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Easter: The Celebration of the Sacrament of Transformation
'The tomb was empty,' the Scriptures said later, metaphorically perhaps but pointedly, nevertheless. People had known His presence again, not the same as before the crucifixion, true, but real, nevertheless. Transformed. Somehow or other Jesus had defeated death, had snatched new life from its cavernous throat. The implications were overwhelming. Death, even once transcended, could never be permanent again. In fact, life itself could never be the same again. Jesus risen from the dead made life the stuff of eternity. Jesus transformed leads us to look beyond the obvious, to allow for the presence of God in alien places in unanticipated ways. Resurrection begs the scrutiny of the obvious, the celebration of the sacrament of transformation.
– Joan Chittister, OSB
See also the previous PCV posts:
Easter Sunday: Resurrection
"You Will See Him"
What does Sister Joan mean when she states that the empty tomb is perhaps a metaphor? Surely not that the resurrection is simply a tale of transformation? If so, the Christ event is no different than any other religious fable; indeed, it is simply a retelling of ancient mystery cults.
ReplyDeleteAnd perhaps this is exactly what Sister Joan believes, much to the horror of Saint Benedict, and the thousands of martyrs who even today suffer cruelty not for a fable, but because they believe the resurrection of the body of Christ is a historical fact. Paul certainly seemed to think it was - read 1 Corinthians chapter 15.
Hi, Anonymous! I don't read in this a denial of the resurrection but rather an acknowledgement that the gospel accounts of Jesus' burial may not be factual, and thus there may not have been an actual empty tomb. It's this 'empty tomb' that's the metaphor, one that points to the disciples' undeniable experience of the resurrected Jesus.
ReplyDeleteUta Ranke-Heinemann and John Dominic Crossan both write about this in ways that I find insightful and helpful.
Peace,
Michael
Also, I don't think there's such a thing as a simple "tale of transformation"!
ReplyDeletePeace,
Michael