Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce the news to his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
Matthew 28:8-10
DEVOTION
In March of this year, five major world religions celebrated their most sacred events. This is because of the placement of the moon after the spring equinox. I remember being in seminary when my worship professor could effortlessly rattle off how the day of Easter is celebrated: the Sunday following the paschal full moon, which is the full moon that falls on or after the spring equinox. For the Christian church, this formula was established in 325 A.D., at the Council of Nicaea.
As a college professor, I taught a course in comparative religions. I have always affirmed that Christianity is the only authentic presentation of God, though other religions can inform and inspire us.
Holi is a popular and significant Hindu festival, that is often referred to as the Festival of Colors. It celebrates the triumph of good over evil. The highlight of the celebration is when revelers take to the streets and throw colored powders into the air and onto each other. A great joy can be seen in smiling faces covered in vibrant colors. The celebration this year was on March 25, in places like Kolkata and Hyderabad, India, and in Washington at Dupont Circle and Union Market.
This day, as Christians, we celebrate Easter Monday. It is an observance that is mostly associated with Roman Catholics, though it is on the Protestant liturgical calendar. Easter Monday is also known as the “Monday of the Angel,” for it celebrates when the three women, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, went to the tomb and found the stone rolled away and an empty burial chamber.
In a Vatican Radio recording in 1994, Pope John Paul II gave an explanation for Monday of the Angel, highlighting the need for an angel to call out “He is risen” from the depths of the grave: “Why is it called that? These words were very difficult to proclaim, to express, for a person. Also, the women that were at the tomb encountered it empty but couldn’t tell ‘he had risen’; they only affirmed that the tomb was empty. The angel said more: ‘He is not here, he has risen.’”
The celebration of Easter is now a shadow, as our Easter bonnets has been shelved and our chocolate rabbits have lost their ears (it has been proven the ears always go first). The question is, will we continue with Easter exuberance? Will we, as Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome did, continue to proclaim the gospel message?
Melissa Scott is the pastor of The Salvation Army in Florence, where I currently worship. She wrote an article for the “Faith & Values” section of the Morning News, that was published on December 26, 2020. Please note: This reflection was published the day after Christmas. She shared the enjoyment of decorating for Christmas, but dreaded “un-decorating.” One year, the last item to be put away was the Nativity set. All the parts were gathered, except for the baby Jesus. Her 3-year-old daughter was embracing the figure, pleading, “Mommy! Don’t put Jesus in a box!” In her devotion the pastor pondered, do we, after celebrating Christmas, put Jesus back into a box until the following year?
The day after Christmas is called Boxing Day.
The day after Easter is called Easter Monday.
Are you going to put Jesus back into a box?