Poor Thomas. He missed the most excellent class trip ever.
How many here have ever felt left behind or left out of something wonderful? I was always the last to be picked for dodge ball. Not the middle, not second or third from last, but always dead last. I also remember the time there was a trip from school to a play that I really wanted to see, but I lost the permission slip and by the time I got it submitted it was too late to be allowed to go. Afterwards everyone talked about how wonderful the trip had been, but I could only wish I had been there, too.
What a contrast we have between last night’s Gospel and that of this morning. In the Gospel of John that was read at the Easter Vigil Mary Magdelene is met by angels at the tomb, and then Jesus himself. She is called by name by the Christ and then sent to tell the good news that he is risen to the others who have not yet seen. In the account of the very same story by Mark we have quite a different picture. Mary Magdelene is not traveling alone to the tomb in this story but is accompanied by Mary the mother of James and Salome. And when they arrive at the tomb, while the stone is rolled away, there are not two angels, but one. This angel tells the women Jesus is not there, and they run away “in terror and amazement” rather than in joy, as John paints Mary’s response.
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Two little old ladies, sisters, were living together. They were both hard of hearing but this only added to their daily joy. Take, for example, when they would sit down to breakfast and the one sister would ask the other if she’d like some “toast.” The other, sister, not hearing quite right, would reply, “What? Do I want a roast? It’s breakfast, and where did you get a roast?” They would go back an forth until they managed to explain what they were really saying, and then they would laugh and laugh. Then one of them would ask the other if she wanted any “cream” with her coffee. To which, of course, the other sister would say “you want to scream? What happened, did you sit on a tack?” And they would start all over to explain themselves again and then laugh again and so it would continue all day. Much joy was found for these ladies in their efforts to hear what was really being said.
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