Proofs of our Lord's Resurrection. To the proof mentioned in the last chapter the following may be added: 1. Peter and John convinced themselves by the evidence of their own senses that the tomb was empty, and that the Body of Jesus could not have been taken away by any person. 2. Our Lord appeared to Magdalen, and then to the other women, speaking with them, and foretelling His Ascension. These last two form the first and second apparitions of our Lord after His Resurrection that are mentioned in Holy Scripture.
The disciples of Jesus were by no means credulous. On the contrary they refused at first to believe in our Lord’s Resurrection, in spite of His having appeared to the holy women.
The reward of true love. Magdalen’s sorrow at the loss of the Sacred Body is very touching. She stood before the empty grave, disconsolate, and weeping bitter tears. To her was given the great consolation of being the first to wiiom our Lord appeared. He had forgotten all her sins, and thought only of her true love and true sorrow. O how good and merciful is Jesus!
We are the brethren of Jesus and the Children of God. Our Blessed Lord called His disciples His “brethren”, and said, moreover, to them: “I ascend to My Father and to your Father.” God the Father, who is, by nature and from eternity, the Father of Jesus Christ, by the atoning death of His Son, becomes our Father as well. For the sake of His beloved Son, Jesus, He has admitted us to the grace of sonship and to be the brethren of, and “heirs with”, Jesus.
Application. We can see by the case of Magdalen how precious in the sight of the Lord are tears of contrition and of the love of God. Do you feel this kind of love for Jesus? Does it cause you pain when you are prevented for any length of time from visiting Him in the church? And have you ever shed tears of contrition?
Chapter LXXX.
JESUS APPEARS TO TWO DISCIPLES ON THE WAY TO EMMAUS.
[Luke 24, 13 — 35. Mark 16, 12 ]
IT also happened that in the course of the same day two of the disciples[1] went to Emmaus[2], and talked together of the
