John 20:1-9
Lead in: The Gospel presents us with concrete tangible signs of Jesus’ resurrection, that Jesus is not dead but alive. In John 20:1-9, we hear how the stone to the tomb has been rolled back.
There is no body, it’s missing and the linens are neatly folded in a corner. In Acts 10, we hear how Peter would come to see how Jesus truly was alive when he and the disciples eat and drink at a shared meal with the Risen Jesus.
Prompt: What signs have you seen that tell you that Christ is alive and at work in our world?
Lead in: Christmas celebrates Christ’s birth, his coming into the world as one of us. Easter celebrates Christ’s rebirth, the Risen Christ raised from the dead and with us in his Spirit.
Prompt: As you reflect on your life, what “rebirths” have you experienced? What have been the experiences where you were raised up from an old way of doing things that left you feeling half
dead, and were given a new start that left you feeling more alive than ever?
Lead in: John 20:1-2 tells us that “on the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning while it was still dark.” Yes, it was yet the dark of night when Mary arrived at
the tomb. But for Mary and the disciples, it was also a dark time when all seemed lost. The one they counted on was no longer there for them.
Prompt: Reflect on a time when all seemed lost and what you had once counted on was no longer there for you.
Lead in: When Mary of Magdala saw that the stone had been rolled back from the tomb, she ran back and told Peter and John, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him.”
Prompt: Reflect on a time in your life when you needed Jesus, but you were not able to find him, so you wondered if he was really there.
Lead in: Fr. Richard Rohr describes Easter as “the feast that says God will have the last word and that whatever we crucify or destroy, God will undo with His eternal love and forgiveness.” Easter then, affirms that God’s final judgment is Resurrection. Resurrection means that by God’s grace all that has left us feeling broken or defeated will be turned into beauty.
Prompt: What in your life has left you feeling broken or defeated, but by God’s grace has turned into beauty?
