Gen 1:1-2:2; Gen 22:1-18; Exodus 14:15-15:1; Is 54:5-14; Is 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15,32-4:4; Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28; Romans 6:3-11; Matthew 28:1-10
Today's liturgy contains seven readings from the Old Testament, three of which are from the Pentateuch (Gen. 1:1-2: 2; Gen. 22:1-18; Ex. 14:15-15: 1) and four from the prophets (Is. 54:5-14; Is. 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4: 4; Ezek. 36:16-17a, 18-28). Seven readings - the number is not accidental - explain the mystery of salvation and lead us to Christ.
"And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. [...] And there was evening and there was morning, the first day" (Gen. 1:3,5). God created the universe through the Word (John 1:3) and it was created "very good" (Gen. 1:31). But we have made a mess out of it. We have "forsaken the fountain of wisdom" - God's commandments (Baruch 3:10-12; 4: 1), defiled the world with our sinful actions (Ezek. 36:17) and ended up in an exile (Ezek. 36:19). In that exile, we begin to "seek the Lord" (Is 55:6), knowing that His love is everlasting (Is. 54:10) and if we forsake our sinful ways, God will show us his compassion to us (Is. 55:7).
To set us free, God sends out from his mouth His Word to dwell among us (Is. 55:11; John 1:14). But how will the Word accomplish God's purpose (Is. 55:11)? The answer is revealed in the story about Abraham and Isaac (Gen. 22:1-18). Isaac carrying the wood for sacrifice represents Jesus who carried the wood of the cross and the fact that Isaac's life was was saved points to Christ's resurrection (Gen. 22:6, 11-12; Heb. 11:17-19). On the first day, early in the morning, Jesus rose from the darkness of death to begin a new creation (Matt. 28:1; cf. Gen. 1:4). Now, everything is ready for our departure from Egypt - the land of sin.
We "come to the waters" (Is. 55:1) and enter into the midst of them (Ex 14:22). Through baptism, we have been united with Christ. Just as he died, was buried and rose again, so also we died to sin, were buried with him and then raised to a new life for God (Rom. 6:3-11). God has performed heart surgery. The heart of stone was removed and we are given a heart of flesh. Then, God puts His Spirit within us to cause us to live according to His will (Ezek. 36:26-27). The former slaves of sin have become the children of God.
Those who witnessed Christ's death (Matt. 27:61) are the first to hear the news of his resurrection announced by an angel. It is worth noting that it was also an angel of the Lord who announced to Joseph that the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived Jesus from the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20). Pope Benedict said that the virginal conception of Jesus and his bodily resurrection are the most contested articles of our faith in the modern world. For contemporary man, it is hard to believe that God would interfere in the world of matter in this way. Today the world also tries to secure the tomb of Jesus (Matt. 27:65), but such efforts prove futile. The Lord has risen as he promised (Matt. 26:32).
"Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me" (Matt. 28:10). Why Galilee? It all began there and it will begin there anew. Each of us has our own Galilee, where we met Christ for the first time and followed him. But each of us also has our own Jerusalem, where we failed him. And yet, we are his brothers and sisters (see Matt. 28:10). And so, we believe the message of the women, return to the place where it all began, rediscover our original fascination with Christ, and with renewed strength go to the whole world to proclaim the Gospel. Alleluia!