Introduction
What did Fr Joseph Cardijn teach young workers about the resurrection of Jesus? It is obvious from published talks he gave to young workers that he believed that Jesus was raised to life three days after he was crucified. But as is consistent in his teaching, his focus was on putting this belief into action.
He made the following reference to the resurrection in a talk he gave on the mystery of vocation at a congress for YCW, held in Godinne, Belgium, in 1949:
The working class will rise again, because it has apostles who, with and by Christ, by their sufferings and prayers, and even by their death on the Cross, merit with Christ this resurrection of working-class youth and of the working class of the world.
Cardijn focused on the three truths of faith, experience and method. His teaching about the truth of faith emphasises the eternal and temporal destinies of each and every worker. These destinies are not separate and distinct; they co-exist to the extent that those who are baptised seek to know and do God’s Will.
The Gospel
It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb’ she said ‘and we don’t know where they have put him.’
So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in. Simon Peter who was following now came up, went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed. Till this moment they had failed to understand the teaching of scripture, that he must rise from the dead. (John 20:1-9)
The Enquiry
See
Observe what happens in this scene. Who is involved? What grabs your attention in this scene? Why?
Find out about the burial customs in Jewish culture during the time of Jesus. What prevented Jesus’ family and friends from fully preparing his body for burial after he was crucified? Why did Mary Magdalene go to the tomb on Sunday morning before sunrise?
Why was Jesus’ resurrection so controversial in his time? How has the empty tomb impacted the followers of Jesus and the world? Why do so many people today take no notice of the resurrection of Jesus?
Judge
What do you make of this event in Jesus’ life?
Why wasn’t his resurrection announced with a fanfare and great public celebration?
How is your life today shaped by the resurrection of Jesus?
Act
So, having reflected on this story, what part are you being called to play in God’s transformation of the world?
What small action can you carry out that will contribute to the change God is calling you to make?
Who can you involve in your action, when, where and how often?
Image Source: Wannapik Studio (Creator), Palm Sunday Parishioners Carry Palms, Wannapik Studio, CC BY 3.0
Worth reading: The mystery of vocation, Part 3 of “The young worker faces life”: The 1949 Godinne Lecture Series. In Challenge to Action: Forming Leaders for Transformation. You can download a copy of this book from here.
"The working class will rise again, because it has apostles who, with and by Christ, by their sufferings and prayers, and even by their death on the Cross, merit with Christ this resurrection of working-class youth and of the working class of the world."
This is so key and important. The challenge for all of us is to make disciples and be disciples in a world of autonomous technology.