Scripture: Acts 10:34,37-43. Psalm 118:1-2,16-17,22-23. Col.3:1-4, I
Cor.5:6-8. Sequence. John 20:1-9. Lectionary # 43:

John's Gospel is chosen for our reflection and contemplation of the
Resurrection. Once again, he creates a literary masterpiece involving
three persons who are center stage. Mary Magdalene, Peter, and the Beloved
Disciple. My thoughts turned to the symbolic yet real person of a Beloved
Disciple whom I through my faith accept as John. Theologians, exegetes,
and spiritual writers have struggled with whether the disciple John is the
Beloved Disciple; no answer from them comes with absolute historical
critical evidence as to who he really is. Some even identify the disciple
as Mary Magdalene! but the text does not allow that interpretation when
looked at critically especially in today's Gospel. Others say it is
Lazarus, but his name is always clearly mentioned in chapters 11 and 12. I
prefer to remain with my faith perception that it is John who is the
Beloved Disciple--the one whom we saw at the foot of the cross with Mary
the Mother of Jesus. I look upon this Beloved Disciple as the one who has
originated this great Fourth Gospel but who did not enter into the final
composing of it which probably took four to five stages of redaction. The
theme of faith is so strong in the Gospel of John that it surely is what I
experience as the greatest testimony to the belief that Jesus is risen. I
thought of this provoking sentence from Father Raymond Brown written many
years ago in the Commonweal volume entitled Jesus 2 (Nov.24, 1967). This
sentence comes back to me when I think of the importance of the original
apostles and disciples who experienced a resurrection appearance and then
proclaimed it to others and to us through their oral preaching and their
handing on in writing what they saw and believed was really Jesus risen
from the dead. Brown's statement is this "It is disturbing to hear from
Catholics the facile claim 'My faith in the Resurrection would not be
disturbed if Christ's body were found in Palestine.' Much more to the
point is whether the faith of the Eleven would have been shaken by such a
discovery." This brings home to me that the most important element in
believing in the bodily resurrection of Jesus is the apostolic kerygma or
proclamation of it by Peter, Paul, John and the Evangelists. Their witness
was so strong that many of them suffered martyrdom for their belief. Then,
turning to the figure of the Beloved Disciple in today's Gospel I follow
him to the tomb and find it empty; the shroud is neatly folded. He waits
for Peter to come and enter first, but the Beloved Disciple John is the one
who saw and believed first. The empty tomb was just that, but the folded
shroud and what he saw interiorly is that Jesus has risen from the dead.
We see this throughout the Passion Narrative that was written by the
disciple and those who followed his thinking and preaching to lead us to
the same belief. In the penultimate redaction of John's Gospel we are
given the direct purpose: "Many other signs also Jesus worked in the sight
of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these 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." (John 20:30-31). For me
the Beloved Disciple is who we are called to be both as an individual and
as a community of beloved disciples. We are to live in the faith and love
(agape) that is proclaimed in this Gospel by listening and pondering over
its words about Jesus who speaks in discourses and works signs that lead to
direct belief in his person who is the way, the truth, and the life. We
are to place ourselves in front of the Cross and contemplate John till we
no longer see the beloved disciple but ourselves standing with Mary at the
foot of the Cross. His side is pierced and the blood and water flowing
from it are the birth of the Church through their symbolic meaning of
Baptism and Eucharist. Given to Mary at the foot of the Cross, this
disciple is the symbol for all the faithful believing in Jesus both
crucified and risen from the dead. Jesus has confided him and us to his
mother Mary. And all men and women are through their faith in Jesus
brothers and sisters of this disciple who welcome Mary as mother. They also
realize that Jesus has accomplished all that the Father asked of him and
now we are to be the disciples who carry on the mission confided to the
beloved disciple and Jesus' mother Mary. Amen! Alleluia. I end with a
prayer that all members of the Marianist Family both lay and religious are
encouraged to say at three o'clock in the afternoon:

Lord Jesus, we gather in spirit at the foot of the Cross with Your Mother
Mary and the disciple whom you loved. We ask your pardon for our sins
which are the cause of your death. We thank you for remembering us in that
hour of salvation and for giving us Mary as our Mother. Holy Virgin, take
us under your protection and open us to the action of the Holy Spirit. St.
John, obtain for us the grace of taking Mary into our life as you did, and
of assisting her in her mission. May the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit be glorified in all places through the Immaculate Virgin Mary.
Amen.