our life journey into this presence of the Risen Christ so as to live with true joy and true happiness. Rejoice and be glad! 

But for some of us we cannot rise above the reality of our lives. This Easter joy fades away after a few days because we find that we live life stuck in between the crucifixion and resurrection. 

The resurrection is new energy, renewed each day to replace energies drained away by the reality of daily challenges. We face sufferings of all forms, always magnified to empty us. These hurts are stones from broken relationships, rejections, financial struggles, job loss, illnesses, worries, un-forgiveness, bitterness and this list extend as far as our life journey take us. But it is in this emptiness of our personal lives, just like the empty tomb, where we find Him to raise our lives from the dead. 

Today is a day to give thanks, rejoice and be filled with new hope and renewed faith. The disciples ran together to the tomb. When he went in; he saw and he believed. In that emptiness, worldly life fell into place. 

We too must run into the emptiness of our personal lives. We must look for clues in that emptiness like the linen cloth lying on the ground or the head cloth rolled up in a place by itself; we look for clues by going back into the events that emptied us, and the reasons that we are being emptied. We must move the stone to uncover what is behind the stone. We need to see his presence in our personal life to believe. 

Often it is from many of such events that our lives have taken a turn on its journey and led us to where and who we are today. Personal events, often those that broke and emptied us, become milestones on our worldly journey. People with renewed faith, returning Catholics who have come back, saw enough evidence in their emptiness to know that at each milestone, the Risen Christ was like a new fire that burnt a new path for us. 

We can wait between our crucifixion and resurrection or choose to run to see what is behind the stone. There is nothing there, a nothingness that is full of new life for you and me. Believe, so that we can live in joy and true happiness. Happy Easter!

Easter Sunday

Mass at Dawn, John 20:1-9