On that first Easter morning, the world was still heavy with grief. At the tomb, the stone was rolled away. The burial cloths were left behind. Something had happened - something no one yet understood.
In the quiet garden, Jesus comes to Mary Magdalene. She stands there weeping, unable to see through her sorrow. She mistakes Him for the gardener - until He speaks her name. “Mary.”
In that single word, everything changes. Recognition dawns. Grief gives way to joy. The Risen Christ reveals Himself not with spectacle, but with tenderness.
Later, He walks beside two disciples on the road to Emmaus - dispirited, discouraged, disappointed. Their dreams shattered, their hearts heavy. They speak with Him for miles, yet they do not recognise Him until He breaks bread with them. In that familiar gesture, their eyes are opened. Hope returns. Their hearts burn again.
He appears, too, in the upper room where the disciples huddle in fear. The doors are locked, but nothing can lock out the Risen Lord. He stands among them, shows them His wounds, and speaks peace into their fear. It really is Jesus - yet He is changed. Glorified. Alive in a way the world has never seen.
This is what we celebrate at Easter: the triumph of life over death, hope over despair, love over every darkness. The tree of death has become the Tree of Life. The cross that once symbolised defeat now becomes the doorway to salvation. And we are not spectators to this miracle - we are invited into it. Through baptism, through faith, through the daily living of Christian life, we share in this newness. The Resurrection is not only Christ’s victory; it is the promise of our own transformation. As we enter these sacred days, let us stay close to Jesus. Let us hear again His plea from Gethsemane: “Stay with me. Pray with me. Support me.”
He speaks not only to the disciples of long ago, but to us today. This week, let us walk with Him and be mindful of Holy Week’s drama. May we reflect on His self-giving love, and on Easter, stand with Mary, the disciples, and the Church in the joy of the Resurrection.
Columban Fr John Hegerty lives at St Columban's, Essendon.
