"A little while and you shaIl not see me, and again a little while and you shall see me." St. John, 16:17.
"The third day he rose again from the dead." Creed.
Among the early Christian martyrs we read of the virgin St. Margaret, a woman of striking beauty and sterling virtue. She resisted the lustful advances of the Prefect Olybrius, who had her brought to his court for questioning. Bravely she admitted she was a Christian; proudly she confessed that she was a follower of Christ. The impatient and angry prefect cried out: "What nonsense is greater than to hold divine a man who was crucified?"
"How do you know that Christ was crucified?" the fearless virgin asked
him.
He answered: "Why, your own records teach it."
"Well, then," responded Margaret, "the same books which tell us of Christ's sufferings and death, also tell us of His resurrection and glory. How is it that you believe the one and deny the other? We do not believe Jesus is God because He suffered and died. But - we believe He is God because He rose from the grave; by His own power He came back from the dead. That is the reason we rejoice; that is the reason we sing 'Alleluia.' And that is the reason we give our lives for His teaching."
And give her life she did - for her faith.
The Bible tells us that Christ died and was buried. No less clearly the Bible relates that He rose from the grave. If you believe Christ died, you must believe Christ rose. Scripture makes that certain. The fact that Christ appeared to various individuals and groups is further proof that He rose. We would like to emphasize that fact today.
The Gospels tell of eleven appearances to different persons, under different circumstances. Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalen; to the pious women; to St. Peter; to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus; to the apostles when St. Thomas was absent; to the apostles when St. Thomas was present; to five apostles and two disciples at Tiberias; to eleven apostles in Galilee; to more than fifty brethren; to James; and finally to the eleven in Jerusalem. Reading of these appearances, how can anyone doubt that He really rose?
Although the Bible says nothing of it, Christian tradition has always taught that our Lord appeared first to His Blessed Mother, as any loving son would. Remember, Jesus did many things which are not written in the Bible. "There are many other things that Jesus did; but if everyone of these should be written, not even the world itself, I think, could hold the books that would have to be written." St. John, 21:25. But the Bible does tell us clearly of the following appearances.
On Easter morning our Lord showed Himself to Mary Magdalen, asking her: "Woman, why art thou weeping? Whom dost thou seek?" St. John, 20:15. She thought it was the gardener and asked Him where they had laid the body. Jesus simply said: "Mary!" Turning to Him, she answered: "Rabboni!" Rabboni means master. And she who had once wept at His feet, hurried to tell the disciples: "I have seen the Lord, and these things he said to me." St. John, 20:16-18.
With one word: "Hail!" Jesus greeted the pious women who "departed quickly from the tomb in fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples." "And they came up and embraced his feet and worshipped him." Then Jesus said to them "Do not be afraid; go, take word to my brethren that they set out for Galilee; there they shall see me." St. Matthew, 28:8-10.
The evening of that same day Jesus walked and talked and ate with the two disciples going to Emmaus (St. Luke, 24:13). When they returned to Jerusalem they heard that our Lord had appeared to Simon Peter (St. Luke. 24:34).
Most impressive, however, was the appearance of our Lord to the eleven aposles. Let St. Luke tell it: "Now while they were talking of these things, Jesus stood in their midst, and said to them, 'Peace to you! It is I, do not be afraid.' But they were startled and panic-stricken, and thought that they saw a spirit. "And he said to them, 'Why are you disturbed, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and feet, that it is I myself. Feed me and see; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.' And having said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. But as they still disbelieved and marvelled for joy, he said, 'Have you anything here to eat?' And they offered him a piece of broiled fish and a honeycomb. And when he had eaten in their presence, he took what remained and gave it to them." St. Luke, 24:36-43. Did you ever see a ghost eat fish and honey?
On another occasion Christ stood before five hundred people at one time. Could five hundred pairs of eyes be fooled by hallucinations at the same time?
Vividly we remember the story of St. Thomas, the doubter, which we have read recently. The first time our Lord came into the upper room, St. Thomas was not with the apostles, who told him that they had seen the Lord. He declared he would not believe unless he could put his fingers into the print of the nails - and his hand into Christ's side. Eight days later our Lord appeared again. This time St. Thomas was with them. Seeing, he believed and exclaimed: "My Lord and my God." St. John, 20:19-26.
Our Lord must have been thinking of these different appearances when He tells us today: "A little while and you shall not see me, and again a little while and you shall see me." And no doubt St. John meant these appearances also when he tells us: "These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name." St. John, 20:30, 31. Amen.
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Adapted from Talks on the Creed
by Fr. Arthur Tonne, OFM (© 1946)
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