Room or Tomb

The Resurrection

“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in gleaming clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why are you seeking the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise from the dead.” And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest. Now these women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe the women. Nevertheless, Peter got up and ran to the tomb; and when he stooped and looked in, he *saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.”

Luke 24: 1-12

The accounts of the resurrection in the various gospels have Jesus appearing to many people when he rose. Some say that Mary Magdalen was the first to see the risen Lord. He appeared to the Eleven, to five-hundred of the brethren, and to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. The one person that scripture never says Jesus appeared to was his mother, Mary. Some naturally believe she would have been the first person he would have appeared to. Others use it as a jab at the Holy Mother to say that she wasn’t really that important in the grand scheme of things. There is much speculation as to why it is not written. I will offer mine. This is just a personal belief, not one taught by the Church, but I don’t believe it goes against any Church teaching or tradition. This is just food for thought and nothing more. Take it with a grain of salt.

Through the divine mercy of God, Mary was conceived without the stain original of sin, immaculate in body, soul, and spirit. The Church teaches that this freed her from the desire to sin and is how she remained sinless through her entire life. Having an immaculate heart gives Mary the capacity to love as God loves; to love sacrificially and without limit. It is through this capacity to love that Love himself became incarnate in the person of Jesus. Through the immaculate heart of Mary came the Sacred Heart of Jesus and through the Sacred Heart of Jesus came the immaculate heart of Mary.

Mary’s immaculate heart is what enabled her to say yes to the offer to be the mother of God. She gave no thought to herself or what saying yes to that offer would mean. She only wished to do the will of the Father. When she presented Jesus in the temple, she was told by Simeon that a sword would pierce her heart. The heart of every parent is their children and in hearing Simeon’s prophecy I am sure Mary pondered what his words would mean for the baby she held in her arms.

Twelve years later, Jesus would be lost for three days and then found in the temple. Losing a child is every parents’ worst nightmare. O the joy that must have filled Mary’s heart the moment she saw her son in the temple sitting among the teachers. Jesus returned home with her and she treasured all that was said about him in her heart. Scripture does not mention Jesus and Mary being separated like that again until his crucifixion. Everywhere Jesus was, there was Mary.

Mary had perfect faith in the promise of God. Like Abraham with Isaac, Mary believed that if her son were offered as a sacrifice, God would raise him back up. It is my speculation that Mary was not with the women who went to the tomb on Sunday morning because she was the only one who was there when her son was resurrected from the dead. She was the first person he saw when he came out of the tomb. She was the first person to hold him when he came back to this world, just as she was the first person to hold him when he first came into this world, just as she was the last one to hold his lifeless body after his death. The immaculate heart that was pierced by a sword was the first one healed by the risen Christ. Mary was there because she had perfect faith in her son’s promise.

Mary is also not listed as being in the upper room where the Disciples hid for fear of Jewish persecution. She was not there offering support or trying to ease the guilt of betrayal they were feeling. She was not there being comforted by them for the loss of her son. I believe that instead of cowering in the upper room, she waited in joyful anticipation for the promise to be fulfilled.

This is what makes Mary is the greatest example for the Church and for each of us. Mary is the pinnacle of God’s creation and the greatest member of our race. She is what God wants us to become. She shows us what we are capable of achieving. It is true that Mary received special graces that we have yet to receive, but instead of those graces we were given the Blessed Mother to model our lives on.

Not only can we do these things, but these are what we are called to do as Christians. In giving Mary to us when he was on the cross, Jesus made Mary our mother too. From her immaculate heart we receive unconditional and sacrificial love as she draws all her children closer to her son. And with a mother’s love she intercedes on our behalf with her son who intercedes for us with the Father.

In as much as a father is the head of a family, a mother is its heart. A father guides and leads. A mother nurtures and comforts. The immaculate heart of Mary is the immaculate heart of the Church and through it we learn to give a mother’s care to those in the most need. Being able to see others through the eyes of a mother, especially through the eyes of the mother who held the baby Jesus tight to her bosom, enables us to live fully Jesus’ command to love one another as he has loved us.

Where does your faith place you? Do you cower in the upper room with the Disciples in fear of what the world will do to you or do you stand with Mary at the tomb joyfully anticipating the return of the Lord?

My heart is full because the tomb was empty.