Bridge to Life!

“Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; see, here is the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.” (Mark 16:1-7) 

The reading for the Easter Vigil ends with verse 7. It does not include verse 8 which says, “And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” 

Father Herb Schneider at our mass yesterday intriguingly said that the end of the gospel of Mark is a question to each and everyone of us. Will we be like the women, will we be afraid and run away, or will we do as Jesus wants us to do, and “go and tell others, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”? 

Yesterday my 3 year old grandson watched the cartoon version of the crucifixion and the resurrection that Saddleback Church produced. He said it was amazing, and he had so many superlatives for the Easter miracle. During the flogging, he asked if Jesus was going to be all right. He was so fascinated with the dying and rising that he wanted to watch it again and again! 

Can we be like a little child and see the breathtaking, awesome gift God has given us, or are we so used to hearing about it every year that it hardly matters to us? 

Many people have said correctly that the moment we are born, we begin our descent to death. But for those of us who follow Christ, love Him and obey Him, He has built us a bridge to life. We can hasten to meet Him who is our hope! Let us also hasten to tell others that because Christ is truly risen from the dead, our pilgrim journey towards life and love is assured. 

A blessed, holy Easter season to everyone!