Roles And The Resurrection

Motus vero terrae tempore matutino, diei dominici resurrectionis est virtus: cum contuso mortis aculeo, et illuminatus illius tenebris, resurgente Virtutum coelestium Domino, infernorum trepidatio commovetur. Angelus autem Domini de coelo descendens, et lapidem revolvens, et sepulcro adsidens, misericordiae Dei Patris insigne est, resurgenti filio ab inferis Virtutum coelestium minsteria mittentis. Atque ideo prior ipse resurrectionis est index, ut quodam famulatu paternae voluntatis resurrectio nuntiaretur. Sed confestim Dominus mulierculis per angelum adhortatis occurrit, et consalutat: ut nuntiaturae exspectantibus discipulis resurrectionem, non angeli potis quam Christi ore loquerentur. Quod vero primum mulierculae Dominum vident, salutantur, genibus advolvuntur, nuntiare apostolis jubentur; ordo in contrarium causae principalis est redditus: ut quia a sexu isto coepta mors esset, ipsi primum resurrectionis gloria et visus et fructus et nuntius redderetur. Sanctus Hilarius Pictaviensis, In Evangelium Matthaei Commentarius, Cap XXXIII Source: Migne PL 9.1076a-c

The earth being shaken in the morning, 1 is the power of the resurrection of the Lord's day. With the blunting of the sting of death and the illumination of its darkness by the rising of the Lord of heavenly power, a trembling shakes hell. For the angel of the Lord descending from heaven and rolling back the stone and sitting beside the tomb, is a sign of the mercy of God, who for the rising of the Son from hell sends the ministry of the powers of heaven. And therefore before Him he is a herald of the resurrection, that the resurrection be announced by a servant of the Father's will. But swiftly the Lord comes to the women who had been exhorted by the angel, and greets them, that they be heralds of hope of the resurrection to the disciples, speaking not with the mouth of an angel but with the mouth of Christ. That the women first see the Lord, and are greeted, and grasp His knees, and are commanded to be heralds to the Apostles, is the giving of the reversal of the order since the beginning. Because death first began by their sex, so that sex was first given the glory and power and fruit and declaration of the resurrection. Saint Hilary of Poitiers, Commentary on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 33 1 Mt 28.2