In the Christian faith, the empty tomb is never merely a statement of absence. It does not mean that God has withdrawn, but that another way of being present has opened up or been revealed. From the earliest centuries, the Fathers of the Church saw that the Resurrection eludes direct proof, presenting itself instead as an experience to be embraced. Gregory of Nyssa dares to use this striking image: ‘This tomb, which received death, has become the womb of life; it has given birth to the One who is Life’ (Discourse on the Resurrection of Christ). What seemed closed becomes a pathway; what appeared barren becomes fruitful.
This intuition has found a contemporary echo in François Nault, when he speaks not only of an empty tomb, but of an open tomb. In "L’ouvert de la révélation" (2004), he emphasises that the Paschal void is not nothingness, but ‘an empty presence that makes something possible’. The tomb is a breach, an in-between space where God no longer imposes Godself, but calls for our consent. The Resurrection does not immediately fill the void; it opens, it shifts, it sets things in motion.
To embrace this void requires a freely chosen inner detachment. Saint Augustine understood this: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you” (Confessions, I,1). Pierre Bienvenu Noailles (PBN) experienced this Paschal dynamic in his conversion and formation. In prayer, he asked God to “make him understand the full extent of his nothingness”, so that he might rely “only on Him who must be his light and his strength” (Prayer upon rising). The Charism of the Holy Family, “to seek God alone in all things”, takes on its full meaning here: making space, accepting emptiness, renouncing false securities to let God act. Even today, the community is encouraged to live this inner poverty: fidelity to prayer, silence, discernment, humility in relationships and responsibilities.
But the Paschal emptiness does not signify a lack of movement. The stone rolled away on Easter morning is not there to free the Risen One, but to allow the disciples to enter and see things differently. The Resurrection is a force in motion that transforms fear into boldness. In Issy, amidst limited resources and uncertainty, Noailles dared to undertake a work without human guarantees. This is where mission is born, in trust in Providence rather than in the total control of projects. Today, the Charism keeps alive this same boldness: to press on even when resources are limited, to believe that God acts in what seems small or fragile.
Finally, the empty tomb calls forth witnesses. At Sainte Eulalie, amongst the poor, the Resurrection becomes presence, healing, dignity restored. Saint Irenaeus of Lyon reminds us: “The glory of God is man fully alive” (Against Heresies, IV,20,7). Noailles spoke of the Holy Family as “the flower that grows among ruins and tombs” (General Rules, 1844). Even today, the community is called to be this Paschal sign: where life is wounded, to believe that emptiness is never the end, but the space where God brings forth something new.
Happy Easter to all !
Fr. Pascal Djeumegued,
Priest Associate
Diocese of Rimouski (Canada)