Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/763

 Proofs  of  our  Lord's Resurrection.  To  the  proof  mentioned  in  the last chapter  the  following  may  be  added: 1. Peter and  John  convinced themselves by  the  evidence  of  their  own  senses  that  the  tomb  was  empty, and that  the  Body  of  Jesus  could  not  have  been  taken  away  by  any person. 2. Our  Lord  appeared  to  Magdalen,  and  then  to  the  other women, speaking  with  them,  and  foretelling  His  Ascension. These last two form  the  first  and  second  apparitions  of  our  Lord  after  His  Resurrection that  are  mentioned  in  Holy  Scripture.

The disciples  of  Jesus  were  by  no  means  credulous.  On  the  contrary they refused  at  first  to  believe  in  our  Lord’s  Resurrection,  in  spite  of His  having  appeared  to  the  holy  women.

The reward  of  true  love. Magdalen’s  sorrow  at  the  loss  of  the Sacred Body  is  very  touching. She stood  before  the  empty  grave,  disconsolate, and  weeping  bitter  tears. To her  was  given  the  great consolation of  being  the  first  to  wiiom  our  Lord  appeared. He had forgotten all  her  sins,  and  thought  only  of  her  true  love  and  true  sorrow. O how good  and  merciful  is  Jesus!

We are  the  brethren  of  Jesus  and  the  Children  of  God. Our  Blessed Lord called  His  disciples  His  “brethren”,  and  said,  moreover,  to  them: “I ascend  to  My  Father  and  to  your  Father.”  God  the  Father,  who is, by  nature  and  from  eternity,  the  Father  of  Jesus  Christ,  by  the atoning death  of  His  Son,  becomes  our  Father  as  well. For the  sake of His  beloved  Son,  Jesus,  He  has  admitted  us  to  the  grace  of  sonship and to  be  the  brethren  of,  and  “heirs  with”,  Jesus.

We can  see  by  the  case  of  Magdalen  how precious in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  are  tears  of  contrition  and of the  love  of  God. Do you  feel  this  kind  of  love  for  Jesus? Does it  cause  you  pain  when  you  are  prevented  for  any  length of time  from  visiting  Him  in  the  church? And have  you  ever  shed tears of  contrition?

T also  happened  that  in  the  course  of  the  same  day  two  of the  disciples  went  to  Emmaus,  and  talked  together  of  the