He Saw and Believed

04-20-2025Weekly ReflectionFr. Augustine Acheme, VC

Easter Sunday dawns not with trumpet blasts or heavenly choirs, but with quiet footsteps in the dark. Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb early, while it is still dark (John 20:1). She finds the stone rolled away- and nothing makes sense. She runs to Peter and John, frantic. When John reaches the tomb and steps inside, he sees the burial cloths- and believes.

What did he see? Nothing but emptiness: no angelic appearance, no risen Jesus- just the folded linen. And yet, that was enough to stir faith. “He saw and believed” (John 20:8).

Easter often begins in the quiet- when light is just starting to rise in the darkness of confusion, grief or doubt. The Resurrection doesn’t erase suffering or explain everything. It invites us to believe even when we don’t fully understand. As Peter proclaims in the first reading: “This man God raised on the third day… everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:40, 43).

The Resurrection means death does not have the final word. Despair doesn’t win. The tomb is empty not because the body was taken, but because death itself has been undone. St. Paul urges us in Colossians to “seek what is above,” for we have been raised with Christ (Colossians 3:1). Easter isn’t only about something that happened to Jesus- it’s about something that has happened to us. We now live a new life, hidden with Christ in God.

St. John Paul II once said, “Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.” The power of the Resurrection means there is always hope- hope in broken relationships, in grief, in addiction, in struggle. Christ has conquered sin and death, and His victory is ours to share.

St. Augustine reminds us: “We are Easter people, and our song is Alleluia.”. This is not just a seasonal joy; it’s our new identity. The Resurrection is not the end of the story- it’s the beginning of everything new.

So today, whether you come to the tomb with joy or uncertainty, let Easter meet you where you are. Like John, may you see and believe. And may your life proclaim what your heart has come to know: Christ is risen. Alleluia!

Fr. Augustine Acheme, VC