The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-04-15
Continued from page ~
THE MEANING OF EASTER.

ing out the glad news of that joyful
Easter morn: "He is risen, as He
said!" Yes, Christ did rise as He had
prophetically promised; and with
such frequency, and in such striking
and tangible form, did He manifest
His risen corporal form as to Danish
all doubt and hesitancy from the
minds of even his most incredulous
followers. A detailed account of His
manifold manifestations to His Apos-
ties and disciples must be read in the
closing chapters of the four Gospels
A brief summary of the evidence in
favor of the risen Saviour satisfies the
purpose of this article, yet will 1t
show how overwhelming is the argu-
ment in proof of the Resurrection Of
Christ's dead body from the tomb.
The first marvellous fact associated
with the resurrection was the disap-
pearance of Christ's body from the
tomb early in the morning of the
third day after He was crucified. Of
this fact, which the soldiers, the holy
women, and the Apostles Peter and
John witnessed the same morning, no
rational natural explanation is posi-
BILE. The tomb is empty, the linen
clothes which bound the body remain,
while angels who roll back the large
stone that enclosed the tomb, inter-
pref the meaning of the situation.
''You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was
crucified: He is risen, He is not here,
behold the place where they laid Him"
mark 6:6). The guards were af-
frighted by what they saw, and were
dumfounded by the effulgence which
radiated from the angels. When they
recovered themselves they came
straightway into the city and an
nounced to the chief priests what had
happened. Did these relent because
God had prevailed over their machin-
atoms? On the contrary, they must
cover their disgrace After consulta-
ton they decide to bride the soldiers,
by large sum of money, to spread a
false report. Say you: his disciples
came by night and stole him away
when we we're asleep" Matt. 28:13)
Remark how such a rumor conflicts
with the subsequent conduct of those
disciples, who braved danger and
death, who shed their blood for, and
staked their eternal salvation on the
truth of the resurrection.
But not on the fact of the empty
tomb alone, nor on the words of
the angel do we rely for our convic-
ton that the body of Jesus arose from
the dead. No, we rely on no weaker
evidence than the fact that Christ in
His visible palpable risen body ap-
peared time and again to His follow
ers and friends for a period of forty
days, and in such manner that the
reality of His bodily presence was I'M
mistakable. The holy women, on their
return from the tomb, saw Him, "took
hold of His feet, and adored Him"
Matt. 28:9), while He spoke to them
and gave them message for His Apos-
ties. Mary Magdalen saw Him, mis-
took Him for a gardener, recognized
Him as the Master in the utterance of
her name. She also received orders
for His disciples Go. 20:1O. Jesus
joins Cleophas and companion on their
way to Emmaus. He expounds to them
the Scriptures how the Messiah
should be put to death and rise again );
He dimes with them and in the break
ing of bread they recognize Him.
when He vanishes from them (Luke
24:13-31). On that same Sunday of
His resurrection He appears to the
assembled Apostles in the upper room
at Jerusalem. Let st. Luke relate the
~, &Io lot "a
them, and saith to them: Peace be to
you; it is I, fear not. But they .
supposed that they saw a spirit. And
he saith to them: Why are you trou.
bled see my hands and my feet
that it is l myself; handle and see:
for a spirit hath not flesh and bones
as you see me to have. And . he
showed them his hands and feet .
And when he had eaten before them
taking the remains he gave to them
duke "a: 3G143). Then He conversed
with them and expounded to them the
prophecies which foretold His death
and resurrection, and which He had
now fulfilled. Fortunately for the
evidence of our Faith, the Apostle
Thomas was absent on this occasion
and when he learned of the visit OF
the Saviour, he refused to believe
and insisted that without the most
positive proof-without seeing Him
with his eyes and touching Him with
his hands--he would not believe that
He had risen. Christ, condescendfng
to the weakness of His dull disciples
and to confirm the belief of all coming
generations, appeared again eight
days later to the Apostles assembled
within closed doors, and turning to
Thomas addressed him in these
words: put in thy finger hither and
see my hands, and put thy hand into
my side; and be not faithless but be-
lieving" Go 2O:27). Thomas over
come by the sight of his Master ex
claimed. "My Lord and nv God u