27 December 2013
Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist
[Third Day of the Octave of Christmas]
We read in today’s Gospel an account of Jesus’ Resurrection:
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
The wide-eyed anticipation of what they might discover upon arrival might be likened to the childlike, joyful wonder of a little girl or boy waking up Christmas morning, running to see what Santa has brought.
Perhaps our prayer today might be to imagine oneself in the scene with Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved, that is, John, whose feast we celebrate today, as they gleefully ran toward the tomb, in great Hope, looking to meet the Risen Lord. What must have been racing through their minds? What must they have been feeling in their hearts? The Lord Jesus, who had been crucified and to whom they had dedicated the remainder of their lives, had been risen! Alleluia!
The Lord has visited his people, and so we continue to say to one another: Merry Christmas!