116. Easter Sunday (I)

Meditations no. 162 (unofficial computer-aided translation)

The holy women’s faith is an example for us.

We can begin our prayer today by using some words spoken many years ago by our Father in a meditation. The Gospel for today is taken from St Mark. And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. This is real generosity! They cannot expect anything more from our Lord. Nevertheless, they go to pay him their last respects. By contrast, look at the bad example of Peter and the rest. These women’s faith really moves me, and it reminds me of so many good things about my mother, as you will also be recalling many wonderful details about yours…

I thank God our Lord for having wanted there to be women in Opus Dei. On the 13th February 1930 I still thought there would not be women in Opus Dei; and a few hours later, on the 14th of the same month, the women’s Section was born…

I repeat that these holy women did not expect anything. Jesus was a corpse. They had seen how people ill-treated and crucified him; they’d seen how violent the Passion was! And how unanimous the condemnation! May his blood be on us and on our children! It was only Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus who opposed that injustice. I often say they had the spirit of the Work, because they did not proclaim the fact that they were disciples of the Master, nor did they accompany him during his moments of triumph, but they defended him publicly before the authorities who condemned him to death. Later, they even had the courage and generosity to collect his dead body.

Today, the Cross crowns the most noble buildings, but then it was just a place of execution. The people in power were against Jesus; and so were the townspeople. Those women knew about the soldiers. They knew that the tomb was completely closed, but just the same they spent their money, and shortly before sunrise they went to anoint the dead body of our Lord: et valde mane una sabbatorum, veniunt ad monumentum (very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb). Courage is what’s needed!

And they were saying to one another: Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb? It was a big stone. They immediately saw obstacles: but if people love, obstacles don’t stop them. They have daring, determination and courage: what has to be done is done!

Who will move the stone? By themselves, they were unable to. Nevertheless, they went on towards the sepulchre. You and I, my child: how often do we hesitate? Do we share that holy determination? Or do we have to confess that we feel ashamed as we contemplate the resolution and daring of these holy women? When they reached the tomb, they saw that the stone was rolled back. This always happens. When we decide to do what we have to, difficulties are easily overcome.

Difficulties can be overcome through obedience full of faith.

We cannot forget that the Resurrection of Christ is the fruit of his perfect obedience to God’s will. St Paul writes: He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven, on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Today is a wonderful day for kindling our faith, for increasing our sense of confidence, and for beginning to see, amid all the difficulties and trials, the great light of the Resurrection and the final victory that awaits us, provided we show this faith in our daily conduct and especially in our obedience to what our Directors tell us.

Be obedient! It is not possible to grow in one virtue in isolation. The existence of each Christian is like a cloth strongly woven of all the virtues. It is not a single thread, but an interwoven cloth which covers our life from head to foot. If one of the chief virtues is lacking, such as obedience, the cloth gets torn.

At times, there are difficulties in obeying; objective difficulties, too, and sometimes very serious ones. But all of us, from first to last, know very well that when we make up our minds to serve God, the difficulties disappear. That is the teaching of the Gospel of today’s Mass. When the holy women arrived at the tomb, looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back. And so we have to draw the firm resolution: Grant me your grace, Lord, so that I may be courageous when the time comes for practising these virtues which are indispensable for serving you. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.”

Christ is alive. This is the great truth which fills our faith with meaning. Jesus, who died on the Cross, has risen. He has triumphed over death. He has overcome sorrow, anguish and the power of darkness. Do not be terrified, was how the angels greeted the women who came to the tomb. Do not be terrified. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. Haec est dies quam fecit Dominus, exsultemus et laetemur in ea ; this is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

The risen Christ is the foundation of our joy.

Dic nobis Maria, quid vidisti in via? Tell us, Mary, say, what thou didst see on the way? Sepulcrum Christi viventis: et gloriam vidi resurgentis. The tomb the living did enclose: I saw Christ’s glory as he rose. Angelicos testes, sudarium et vestes. Surrexit Christus spes mea: Angels there attesting, shroud with grave-clothes resting. Christ, my hope has risen!

Today’s solemnity offers us so many reasons for joy! Confitemini Domino, quoniam bonus, quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius; praise the Lord because he is good, because his mercy remains for ever. This Psalm is very appropriate. “Because he is good!” Say it softly, on your own: quoniam bonus. How good our Lord is! He has sought us out, he has brought us to his Work, he has made known to us this holy way of being effective, of loving all created beings as coming from God, and of bringing them peace and joy! My children, thank Jesus for these things, because he is good. He forgives our errors, and is grateful to us when we put right what we have done wrong, when we renew our struggle continuously, and make an effort to be like him, to draw close to him.

This joy is the fruit of faith and obedience to God’s will. So our faith must be living - a faith which makes us really believe in God and keep up a continuous conversation with him. A Christian life should be one of constant prayer, trying to live in the presence of God from morning to night and from night to morning. A Christian can never be lonely, since he lives in continual contact with God, who is both near us and in heaven.

Sine intermissione orate, pray constantly, the Apostle tells us. And Clement of Alexandria reminds us of this commandment: He tells us to praise and honour the Word whom we know to be saviour and king; and, through him, the Father, not on special days as some people do, but continually, right through all our life and in every kind of way.

In the middle of his daily work, when he has to overcome his selfishness, when he enjoys the cheerful friendship of other people, a Christian should rediscover God. Through Christ and in the Holy Spirit, a Christian has access to the intimacy of God the Father, and he spends his life looking for the Kingdom which is not of this world.

We must seek Christ in the word and in the bread, in the Eucharist and in prayer. And we must treat him as a friend, as the real, living person he is - for he is risen. Christ, we read in the Epistle to the Hebrews, holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near to God, since he always lives to make intercession for men.

Christ, the risen Christ, is our companion and friend. He is a companion whom we can see only in the shadows - but the fact that he is really there fills our whole life and makes us yearn to be with him for ever. The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come”. And let him who hears say, “Come”. And let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the water of life without price … He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Let us finish our prayer by going to our Lady, so as to share our joy with her. Regina coeli, laetare, alleluia: O Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia!