The empty tomb

First, the Gospel tells us that a woman, Mary Magdalene, was the first witness of the resurrection of Jesus because when the rest of the disciples hid because they were afraid or too entertained with the affairs of the daily life , she did not lose faith and went out to meet the risen Jesus. And here the invitation for today is that we don't lose faith, that is, don't let them discourage us. That is why today I want to find the resurrection of finding heaven here on earth. That is, to live this transformation you don't have to die, you just have to learn to live.

Second, the two disciples, Peter and John, ran to meet the risen Jesus. One (John) ran faster than the other (Peter), but both arrived at the same time at the empty tomb only because John always waited for Peter who was running slower. In this process of radical solidarity, I must always wait for my sisters and brothers because the salvific liberation of Jesus has always been collective. The question Jesus is asking me is: where is your brother, your sister?

And third, this reading today is the encounter between the birth of the child Jesus, who came to bring the project of salvific liberation and the empty tomb of the resurrection. It is here where we must experience that personal, relational and collective transformation of Christmas and Easter. The paradigm for you and me is: The child who has just been born and the adult who continues to rise.

Now, where does all this lead? As part of our Christmas celebrations, the story of John the beloved draws us to open our hearts to love Jesus and ourselves. Loving ourselves is the second principle of Kwanzaa: self-determination. The United Nations declares that self-determination establishes that people, based on respect for the principle of equal rights and fair equality of opportunities, have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status without interference. This, my sisters and brothers, is a radical Christmas message that Jesus has given us.

Blessings

Fr. Luis +