Hallelujah, Jesus is risen! He is risen to die no more. He is risen to take away our fear of death. He is risen to give us hope. He is risen to give us new life.
The stone was rolled back, not so that Jesus could get out, but so that we can get in. The disciples understood the meaning of the empty tomb when they had experiences with the risen Jesus. They knew the meaning when
- He appeared to them when they were behind locked doors
- He invited Thomas to see the wounds in His hands and to put his hand into the wound in His side
- He encouraged them to let out their nets again, resulting in a large catch
- He broke the bread and ate with them
- He was taken to heaven, bodily, in front of them
- The Holy Spirit came upon them
They realized that everything that was happening had been prophesized by their prophets.
We can know the meaning of the empty tomb when we reach out to
- parents, working hard to raise children in faith
- teenagers and young adults facing serious decisions for their future lives
- children already living on the streets, embarking on a life of crime
- mothers struggling to care for their children, without the help of their father
- people with chronic or terminals illnesses
- people going through the terrible pain of the death of a dear one
Holy Cross Family Ministries reaches out to families, helping them pray during trying times. I was inspired by the story shared by our team members from Uganda. Betty is a single mother with a 15-year-old daughter named Nakato, whose father left when he realized she had Cerebral Palsy. Betty, who also cares for 12 orphan children, said, “I accepted, this is my responsibility. When the children are at school, I remain home and take care of Nakato, but as soon as they come back in the evening, I rush to the street of Kabalagala to sell cooked food so that we earn a living.”
Betty, the Ugandan woman, knew the meaning of the empty tomb when she drew strength to care for her 15-year-old daughter with cerebral palsy, provide for 12 orphan children in her own home, earn a living by preparing food during the day and selling it on the street after the children come home from school. She relied on the strength she drew from the risen Lord after the stone had been rolled away.
May the risen Lord bless you and your families as you rely on Him and share His love!
.jpg "Father Pinto Paul, C.S.C.")