On Easter Vigil, we sang the Easter Proclamation, also known as Exsultet. In this beautiful hymn, we proclaimed with ovation that “this is the night when Christ broke the prison-bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld.”[1] It is undoubtedly the most beautiful expression of the mystery of Easter that we are celebrating today. Therefore, we join our voices to the psalmist in singing gladly “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad.” (Ps 118:24).
Indeed, Easter is our day of joy and gladness as Christians and believers. Easter is the essence of our faith as the Apostle Paul stresses, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. (1 Cor. 15:17).
The relevance of Jesus’ resurrection
One thing remains certain: nobody knows the exact time and hour when Jesus rose from the dead. Not even Peter, ‘the rock upon whom the Lord would build his Church.’ (Mat. 16:18). We sung in the Easter Proclamation, “O truly blessed night, worthy alone to know the time and hour when Christ rose from the underworld!”[2] Hence, Jesus’ resurrection remains one of the mysterious events of human history.
The relevance of Jesus’ resurrection is that the women are in the front line. They are first to come to the tomb (Mat. 28:1), and (John 20:1). They are the first privileged ones to see, to know, and to believe in Jesus’ resurrection. Mark observes that “When he had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.” (Mark 16:9).
Furthermore, John confirms Jesus’ first appearance Mary Magdalene, “Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.” (John 20: 16-18).
The status quo of women in Jewish society at Jesus’ time
In Jewish society at Jesus’ time, women were looked down upon, marginalized and even mistreated. This is evident in the accounts of the multiplication of loaves as portrayed by the Four Gospels. Women were not counted among those who were fed by Jesus.
Matthew 14:21, mentions that “Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children”. Likewise, Matthew 15:38 speaks of “four thousand men, not counting women and children.” Mark notes that “Those who ate were five thousand men.” (Mark 6:44) and Luke similarly observes that: “Now the men there numbered about five thousand.” (Luke 9:14) John as well has the same narrative “So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.” (John 6:10).
This is a clear picture that women had no place, no consideration in the society at Jesus’ time. It is unfortunate to realize that even today, women are continually being despised and marginalized by men.
Jesus by appearing first to women after his resurrection, challenges the misogynist society of his time. Jesus chooses women, the weak ones, despised and mistreated by the society, to reveal to them the great news of his resurrection.
In fact, the Apostle Paul reminds us of this God’s wisdom in acting, observing that “God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something…” (1Cor. 1:27-29).
The Actuality of Easter: What does Easter mean to us today?
Easter is first and foremost, a day of commemorating the victory. We remember and celebrate the victory of life over death, the victory of light over the power of darkness, the victory of love over hatred, the victory of good over evil. And this victory is won by Jesus of Nazareth who willingly accepted to suffer and die for the redemption of a fallen humanity. The Easter Proclamation puts it very well: “Our birth would have been no gain, had we not been redeemed.”[3]
Easter is a day that our faith should be strengthened in the resurrection. For the Lord Jesus who rose from the dead as the first fruit, has set an example for us believers. Henceforth, Easter should mean to us that death will disappear. Death is not the end of our life as Christians. In fact, the first preface for the dead makes it clear: “Indeed, for your faithful O Lord, life is changed not ended, and when this earthly dwelling turns to dust, as an eternal dwelling is made ready for them in heaven.”[4]
Conclusion
Celebrating Easter today, reminds us that good will always overcome evil, that light will always triumph over darkness, that up will prevail over down, the up of the resurrection over the down of the cross. Experience has shown that life has its ups and downs. The older you become, the better you know that life is all about light and darkness, sun and shadow, sweet and bitter, good and evil, sickness and health, virtue and vice, progress and regress, failing and rising, life and death, Good Friday and Easter!
Therefore, for us Missionaries of Africa, Easter should be a time to redefine our commitment to justice and peace towards those at the peripheries of our society. For, the risen Lord is always in solidarity with the little ones, poor ones, forgotten and marginalized of our society.
Lord Jesus, make of us channels of your Easter Peace, Easter Love and Easter Justice. Amen!
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[1] The Roman Missal. English Translation according to the Third Typical edition, (Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa, 2011), 334.
[2] The Roman Missal, p. 334.
[3] The Roman Missal, p. 334.
[4] The Roman Missal, p. 556.
By: Joseph Chirhahongerwa Chitwara, M.Afr.