The Sunday after Easter is often called “Low Sunday”. It gets its nickname from the contrast between what would normally be a quiet Sunday and the celebration of Easter that took place just seven days before.
On this Sunday we traditionally think of the two disciples walking on the Road to Emmaus, finding Jesus accompanying them. It might have been two men as shown in this picture. Or possibly a husband and wife. They do not of course recognise him—not until he gives thanks by breaking bread in an inn a little later.
Peter’s restoration after having denied Jesus three times is another big theme of the Sunday after Easter. He seems to have thought he was no longer wanted. The line, “I am going fishing” (John 20:3) can be translated, “I am going back to fishing.” He believed that Jesus would have no time for him in the future. He had better go back to his old job in shame and disgrace. He could not have been more wrong. Jesus had a lot more confidence in Peter, that Peter could ever have imagined. He remains a huge part of the story.
On the other hand there was one person in the gospel story who made very little impact. She was the opposite of Peter. She never drew attention to herself. And yet she appears in the story to be the very thing Peter was called to be. A Rock.
Do you know her name? Funnily enough, Mark can’t quite remember it either. Or to be fair, not all of it. She is the elusive “Other Mary” who turns up at the empty tomb that first Easter morning. We will find more about her next week.