GOSPEL

They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first.
Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 20:1a, 2-8

On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we do not know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.

The Lord’s word.

Why do you believe?

Today we celebrate the day of Saint John the Evangelist, known as the beloved disciple. Why did John believe in the resurrection? Because of the clues he saw in the shroud that wrapped Jesus’ body. Experts say that the correct translation of the Gospel would be the following: “Simon Peter following him entered the tomb and saw the shroud unsoiled, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the shroud but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed.” In other words, what John saw is that all the cloths in which they had wrapped Jesus were there, just as they had put them, and that’s impossible unless the resurrected Jesus passed through the shroud and the cloth on his head without untying the tight knot that was used to close the mouth of the deceased.

They were not irrefutable evidence, but they were clues, and John believed in the resurrection. Billions of others have believed after him, maybe also because we have perceived some indication that made us believe.

Applied to married life:

Andrew: Laura, why do you believe?

Laura: I have had many experiences with the Lord. I have experienced how the Father loves me, how he has taken care of me, and how Jesus intervenes in my life and transforms me and those around me. And you?

Andrew: I would almost say I believe because of everything, but if I have to choose something, I would say it’s because I know how our marriage was before I found Him, and I clearly see that a miracle has occurred between us. Before our conversion, nobody thought our marriage would last.

Mother,

I believe that you were the first to believe. Blessed are you. Thank you for going before us in everything, blessed Mother.