A Christian Only Rents a Tomb
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March 31, 2018. Holy Saturday
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Father James Swanson, LC
Liturgical note: There is no liturgy for Holy Saturday. Christian tradition has the Church waiting at the Lord’s tomb, meditating on his suffering and death. Today’s meditation is taken from the Gospel reading for Easter Sunday at the Easter Vigil. Mark 16:1-7 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him. Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb. They were saying to one another, "Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back; it was very large. On entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were utterly amazed. He said to them, "Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him. But go and tell his disciples and Peter, ´He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.´" Introductory Prayer: Jesus, You are my faithful friend in life and in death. I discover in Your rising my guarantee and hope of everlasting life. After such a show of love You deserve all my faith, all my hope and all my love. I offer these to You humbly and gratefully. You alone are the Lord of my life. You are the true purpose of my life. I long to see Your loving face, Lord, but I must wait in hope to see You in eternity. Petition: Lord, Jesus, increase my hope in You. 1. In the Middle of Darkness: Mary and the other women were without hope. Jesus was dead. The only thing left was to give him a proper burial. They had been in a rush on Friday evening because of the impending Sabbath. Now they could do things properly. It would be hard to see him again, to look at that expressionless face they had known so well, to anoint the cold stiff flesh of the one who had meant everything to them. Once the anointing was done what would they do? What would be the future of this group Jesus had gathered around him? They had even heard that some members of the group were leaving today, to return to their homes because now that Jesus was dead, everything was over. It was now meaningless to be his follower. It was hard to believe that it was really all over, but that seemed to be the truth they had to face. The darkness of discouragement does not belong to a Christian. 2. An Unexpected Light Dawns: In the middle of their doubt, in the middle of their sorrow, in the middle of their hopelessness, a ray of light enters that grows to blinding proportions. The stone is gone, rolled back. They hurry into the tomb, fearing the worst, but the tomb is filled with light instead of darkness. How? A man...? No, an angel! He is smiling at them. He gives a message of unbelievable good news. Jesus is risen! He will see you in Galilee! “This is really unbelievable,” they think to themselves. “People don’t rise from the dead.” But somehow the angel’s impossible words bring them comfort, peace and even belief. In their hearts they know that the impossible has really come true. We need to nourish hope. We need to center our hearts on what is good and true and beautiful, namely Jesus Christ and his plan of salvation. Herein lie my strength and joy. 3. A New Perspective on Everything: The angel has given them a mission. They are to announce the Resurrection to the others. They have a message and they know it is of the greatest importance. Jesus, their hope, is alive. As they head toward the Upper Room, their minds start to work on the startling news they have received and they begin to understand many other things about Jesus. They remember how he spoke about having to suffer and die, but that he would rise. How strange they didn’t listen before. It seems so obvious now. The truth of the Resurrection makes everything new. Does the wonder of the Resurrection penetrate my entire life filling me with peace and joy? If not, why not? Am I convinced that the best way I can witness to Christ is by a life that is “full” and truly happy, whatever the vicissitudes I may suffer? Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, if I really believed that this life was a preparation for the next, I would put a lot more effort into pleasing you more every day. Help me to believe that a Christian only rents his tomb and that his treasures are not stored up in this life, but the next. Resolution: Today, as I prepare for the celebration of the Resurrection, I will take stock of my life. I will ask myself, “Does the Resurrection really make a difference to me?” Do I really live differently from those who don’t accept Christ because I believe in the Resurrection? Or is my belief merely a veneer that allows me to think of myself as a Christian when really nothing in the way I live distinguishes me from those who are not Christians? Having made this evaluation, I will correct something that needs changing so as to show I believe in the Resurrection with all my heart.
Excerpts
from the DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
205 +The Resurrection. Today,
during the [Mass of the] Resurrection, I saw the Lord Jesus in the midst of a
great light. He approached me and said, Peace be to you, My children, and
He lifted up His hand and gave His blessing. The wounds in His hands, feet
and side were indelible and shining. When He looked at me with such kindness
and love, my whole soul drowned itself in Him. And He said to me, You have
taken a great part in My Passion; therefore I now give you a great share in
My joy and glory. The whole time of the Resurrection [Mass] seemed like
only a minute to me. A wondrous recollection filled my soul and lasted
throughout the whole festal season. The kindness of Jesus is so great that I
cannot express it.
306 I
asked the Lord to grant me the grace that my nature be immune and resist the
influences that sometimes try to draw me away from the spirit of our rule and
from the minor regulations. These minor transgressions are like little moths
that try to destroy the spiritual life within us, and they surely will
destroy it if the soul is aware of these minor transgressions and yet
disregards them as small things. I can see nothing that is small in the
religious life. Little matter if I am sometimes the object of vexation and
jeers, as long as my spirit remains in harmony with the spirit of the rules,
the vows and the religious statutes.
O my Jesus, delight of my heart, You know my desires. I should like to hide from people's sight so as to be like one alive and yet not living. I want to live pure as a wild flower; I want my love always to be turned to You, just as a flower that is always turning to the sun. I want the fragrance and the freshness of the flower of my heart to be always preserved for You alone. I want to live beneath Your divine gaze, for You alone are enough for me. When I am with You, Jesus, I fear nothing, for nothing can do me harm.
413 This morning I heard these words: From today until
the [celebration of the]
Resurrection, you will not feel My presence, but your soul
will be filled with great longing. And immediately a great longing filled my soul; I felt a
separation from my beloved Jesus, and when the moment for Holy
Communion came, I saw the suffering Face of Jesus in every Host
[contained] in the chalice. From that moment, I felt a more intense yearning
in my heart.
