 Catholic Diocese of Spokane, Washington
"We are witnesses"by Bishop William S. Skylstad (From the April 10, 2003 edition of the Inland Register)
They peered in the tomb and saw the burial cloths, once wrapped around Jesus’ body, now neatly rolled up. The emptiness of the tomb must have been a memory they recalled again and again as they told the story. Their witness to these events still captures us today as we celebrate Easter, almost two millennia later. Jesus in limited ways would continue to share his presence with them as the Risen Lord. They would come to understand more fully what happened, and with great enthusiasm and courage they would go forth to tell the story, their witness to this spectacular moment in history. That witnessing continues today in us as Church, collectively and individually. We, too, pass through the painful and difficult experiences of life. We, too, come to the “empty tombs” of our lives, those times when we expected to find something, but it wasn’t there. These tombs take many different forms and shapes. We can expect to find a lot of joy and happiness in our lives, but maybe we experience only bitterness and anger. Things didn’t turn out as we had expected, or the faith community wasn’t (or isn’t) as perfect as we had thought. There can be our hopes and expectations for a peaceful world. Yet we look into the tomb of that dream and find duct tape as a symbol of fear. The desert and country of Iraq was to be something different than what we actually found as the war was engaged. Disappointment and fear of the unknown come on strong as we grapple with the future. The “tomb” seems to be very empty indeed. We have high expectations of the Church and ministers in the Church, and yet for the past year and a half we as Church have dealt with disappointment, shame, and embarrassment. There is much pain and hurt because of loss, perhaps even similar to what the Apostles and disciples felt as they “lost” Jesus through his passion and death. Human brokenness and failure have almost constantly been the source of media attention as we dealt with the emptiness of that tomb of dashed expectations, trust, and credibility. We might also look into the tomb of our expectations, where we anticipate a day when everyone in our society would have a job; that violence would be on the wane; that the basic needs of all would be met. Clearly these things have yet to arrive. Considering the present situations of abuse, violence, and a greater separation between the “haves” and the “haves not,” that brighter day doesn’t seem to be looming in the immediate future. Along with Peter and the others, we “peer” into these tombs. We are puzzled. We don’t understand. Our expectations are dashed. In the second reading on Easter morning, St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians talks about clearing out the old yeast of our lives and replacing it with the fresh dough of the unleavened bread. Jesus has died and risen, so that new dough in our lives must be the reality of the Resurrection and trust in the presence of the Risen Jesus with us always. Fidelity to the presence of Jesus with us and facing our lives with a sense of truth are transforming qualities which embolden us to face whatever “empty tombs” come our way. We can look beyond the immediate moment. Jesus has risen. He eventually will raise us up. Perhaps the best we can do at the moment is to look to the empty tomb, and thank God for what we know is the abundant life beyond. Peter talks about their witness of all that had happened to Jesus. It was a story they would tell over and over again, even in the harshest and most difficult of realities. Their witness became our inspiration. We in turn face our world, with all of its pain and all its hurt. Yet we firmly believe that the Risen Jesus is with us. Today, we are witnesses of all this. The Gospel story of the Resurrection continues to be alive in us! May God grant to all of you and your families a blessed and joy-filled Easter. Much peace!
Bishop Skylstad’s Schedule
April 10-11: Gonzaga University Board of Regents 13: Palm Sunday 14: St. Thomas More Parish, Spokane 16: Finance Council 17: Chrism Mass 18: Secretariat 19: Easter Vigil, Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes 20: Easter Mass, Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes 22: Business breakfast 23: Diocesan Council of Catholic Women 24-May 4: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting, Rome
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“We are witnesses of all that he did,” are the words of Peter from the Acts of the Apostles, used in the first reading for the Masses on Easter Sunday. The Gospel of the Mass is taken from John, who shares with us the account of Mary of Magdala, the first to discover the empty tomb and who then runs to tell Peter. Peter runs back with her to see what had happened. They are indeed faced with an empty tomb. One can only imagine their emotions, confusion, and disbelief. That moment, charged as it was with such marvelous news, would be the source of courage and hope as they carried on the mission of Jesus.