Daily Gospel Reflection

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March 31, 2024

Easter Sunday – The Resurrection of the Lord
Jn 20:1-9
Listen to the Audio Version

On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.

Reflection

Katharine Mosesso '03
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As I read this passage, I wondered about one detail: why doesn’t the second disciple have a name?

There’s Simon Peter, and then there’s “the other disciple whom Jesus loved.” He remains nameless throughout this passage, and my first instinct is to think that “the other disciple” is getting shortchanged.

We see this disciple’s devotion to Jesus. We’re told that he ran faster than Peter and got to the tomb first. But we never learn his name. He’s just “the other disciple.”

Taking a closer look, I wonder if John’s true intent lies in that first sentence. “The other disciple whom Jesus loved.” That’s an unusual way to identify a person, but it carries a lot more meaning than a name can. Maybe the takeaway here is that, as Christians, the most essential part of our identity is that Jesus loves us.

Who am I? As we go through our daily lives, we fill in that answer in many different ways. We identify ourselves by our family roles, our professions, and our affiliations, and, as has been pointed out to me more than once, we often very proudly identify ourselves as Domers. But on this Easter Sunday, the most significant day of the liturgical year, John reminds us that our most important identity is always beloved by Jesus. May we all embrace that identity today.

Prayer

Rev. Thomas McNally, C.S.C.

Lord, John the apostle “saw and believed” when he entered the empty tomb. His faith told him that you had indeed risen from the dead. Assist us, Lord, when our faith is weak and we do not know what to believe. Help us to know that you have indeed risen and are now with us always. Amen.

Saint of the Day

Sts. Quirinus and Balbina

Sts. Quirinus and Balbina were a father and daughter who were martyred for their faith in the early Church.

Quirinus was a Roman officer in the army who was tasked to guard the imprisoned Pope Alexander I. In conversation with Alexander, Quirinus stated that he would convert to Christianity if Alexander’s prayer could heal the officer’s daughter, Balbina, from a goiter that afflicted her.

Alexander told her to venerate the chains that held St. Peter, and, since Quirinus knew where Peter had been held, they went there immediately. When Balbina knelt to kiss the shackles, she was cured. They both returned to Alexander and Quirinus had the pope released and pardoned, and asked for baptism for himself and his daughter.

After that, Alexander built a church to hold St. Peter’s chains, which still stands today in Rome.

In 116, Quirinus was arrested and beheaded for his Christian faith. Scholars believe Balbina was arrested and convicted of being Christian and executed in 130. She was buried with Quirinus in the Roman catacombs, and their graves were located in written guides for early Church pilgrims who visited the tombs.

St. Quirinus’ feast day falls on March 30, and St. Balbina’s today. Relics of Quirinus rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. A statue of Balbina, pictured here, stands as one of the 140 statues on the colonnade of St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

Sts. Quirinus and Balbina, you were the father and daughter who both gave your lives for the new faith you found—pray for us!


Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Balbina is available for use under a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Last accessed February 13, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.