When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” So, they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Mark 16:1-8
They approached the tomb in tears, carrying their traditional spices for burial. The haste with which Jesus had been entombed had not let the women tend to the body, as was their way. Their pain and sorrow did not keep them from doing what needed to be done. They were anxious and troubled, afraid of the guards and knowing they would need help to move the stone. Their sadness turned suddenly to terror and amazement. They couldn't believe what they saw or heard. In Mark's Gospel, they were paralyzed with fear and couldn't speak. I know that if I had been such a witness, I would not know what to do. These women were catapulted from knowing how to anoint a body after death, something their mothers and grandmothers had taught them, to running for their lives. They eventually found their voices and trusted what they had seen. The first Easter was not a time of bright flowers, dyed eggs and big meals. It was a moment when faith and nerves were shattered, hearts were set ablaze and their whole world (and ours) were changed forever.
A Litany for Easter Sunday 2024
Eternal Creator, source of all miracle and wonders
you have made us in your image and set us free
to delight in the world around and in one another
turning the sorrow of our hearts to songs of joy.
Alleluia, Lord, Alleluia! Break us open to receive your love.
We revel in our routines and our daily comforts
we are often afraid to venture out in the dark
yet when the women came to the tomb in tears
the angelic voice of love told them of life restored.
Alleluia, Lord, Alleluia! Break us open to receive your love.
Worn down by life we forget your promises
we hang our heads and think we are too old
for the shocking surprise of life renewed
for your gifts of healing and restoration.
Alleluia, Lord, Alleluia! Break us open to receive your love.
We live in a world broken by human domination
help us to break the chains of abuse and cruelty.
Alleluia, Lord, Alleluia! Break us open to receive your love.
Let you love flow through us so completely
that none of us fears the dark places of death.
Alleluia, Lord, Alleluia! Break us open to receive your love.
Break us open Lord and give us brand new hearts
so that we might be instruments of peace here and now.
Alleluia, Lord, Alleluia! Break us open to receive your love. Amen.
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