There have been occasions when as a priest I have witnessed the consternation of relatives and friends when at a funeral they have discovered the wrong body in the casket.

At this final moment when family and friends want to say their last goodbyes all that remains of their loved ones is absent and they can only respond with consternation. This experience is the experience of Mary of Magdala.

She goes to the tomb to say her last goodbyes and the body of her Lord is absent. She cannot imagine that Jesus is alive so she runs to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”

Both Peter and the other disciple run to the tomb and see the same things, the stone rolled back, the burial cloths, and the face covering. It is only said of the other disciple however that he believed even though with Mary of Magdala and Peter he did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.

The question that arises immediately is: what distinguishes the other disciple whom tradition holds to be John from Mary of Magdala and Peter? In spite of Peter’s denials we can say that they all loved Jesus, yet the reaction of John is so very different.

Mary reacts as would anyone who finds the tomb of a loved one vandalised, Peter remains silent in consternation. John believes because in his love he has accepted the word of his Lord unconditionally.

They had all experienced Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead yet only John believed that the Father could do the same for his son. Jesus’ words and actions had shown that Resurrection was possible but only John accepted it, only he believed.

The very same reactions distinguish today people who believe and people who do not. Belief or faith is the acceptance of God’s word unconditionally, even in the most troubling circumstances.

Faith is the ability to be loyal to God even when we do not understand.
In the culture in which we live however, we reject what is called blind loyalty.

What we have however is blind loyalty to reason. How difficult it is to publicly claim as a friend one who is accused of some sort of wrongdoing.

We refuse to be seen with them, to visit their homes, to appear on the same political platform with them. We refuse to defend them in case we are proven to be wrong.

We refuse to take a chance on them. The refrain is “What will people think!” and so we become fair weather friends, letting our heads define our actions with our hearts being kept out of the equation.

There are however people who remain loyal. We see them in the criminal courts every day. We see it in parents who remain loyal to their children in spite of everything.

In our relationship with God, the same thing often happens; it is very easy and tempting to bow before Reason. Some refuse to believe in a God who is not bound by reason. They question God’s love when troubling things arise around them. We hear it often, “How does a loving God allow children to be born HIV positive etc? It doesn’t make sense.

People of Faith however remain loyal in thought and action to this God who in and through the most troubling circumstances can and does bring new possibilities. That is the difference between John and the others.

While they did not remain loyal in thought to a God who in the most troubling circumstances, the passion and death of Jesus, would bring New Life, John did.

To celebrate this feast of Easter then is to accept intellectually and emotionally and recommit ourselves to a God who is the most troubling of circumstances presents us with new possibilities which remain hidden however until we accept that our God is a God of new possibilities.

Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, today you remind us that you are a God of new possibilities, that your desire is that we always come to new life. Help us when things appear to be going wrong not to fall into despair, help us not to ever believe that all is lost.
Help us to remain loyal, trusting in your love and your truth even as St John remained loyal. May our loyalty to you help others to remain loyal also. We ask this through the intercession of Mary our mother and St John who remained loyal to the very end, and whose loyalty was rewarded by the experience of new life. Amen.

Gospel Meditations for April are by Fr Joseph Harris, CSSp, a former rector of the Regional Seminary. Fr Harris is parish priest of St Ann's and the Judicial Vicar of the Archdiocese.