Linen Wrappings

​A Reflection on the Gospel for Sunday, April 20th, 2025:
The Solemnity of Easter Sunday

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John
​20.1-9

​Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.

Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Happy Easter! Alleluia, our Saviour has risen. Indeed He has risen. Alleluia!

Every time I read this Gospel passage, I usually focus on the bragging that John seems to be doing as he tells his own story of running faster than Peter. However, this time I cannot help but fixate on the “linen wrappings” that have been mentioned three times. 

What are the “linen wrappings”? Very literally, they are the cloths used to cover Jesus’ dead body before he was laid in the tomb. This also made me think of the things left behind after an injury has been healed and recovered. For example, if one were healing from a knee injury, the brace worn around the knee would be like the “linen wrappings”. The fact that Jesus’ “linen wrappings were lying there” is a tangible sign that He is dead no more; He has risen. Similarly, a knee brace lying by the way or a walking cane lying unused is a symbol that the person who was using them needs them no more; the person has been healed.

Now, what are the spiritual “linen wrappings” that we possess? What can we cast aside to show that we are no longer in a state of captivity or sin? The answer to this question can be different for each person. Personally, my “linen wrappings” are my independence and my self-sufficiency. When everything is going my way, I behave in a manner that God exists and I love Him, but I do not depend on Him with abandon. 

Recently, having experienced a knee injury, I was brought to the awareness that I have a set way of going about my spiritual practices be that attending Mass frequently, going for Adoration, doing the Liturgy of the Hours—all of which are good things. But, when I hurt myself, a bulk of my frustration stemmed from the way I used to rely on my health and my set practices to make me feel better. I started losing patience because I needed to rely on friends to help me with simple tasks like laundry and grocery shopping. And in this state of hurt, I failed to rely on my sole source of comfort—God. God has been asking me to find my rest and comfort in Him and not in my expectations of what my faith-life or health should be like. God was the one who had put these friends in my life to help me in my time of need. He is the God in our relationship, and as such knows what is good for me, even if my soul’s good may lie in enduring this suffering. 

Jesus could have come down from the cross and walked through the crowd, but He chose to endure the pain of death only to rise and cast away death along with his “linen wrappings”. He brought eternal life into the reality of our world by His death. His death was the first step to our eternal life. We too have to go through our crucifixions, be they physical, emotional, relational, or mental crucifixions, to step into the reality of our new lives. And Easter is the pinnacle of such a hopeful new beginning. So, what have I learnt this Lent? I’ve learnt that I need to cast aside my independence and self-sufficiency to rely on God who is indeed the reason for my existence. 

So, what are your “linen wrappings”? How can you cast them aside this Easter season?

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, thank you that my heart beats for You and because of You. Give me the courage to love You more and more. Help me trust that You know what will help me grow and flourish. God, You have only good in mind for me. I trust You to lead me in the way You want me to go. Amen.




Rebecca D'Mello

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