As angels had hovered over Jesus’ cradle, they likewise attended His tomb. In the still of the night, they filled the skies of Bethlehem with the first Gloria in excelsis Deo, heralding the good news of Jesus’ birth. In the hushed silence of the garden tomb, they filled the hearts of three grieving women with joy brighter than the rising sun.
Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene returns. Love never rests. It is still dark, but the Light is already scattering the darkness. Rabbinic tradition held that mourning for the dead was at its greatest on the third day. Mary’s grief is intense.
Mary Magdalene first appears in the last Gospel at the cross. The first three Gospel writers show us Mary standing in the distance. However, the fourth Gospel moves Mary to the foot of the cross (John 19:25). This direction is theological.
According to the Gospel of Matthew, some strange things happened when Jesus died. Each event tells us something about Jesus. The darkness that covered the land (Matthew 27:45) and the earthquake (Matthew 27:51) show that all creation was aware something significant happened, a new age was dawning. The splitting of the sanctuary veil (Matthew 27:51), which is the barrier that separated the holiest part of the Temple
In the Old Testament, the word covenant is used to express the special relationship between God and the people of Israel. Covenant relationships are rooted in mutual and freely made promises. The laws and worship practices in the Old Testament were signs of the special relationship. But during the Last Supper, Jesus establishes a New Covenant, one sealed with His blood, His very life.
Chapter 13 is the beginning of the second part of the Gospel of John, sometimes called the Book of Glory. Its central theme is how Jesus is glorified through his Passion, death, and Resurrection. It begins with Jesus’ washing the disciples’ feet at the Last Supper, before the Passover.
In John 12:24-26, Jesus is describing what we call the paschal mystery. It is the belief that God brings new life out of suffering and death. The first and ultimate expression of the paschal mystery is Jesus’ own death and Resurrection. God used Christ’s sacrifice to free us from the bonds of sin, and Christ’s Resurrection to open the path to new life. It is a mystery that no one can fully explain, but the Gospels and experience tells us it is so.
Matthew, chapters 8-9, describe ten miracles of Jesus intended as signs of the coming Reign of God. Most of Jesus’ miracles are healings, but some also show His power over demons and nature. The Gospel of Mark records the most miracles, twenty-one, and the Gospel of John, the least, eight.
Holy Week is a term that is still used, even with the renewal of the Triduum, and it refers to the week beginning with Palm Sunday and ending with Holy Saturday. It includes the last days of Lent.