Sul y Pasg: Fool's Day

Easter falls this year on the same day as April Fools Day. There is something glorious about that. When I was training to become a priest, I remember writing 40000 words on why Christian ministry is quite foolish at times. I sometimes hope that at some point I might turn it into a book if I had the time. Having spare time seems also to be a foolish notion.

Mae'r Pasg yn disgyn eleni ar yr un diwrnod â April Fools Day. Mae rhywbeth godidog am hynny. Pan oeddwn i'n hyfforddi i fod yn offeiriad, rwy'n cofio ysgrifennu 40000 o eiriau ar pam mae gweinidogaeth Cristnogol yn eithaf ffôl ar adegau. Dw i’n gobeithio weithiau y gallwn ei droi i mewn i lyfr pe bai wedi cael yr amser. Mae'n ymddangos bod amser rhydd hefyd yn syniad ffôl.

In one sense, the story as told by Mark is foolish. I do not mean in the sense that the male disciples dismissed what the women disciples told them as an ‘idle tale’. Indeed, in Mark’s story, the first witnesses to the news that Jesus had risen said nothing to anyone. Sometimes, I think that Anglican Christians have take them as the great example of what to do when sharing faith: nothing at all. That is a joke by the way. Maybe or maybe not.

Mewn un ystyr, mae'r stori fel y dywedodd Mark yn ffôl. Nid wyf yn golygu yn yr ystyr bod y disgyblion gwrywaidd wedi gwrthod yr hyn y mae'r menywod yn ei ddweud wrthynt fel 'stori segur'. Yn wir, yn stori Mark, nid oedd y tystion cyntaf i'r newyddion fod Iesu wedi codi wedi dweud dim i unrhyw un. Weithiau, rwy'n credu bod Cristnogion Anglicanaidd wedi eu cymryd fel enghraifft wych o'r hyn i'w wneud wrth rannu ffydd: dim byd o gwbl. Dyna jôc y ffordd. Ella ond ella ddim.

The women go to the tomb. It is a kind of remote control action. They have bought and brought spices to anoint the body of Jesus. It is only as they are going to the place where they had seen him laid that they wonder how they are going to move away the stone that had been set as a seal over the tomb. This is not foolish. It is grief. Grief is like that. You do things without thinking, asking questions as you do them. The enormity of what had happened on the Thursday and Friday cannot be set aside. The man who had been their North, South, East and West, to borrow words from W H Auden, had been snuffed out. Jesus was dead. the women were going to perform one last act of love, perhaps of discipleship to someone they had loved. They did not expect a resurrection just a reminder of the awful events of Golgotha.

Mae'r merched yn mynd i'r bedd. Mae'n fath o gamau rheoli o bell. Maent wedi prynu sbeisys a'u dwyn i eneinio corff Iesu. Dim ond wrth iddynt fynd i'r lle yr oeddent wedi ei weld yn gosod eu bod yn meddwl sut y byddant yn symud i ffwrdd y garreg a osodwyd fel sêl dros y bedd. Nid yw hyn yn ffôl. Mae'n galar. Mae galar fel hynny. Rydych chi'n gwneud pethau heb feddwl, gan ofyn cwestiynau wrth i chi eu gwneud. Ni ellir neilltuo anferthwch yr hyn a ddigwyddodd ar ddydd Iau a dydd Gwener. Roedd y dyn a oedd wedi bod yn eu Gogledd, De, Dwyrain a Gorllewin, i fenthyca geiriau gan W H Auden, wedi cael ei dynnu allan. Roedd Iesu wedi marw. roedd y merched yn mynd i berfformio un ddeddf olaf o gariad, efallai o ddisgyblaeth i rywun yr oeddent wedi ei garu. Nid oeddent yn disgwyl atgyfodiad dim ond atgoffa o ddigwyddiadau ofnadwy Golgotha.

They arrive at the place. Mark is quick and simple in his description. The stone is already rolled away. They go into the tomb and are given the message: ‘You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, he is not here. He has been raised’. In no more than a handful of words, the Evangelist is describing what for Christians is the most significant event in the history of the world.

