My Dear People, 

Happy Easter, everyone! Easter, the most important feast in the Liturgical Calendar, made it possible for Christianity to start. Even though the Apostles preached Jesus was crucified, what made the difference was: He was alive! As He told the apostles, “I will be with you till the end of time.” Jesus is alive!

Jesus was always with the Apostles through the Holy Spirit. Whoever received and followed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit followed Jesus. The Holy Spirit, one of the three persons of the Blessed Trinity, follows the will of the Father and the Son. This tells us that we, too, continually have to choose and invoke the Holy Spirit, just as the Apostles did. With the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we follow Jesus. 

We have received our faith because of those before us. The faith is passed from one believer to another. The first believers, as we read in today’s Gospel, were the first three who arrived at the tomb who witnessed and believed. First, Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb and sees it is empty but concludes that somebody stole the body. She hastens to tell the Disciples. Peter and the other Disciples run to the tomb. When Peter gets there he looks in and sees the burial cloths, but we are not told anything further, only that the “other Disciple” (John) who outraced Simon Peter, waited, and Peter entered first—“saw and believed” (John 20:8). 

What did he see? What did he believe?  

Remember the Gospel of John is a Gospel of signs. All the miracles Jesus performed were a series of signs: water turned into wine, a blind man regaining his sight, a multitude fed with little food. What is the sign here for the Disciple? The head cloth, folded, and lying in a separate place.  The beloved Disciple did not see it until he entered the tomb. If Christ’s body had been stolen, then the thieves would have left the burial cloths in disarray. The beloved Disciple read the sign, and began to see with Easter eyes. The Lord is risen!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Friday Night Lenten soup meals. That is great for building community.   

To all who are returning north: Safe travels, and have a blessed summer. Hope to see you again next fall. 

Yours in Christ, 

Fr. Vincent Clemente