Bartholomew's Second Letter

Bartholomew's Second Letter

Josimar Salum

After the horrible show that we watched 4 days ago, without being able to do anything, without understanding anything, anguished and desperate, we contemplated the crucifixion of Jesus.  As soon as Jesus died many people from the crowd went home, beating their chests and shouting that He was a righteous man.

  Mary and the women were to the place where a senator from the empire had buried Jesus, in a cave carved into a rock.  When they got there, they saw only the tomb closed with a huge stone and two soldiers on guard.

  As the first day began around three hours later, after Jesus was crucified, a special Shabbat, or Easter preparation day, began.  We locked the doors and we could not prepare anything.  We had no lamb for Passover.

  A silence led us, to all the disciples into sadness, it was so great, a mixture of disappointment, a deep and great despair, without understanding how everything could have happened!

  On the second day that Jesus was buried, Mary Magdalene and other women went out to buy spices because they wanted to anoint His body.

  Yesterday on the third day, Shabbat again, the sun went down with noise and the tremors of another earthquake.  The first earthquake this week that happened almost four days ago was when the Lord reclined His head, still crucified on that cross and died.  But yesterday, at dusk, we didn't know what it had caused the earthquake.

  On this first day of the week, still at dawn, it was still very dark and Mary Magdalene was at the tomb where the Lord was placed.  To her amazement, the tomb stone had been removed.  She ran back and told Pedro that they took our Lord and she did not know where he was.

  Peter hurried with John to the tomb.  John arrived first, bent down and saw the sheets on the floor and the handkerchief that had covered Jesus' head was beside him.  Peter entered the tomb and there was no sign of the Lord.  The bloody sheets were already almost stiff with spices, but no sign of Jesus' body.  How could his body have come out of those stiff sheets?  Everything became a source of amazement!

  Peter and John returned, but Mary Magdalene stayed by the sepulcher.  Nowhere for the two soldiers she saw two angels dressed in white, sitting inside the rock, one at the head and one at the feet where Jesus' body was exposed.

  “They said, Woman, why are you crying?  She said: Because they took my Lord, and I don't know where they put it.  And having said that, she turned back and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know it was Jesus.  Jesus said: “Woman, why are you weeping?  Who are you looking for?  She, thinking was the gardener, said: "Sir, if you took him, tell me where and I will take him with me".

  I now think that no one loved Jesus as much as Mary Magdalene.  There was not so much love between us like she loved a Jesus. Mary Magdalene wanted Jesus so much, so close, so near, even if it was His body, lifeless, taken by her to her home.

  A few hours ago, Mary told us that our Lord was risen and Jesus entered our cenacle.  We are like someone who dreams!  Peter, John and the rest of us, we didn't know what to say to Him! We were in awe, jaws dropped down, eyes almost rolling and hearts bursting with joy!

  Jesus' face is extraordinarily beautiful!  There are no more sores or wound marks on His face.  We saw only the large scars on the palms of His hands.  He told us of His Peace. Peace that surpasses all understanding!

  I can't stand it, I'm bursting with joy.  Just as Jesus said, He was there, before our own eyes, risen.  Jesus lives!  Hallelujah!

Bartolomeu, disciple of the risen Christ.

  #ASONE