Maent yn cyrraedd y lle. Mae Mark yn gyflym a syml yn ei ddisgrifiad. Mae'r garreg eisoes wedi'i rolio i ffwrdd. Maent yn mynd i mewn i'r bedd ac yn cael y neges: 'Rydych chi'n chwilio am Iesu o Nasareth, nid yw yma. Mae wedi cael ei godi '. Mewn dim mwy na llond llaw o eiriau, mae'r Efengylaidd yn disgrifio beth yw Cristnogion yw'r digwyddiad mwyaf arwyddocaol yn hanes y byd.

The response of these first witnesses to the empty tomb: ‘Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid’. This is not foolish either. Resurrections are not common. They are unexpected. The women had gone to anoint Jesus, and Jesus was not there. Their world had changed again. News, even good news, especially good news, does not leave things unchanged.

Ymateb y tystion cyntaf hyn i'r bedd gwag: 'Yn cywilydd ac yn ddiflas, aeth y merched allan i ffwrdd o'r bedd. Ni ddywedasant ddim i unrhyw un, oherwydd eu bod yn ofni '. Nid yw hyn yn ffôl chwaith. Nid yw atgyfeiriadau yn gyffredin. Maent yn annisgwyl. Roedd y merched wedi mynd i eneinio Iesu, ac nid oedd Iesu yno. Roedd eu byd wedi newid eto. Nid yw newyddion, hyd yn oed newyddion da, yn enwedig newyddion da, yn gadael pethau heb eu newid.

Why would the first witnesses to the empty tomb have been terrified? First, the unexpected can disturb us: the stone had been rolled away, Jesus was not there; and a messenger waited with a message that their Jesus had been raised. A more modern Welsh translation puts it: Mae wedi dod yn ôl yn fyw.

Pam y byddai'r tystion cyntaf i'r bedd wag wedi bod yn ofnus? Yn gyntaf, gall yr annisgwyl ymyrryd â ni: roedd y garreg wedi ei rolio i ffwrdd, nid oedd Iesu yno; ac roedd negesydd yn disgwyl neges bod eu Iesu wedi cael ei godi. Mae cyfieithiad Cymraeg mwy modern yn ei roi: Mae wedi dod yn ôl yn fyw.

These were disciples who had been with Jesus from the time his ministry began in the Galilee. They had followed him. He had been their teacher and friend. They had seen him touch lepers. The blind had seen. The deaf had heard. Wherever Jesus had gone, the grace of God had been evident. He had taught some extraordinary things. He was never boxed and never fitted into a particular pattern. Jesus attracted opposition too, because of what he taught and did. They had seen the crowds raise in acclamation on Palm Sunday. If they listened carefully, the hosannas could still be heard whispering on the wind. A different crowd had called for his death, but only after he had been betrayed by a friend, denied by a friend and deserted by his friends. They knew that it was over. And still they came to the tomb out of loyalty and love.

Roedd y rhain yn ddisgyblion a fu gyda Iesu o'r adeg y dechreuodd ei weinidogaeth yn y Galilea. Roeddent wedi ei ddilyn. Bu'n athro a'i ffrind iddo. Roeddent wedi ei weld yn gyffwrdd â lepers. Roedd y dall wedi gweld. Roedd y byddar wedi clywed. Lle bynnag yr oedd Iesu'n mynd, roedd gras Duw wedi bod yn amlwg. Roedd wedi dysgu pethau anhygoel. Nid oedd erioed wedi bocsio ac ni chafodd ei osod mewn patrwm penodol. Denodd Iesu wrthwynebiad hefyd, oherwydd yr hyn a ddysgodd ac a wnaeth. Roeddent wedi gweld y tyrfaoedd yn codi mewn adaliad ar Sul y Blodau. Pe baent yn gwrando'n ofalus, gellid clywed yr hosannas yn sibrwd ar y gwynt. Roedd dorf arall wedi galw am ei farwolaeth, ond dim ond ar ôl iddo gael ei fradychu gan ffrind, ei wrthod gan ffrind a'i anialwch gan ei ffrindiau. Roeddent yn gwybod ei fod drosodd. Ac yn dal i ddod i'r bedd allan o ffyddlondeb a chariad.

