As the saying goes, "It's always darkest before the dawn." -- so too, with our experience of the Easter mystery.  

In all accounts of the resurrection, Mary of Magdala (alone or with her companions) comes to the tomb while it is dark. She feels the predawn darkness within and around her: void, loss, grief that cannot be articulated.

The Easter story begins in early morning darkness. This is always how our discovery of the risen Christ begins: in darkness.

For many this week has been a week of darkness.

Earlier this week, someone received terrible news from a physician.

Earlier this week, someone lost his job.

Earlier this week, someone heard the words "I don't love you anymore."

Earlier this week, someone's hope was crucified.

And the darkness is overwhelming.

No one is ready to encounter Easter until he or she has spent time in the early morning darkness where hope cannot be seen. In such darkness, Easter is the last thing we are expecting. And that's why the unknown of Easter terrifies us. We dread the darkness -- but we fear even more what is beyond it. Sometimes the dark we know is preferable to what we don't know. We have learned to function and exist in the darkness; we find a distorted solace in the fact that darkness means that nothing more can disappoint or hurt us.

Easter's first light illuminates those dark places we have become used to; it focuses our vision and attention on what we have never seen before. It dares us to imagine possibilities beyond our limited understanding of what is possible.

Easter is about more hope than we can handle.

My dear brothers, Easter calls us to the light of possibility, of healing, of re-creation! In his resurrection, Jesus enables us to bring into our own lives all that he lived and taught and gave: the love, compassion, generosity, forgiveness, humility and selflessness that ultimately triumphs over hatred, prejudice, despair, greed and even death. The empty tomb is the sign of perfect hope: that in Christ all things are possible, that we can live our lives with meaning and purpose, without fear, because love is stronger than death! We can become the people God has created us to become.

May we not fear or shrink from Easter morning's first light, but embrace that light and the hope it promises in the Risen One who is forever in our midst! A blessed Easter!