The Darkness of Unbelief

Homily for Easter Tuesday

The three synoptic Gospels all report that the women came to the tomb after the sun had risen. It is in St. John’s Gospel alone that we are told that Mary Magdalene came to the tomb while it was still dark. At first, this may seem to be confusing. Why does John so blatantly contradict the other three Gospels?

The answer to that question lies in other moments from St. John’s Gospel that take place in the dark. For St. John, darkness is a state of unbelief. Mary Magdalene demonstrates that state by immediately assuming that someone has taken the body of Jesus; in fact, this is exactly what she tells Peter and the Beloved Disciple. She “ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, ‘They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.’” She is still in a state of darkness; she is still failing to put her faith in the Resurrection.

Today’s Gospel passage from St. John’s Gospel finds Mary Magdalene in the same state. However, now the sun has risen. When the two angels ask her why she is weeping, she tells them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” She fails to recognize Jesus when she sees him standing behind her. “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Then Jesus called her by name. The darkness is dispelled, and she comes to faith.

From the very beginning of St. John’s Gospel to the final chapter, the evangelist reminds us that his purpose in writing is to bring us to faith in Jesus, the Son of God. As we read further, we will encounter other examples of men and women coming to believe.

Our faith is one of the most important gifts that God has given us. Gratitude for this gift as well as gratitude for all the other gifts with which we have been blessed must be our response to the Gospel. That faith continues to develop throughout our lives as we encounter Jesus just as Mary Magdalene encountered him after the resurrection. Faith blossoms like a rose. The mystery continues to stun us. With every other Christian, we revel in that faith during this week in which we celebrate the great feast of Easter. The “Alleluia” that we have silenced throughout our Lenten journey must now become our joyful song