649 Mass of the Resurrection. [April 12, 1936]. When I
entered the chapel, my spirit was immersed in God, its only treasure. His
presence flooded me.
650 O my Jesus, my Master and Director, strengthen and
enlighten me in these difficult moments of my life. I expect no help from
people; all my hope is in You. I feel alone in the face of Your demands, O
Lord. Despite the fears and qualms of my nature, I am fulfilling Your holy
will and desire to fulfill it as faithfully as possible throughout my life
and in my death. Jesus, with You I can do all things. Do with me as You
please; only give me Your merciful Heart and that is enough for me.
O Jesus my Lord, help me. Let what You have planned before
all ages happen to me. I am ready at each beckoning of Your holy will.
Enlighten my mind that I may know Your will. O God, You who pervade my soul,
You know that I desire nothing but Your glory.
O Divine Will, You are the delight of my heart, the food
of my soul, the light of my intellect, the omnipotent strength of my will;
for when I unite myself with Your will, O Lord, Your power works through me
and takes the place of my feeble will. Each day, I seek to carry out God's
wishes.
697 Jesus, You know that I love suffering and want to
drain the cup of suffering to the last drop; and yet, my nature experienced a
slight shudder and fear. Quickly, however, my trust in the infinite mercy of
God was awakened in all its force, and everything else had to give way before
it, like a shadow retreating before the sun's rays. O Jesus, how great is
Your goodness! Your infinite goodness, so well known to me, enables me to
bravely look death itself in the eye. I know that nothing will happen to me
without God's permission. I desire to glorify Your infinite mercy during my
life, at the hour of death, in the resurrection and
throughout eternity.
+ My Jesus, my strength, my peace, my repose; my soul
bathes daily in the rays of Your mercy. There is not a moment in my life when
I do not experience Your mercy, O God. I count on nothing in my whole life,
but only on Your infinite mercy. It is the guiding thread of my life, O Lord.
My soul is filled with God's mercy.
699 On one occasion, I heard these words: My
daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that
the Feast of Mercy [139] be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor
sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out
a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy.
The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain
complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine
floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near
to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind,
be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.
Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender
mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy
throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of
tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday
after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My
Mercy.
1067 March 28. Resurrection. During the Mass of
Resurrection, I saw the Lord in beauty and splendor, and He said to me, My
daughter, peace be with you. He blessed me and disappeared, and my soul
was filled with gladness and joy beyond words. My heart was fortified for
struggle and sufferings.
1141 In the evening, He gave me to understand how fleeting
all earthly things are, and [how] everything that appears great disappears
like smoke, and does not give the soul freedom, but weariness. Happy the soul
that understands these things and with only one foot touches the earth. My
repose is to be united with You; everything else tires me. Oh, how much I
feel I am in exile! I see that no one understands my interior life. You alone
understand me, You who are hidden in my heart and yet are eternally alive.
1427 Hidden Jesus, life of my soul,
Object of my ardent desire,
Nothing will stifle Your love in my heart.
The power of our mutual love assures me of that.
Hidden Jesus, glorious pledge of my resurrection,
All my life is concentrated in You.
It is You, O Host, who empower me to love forever,
And I know that You will love me as Your child in return.
Hidden Jesus, my purest love,
My life with You has begun already here on earth,
And it will become fully manifest in the eternity to come,
Because our mutual love will never change.
Hidden Jesus, sole desire of my soul,
You alone are to me more than the delights of heaven.
My soul searches for You only, who are above all gifts and
graces,
You who come to me under the form of bread.
Hidden Jesus, take at last to Yourself my thirsting heart
Which burns for You with the pure fire of the Seraphim.
I go through life in Your footsteps, invincible,
With head held high, like a knight, feeble maid though I
be.
1668 The Resurrection. Before the Mass of the
Resurrection, I felt so weak that I lost all hope of participating in the
procession which takes place in the church; and I said to the Lord,
"Jesus, if my prayers are pleasing to You, give me the strength for this
moment that I may take part in the procession." At that same instant, I
felt strong and certain that I could go along with the sisters in the
procession.
1702 Towards the end of the Way of
the Cross which I was making, the Lord Jesus began to complain about the
souls of religious and priests, about the lack of love in chosen souls. I
will allow convents and churches to be destroyed. I answered,
"Jesus, but there are so many souls praising You in convents." The
Lord answered, That praise wounds My Heart, because love has been banished
from convents. Souls without love and without devotion, souls full of egoism
and self-love, souls full of pride and arrogance, souls full of deceit and
hypocrisy, lukewarm souls who have just enough warmth to keep them alive: My
Heart cannot bear this. All the graces that I pour out upon them flow off
them as off the face of a rock. I cannot stand them, because they are neither
good or bad. I called convents into being to sanctify the world through them.
It is from them that a powerful flame of love and sacrifice should burst
forth. And if they do not repent and become enkindled by their first love, I
will deliver them over to the fate of this world...
How can they sit on the promised throne of judgment to judge the world, when their guilt is greater than the guilt of the world? There is neither penance nor atonement. O heart, which received Me in the morning and at noon are all ablaze with hatred against Me, hatred of all sorts! O heart specially chosen by Me, were you chosen for this, to give Me more pain? The great sins of the world are superficial wounds on My Heart, but the sins of a chosen soul pierce My Heart through and through...
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-I-205, 306, 413)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-II-649-650, 697, 699)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-III-1067, 1141)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-V-1427)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1668, 1702) |
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