Dear Friends,
I wish all of you a blessed and joyful Easter, in spite of and in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic! Easter Sunday morning was stormy here on the hill. We ignited a fire in the monastery courtyard and from it were able to light a little candle in a lantern with which our prior, Fr. Joel, carried the Easter light inside, to the Easter Candle. There Fr. Adam sang the Lumen Christi three times and we monks lit our own candles from the Easter Candle. The light of Christ dispelled the darkness, also in our hearts.
To me one of the most touching Easter stories is the encounter of Mary Magdalene with Jesus. Magdalene had experienced more strongly than others what St. Paul would later describe: “Whoever is in Christ is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Jesus had driven seven demons out of her (Luke 8:2). She had become a completely new person through his word and his company. She and Mary, the mother of Jesus, had been among the few who had remained close to Jesus even during his passion and death. Now, according to the Gospel of John (20:11-18), she is the first to meet the Risen One. At first she does not recognize him in his risen, transformed body. Then he addresses her by name: Mary!
This moment is captured in this illumination of The Saint John’s Bible. We see Jesus from behind, robed in royal purple. His light is reflected on her face. Her hand that reaches out to him has become translucent. Her response, Rabbouni, ‘Teacher,’ is written besides her in its Aramaic form. Fading into the background, we see the three crosses of the crucifixion on the left and the empty tomb with the two angels on the right. Jesus’ words to Mary are written above: “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to my Father.”
I wish all of us may experience during this Easter Season the light, the closeness, the joy and the peace of the Risen Jesus. May we, like Mary Magdalene, the Apostle of the Apostles, become witnesses of the Resurrection and of God’s New Life in us, through who we are and through what we do – even though, as it was with Magdalene, physical touch has to be replaced these days often by different gestures of affection, love and caring for others!
At St. Benedict Center, our work on our new displays continues. In this picture you see how we are putting power and data cables into the floor which will be needed at the interactive globe in the current seating area of the Center’s lobby. There a person will be able to learn about our Missionary Benedictine work of evangelization and service all-over the world.
I am looking forward to seeing you again soon when we can re-open this facility!
Fr. Thomas Leitner, OSB