During the pandemic of COVID in America, a blessing was receipt in email of Gospel reflections by a superb priest of our parish. This was for Easter Sunday 2020.Gospel Reflection Easter Sunday John 20 1-9 Readings for the Mass of Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord can be found HERE. Last December, I had the privilege of going on pilgrimage to Israel and Italy with Fr. Smith and several members of our parish. There were many highlights, but the greatest moment was visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, which is built over the sites of Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection. It took an hour waiting in line just to get into Christ’s tomb. Pilgrims were everywhere, jostling to get in. Armenian monks were chanting in a side chapel. Byzantine monks were scolding pilgrims for trying to take pictures. Franciscan monks passed by on the way to where they were going. I felt like a piece of dough being pounded out, kneaded, and pressed by this overwhelming throng of people with this incredible desire to be as close to Jesus as they could. Entering the tomb, this all faded away as I knelt down and touched the very rock where Jesus was laid after his crucifixion and where he rose from the dead. I was transported to the time and place of that first Easter morning in a way that is impossible to describe in words. Mary Magdalene was walking to the tomb in the dark amidst her sorrow. John and Peter were racing to the tomb in their haste to find him, their footsteps growing louder as they drew closer. It was an incredible experience which I will never forget, but we don’t have to go to Jerusalem and enter Christ’s tomb for today’s Gospel to enter our hearts. It’s pretty dark right now isn’t it? There won’t be throngs of people at St Joan of Arc dressed in their Easter clothes. Instead, we will be celebrating Mass over Facebook live. We don’t quite know where mean old COVID-19 has taken Christ in this strange socially-distant world we find ourselves in right now. We don’t know exactly where we are going and how exactly this story will end. Neither did Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John when they woke up that first Easter morning, and I am sure they are praying very hard for us today. Keep walking in the darkness. Run to Christ, find him! Don’t give up. Christ is Risen, Alleluia! Happy Easter! Dcn. NOT-SHOWN-HERE End of email sent on 4.11.2020 FYI We lay people were not allowed to go to Catholic Church because they were closed due to COVID
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