The second reason why the women were bewildered is that they were no doubt struggling to make sense of what they had seen and indeed not seen. Their expectations had not been met. The body they had come to anoint was not there. They returned, I imagine, with the spices they had purchased, unused and unopened. However, they had also heard that Jesus was not dead. he had been raised. The women were Jewish. This is important, and the history of their people had shown that when God acted, there was also disturbance. God acts. Things change. God is not to be boxed.

Yr ail reswm pam y gwnaed y menywod yn syfrdanol yw nad oedd yn siŵr eu bod yn cael trafferth i wneud synnwyr o'r hyn yr oeddent wedi'i weld ac yn wir heb ei weld. Nid oedd eu disgwyliadau wedi'u bodloni. Nid oedd y corff yr oeddent wedi dod i eneinio yno. Fe ddychwelais, rwy'n dychmygu, gyda'r sbeisys yr oeddent wedi eu prynu, heb eu defnyddio ac heb eu hagor. Fodd bynnag, roeddent hefyd wedi clywed nad oedd Iesu wedi marw. roedd wedi ei godi. Roedd y merched yn Iddewig. Mae hyn yn bwysig, ac roedd hanes eu pobl wedi dangos, pan wnaeth Duw weithredu, bod aflonyddwch hefyd. Duw yn gweithredu. Mae pethau'n newid. Nid yw Duw i fod yn bocsio.

Moses sees a tree on fire, but not burning. Elijah hears the divine voice not in the earthquake, wind and fire, but in the still calm voice. Goliath realises too late the power of the sling and small, smooth stones. Mary responds with a yes to the most audacious plan. God was to become human.

Mae Moses yn gweld coeden ar dân, ond nid yn llosgi. Mae Elijah yn clywed y llais dwyfol nid yn y ddaeargryn, y gwynt a'r tân, ond yn y llais dawel. Mae Goliath yn sylweddoli grym y sling a cherrig bach, llyfn yn rhy hwyr. Mae Mary yn ymateb gyda ie i'r cynllun mwyaf anhygoel. Duw oedd i ddod yn ddynol.

Here once more in the silence of the tomb, the impossible had happened. Their North, South, East and West was somehow no longer dead. Other followers of Jesus would work on what that meant. It was enough for now that he was alive, with all the joy and fear that would bring.

It is in a sense a foolish message. The Apostle Paul would call the Christian gospel folly. Foolish because it seems quite extraordinary that God would be so reckless in showing the world how much it is loved by giving his Son.

Yma unwaith eto yn y tawelwch y bedd, roedd y amhosibl wedi digwydd. Nid oedd eu Gogledd, De, Dwyrain a Gorllewin rywsut bellach wedi marw. Byddai dilynwyr eraill o Iesu yn gweithio ar yr hyn a olygai hynny. Roedd yn ddigon erbyn hyn ei fod yn fyw, gyda'r holl lawenydd a'r ofn a fyddai'n dod.

Mewn gwirionedd, mae'n neges ffôl. Byddai'r Apostol Paul yn galw'r ffolineb efengyl Cristnogol. Yn syfrdanol am ei bod yn ymddangos yn eithaf rhyfeddol y byddai Duw mor ddi-hid wrth ddangos y byd faint y mae'n ei garu trwy roi ei Fab.

On this Easter Day, which is also April Fools Day, let us respond to the call of God by following Jesus, who did at times appear foolish. That is not controversial. For the wonderful and challenging thing about the fool is that he or she always told the truth and more often that not, held up a mirror allowing those listening to see the world as it really is. That is what Jesus seems to have done – and calls us to follow him this day and always. Amen.

Ar y Diwrnod Pasg hwn, sydd hefyd yn Ebrill Fools Day, gadewch inni ymateb i alwad Duw trwy ddilyn Iesu, a ymddangosodd ar adegau'n ffôl. Nid yw hynny'n ddadleuol. Am y peth rhyfeddol a heriol am y ffwl yw ei fod ef neu hi bob amser yn dweud y gwir, ac yn amlach na pheidio, daliodd i fyny ddrych gan ganiatáu i'r rhai sy'n gwrando i weld y byd fel y mae mewn gwirionedd. Dyna'r hyn yr ymddengys fod Iesu wedi'i wneud - ac yn ein galw i ddilyn ef heddiw a bob amser. Amen.