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Jesus in the Mysteries of the Rosary

  1. Glorious Mysteries
    1. The Resurrection of of Jesus Christ
      1. «He is not here, for He is risen»

The Glorious Mysteries are the "necessary culmination" of the life of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Why? The answer is given by St. Paul: «If Christ has not been raised, then empty [too] is our preaching; empty, too, your faith» (1Cor 15:14). Even more, we would be «the most pitiable people of all» (1Cor 15:19), for -praising something that would not have happened- we would be «false witnesses to God» (1Cor 15:15).

But history and faith tells us of Jesus Christ Resurrected in fact. There are some who "see him”; There are some who "do not see him". What happen? We will analyze it! In any case, it is "testified".

The mystery of the Redemption "hangs from” the Resurrection of the Lord: without Resurrection there is no Redemption. Well, what strength would have - beyond death - the surrender of Jesus for us until death, if, after all, he remained dead? His passion would have remained as a simple gesture of solidarity for us - the mortals - but that would not be responding to the real enigma: what about my resurrection, my eternal life? (If my happiness has no eternal projection, then that happiness is very partial: in reality it is not an authentic happiness, but a "past-time") (Read more: «Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified; he has been raised»).

We can distinguish 4 groups of people according to their reaction to the fact of the Resurrection of the Lord: 1. Liars; 2. "Apostles of apostles"; 3. "Scientists"; 4. Hopeless. Let's see how these groups have answered the following questions: How can I find Jesus Christ Resurrected?; Where can I find Jesus Christ Resurrected? ...

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1st) «Why do you look for the living among the dead? » (Lk 24:5). Good question! That’s the question that two angels ask to the women who go to the tomb to embalm the body of Jesus early in the morning.

There were also the guardians that had been arranged by the princes of the priests with the help of the Romans: «The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men (...).some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had happened» (Mt 28:4-11). Gathered with the elders, the princes of the priests gave them a large amount of money to spread: «His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep» (Mt 28:13). Those of the first group are there: the liars, those who -chained to their fallacy- gave testimony of the Resurrection, but remained "dead forever" within their own deception.

There are still many like them: they keep looking for "reasons" among the dead to deny the living Christ. Paradoxically, without finding Jesus, they give a reason for the risen Christ ... “Do you call asleep witnesses?” Saint Augustine asks. And he concludes: “Miserable guile! Inventing such tales, you faint”. All of them miss the "how" or the "where" (although his anti-testimony is still partially useful: reality refuses to be replaced, while trying they sink into contradiction...).

 

2nd) «He is not here, for He is risen» (Lk 24:6), say the angels. Our first witnesses of the Resurrection were not asleep: they (Mary Magdalene, the other Mary, Salome ...) went to the tomb at dawning. They had witnessed on the Calvary the earthquake with which nature dismissed the expiring Christ and now they are witnesses of another "great" earthquake with which nature greeted the resurrected Christ. Even the celestial beings invite them to look inside the tomb: «Do not be afraid! (...). Come and see the place where he lay» (Mt 28:5-6).

They "with fear" –easy to understand because what had never been seen happened- "and great joy" -because the unimagined had happened- «ran to tell the news to the disciples» (Mt 28:8). They belong to the second group mentioned: "apostles of apostles" (Read more: «The women ran to tell the news to the disciples»). What happened to them so that they could "see" him? ...

 

3rd) «And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage» (Mt 28:9). We have said that there are those who "see" him; there are those who "do not see" him...

Of course, seeing Jesus is a gift from God, but there is more! (Read more: No one will be disappointed, neither were the women «who went to the tomb), What is the decisive thing to "see" him then? In the Gospel two important details about the "how" appear: a) these women ("apostles of apostles") get ready (start) as soon as they can -at dawn (there is love: care, delicacy, solicitousness with the Lord); b) they are familiar with a great tenderness-empathy to Jesus: they did not hesitate to embrace the feet of Jesus Christ Resurrected to adore him ... In them the aphorism "God helps the one who gets up early" is fulfilled. A key point appears: love for Him, trust in Him ... that lead to faith in Him (Read more: «He is not here, for He is risen»).

FAITH? A fact as decisive as the Resurrection, would not deserve some type of "conclusive" certainty? Meditation on the following appearances of Jesus Christ Resurrected - as narrated in the Gospels - will give us the answer...