EASTER SUNDAY

Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself.

John 20:1-9

FROM CATHOLIC MATERS:

EXPLANATION: The accounts of Christ's resurrection on Easter morning as given by the four Evangelists vary in details but agree on the essential points. Some women, the leader amongst them being Mary Magdalene, came to the tomb early on Sunday morning to anoint the dead body with spices, in order to help preserve it. This anointing had been done very hastily on the Friday because of the Sabbath which began at sundown. The tomb was found open and empty. The first thought of the women was that somebody had stolen the corpse. This shows how far resurrection was from their minds. They went in haste to tell the disciples. Peter and John ran to the tomb. Later that day Christ appeared to Mary Magdalene, to ten of the Apostles, to Peter separately (according to St. Paul, 1 Cor. 15: 5), to two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk. 24: 13); and, later on, he appeared often to the Apostles and disciples in Galilee, for a period of days.
 
First day of the week: The Sabbath was the last day of the Jewish week, so the first day corresponds to what is now called Sunday.


Mary Magdalene: John mentions only Magdalene by name but the " we don't know " in verse 2 implies there were others with her.


stone had been moved away: The tomb was raised above the ground and its entrance was closed by rolling a large stone, cut for the purpose, across the entrance (see Mk. 16: 3).


they . . . the Lord: This was Magdalene's only possible explanation of the absence of the body.


Peter and the other disciple: Peter and John ran to the tomb. When they found the winding sheet and the cloth that covered the head lying there, they realized that the body had not been stolen or taken away: why should the linen coverings have been removed?


He saw and believed: That Peter had been the first to believe and then John, seems the meaning here, not that John believed in contrast to Peter.


as yet they did not understand: Until this moment they had not understood the scriptures which had foretold his resurrection. In fact neither had they believed Christ's own prophecies of his resurrection---it seemed to be something which could not happen.