First reading: Acts 10: 34a, 37-43
“Peter proceeded to speak and said: ‘You know what has
happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John
preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and
power. He went about doing good and
healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses of all that he did both in
the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. This man God raised on the third day and
granted that he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses
chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the
dead. He commissioned us to preach to
the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the
living and the dead. To him all the
prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive
forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Second reading: Col. 3: 1-4
“Brothers and sisters: If then you were raised with Christ,
seek what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too
will appear with him in glory.”
Gospel reading: Jn. 20: 1-9
“On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the
tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed
from the tomb. So she ran and went to
Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, ‘They
have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.’ So Peter and the other disciple went out and
came to the tomb. They both ran, but the
other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent
down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went
into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered
his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one
who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.”
Introductory theme summary:
Clearly, the common theme for the readings on Easter Sunday
is the resurrection, and not just the Lord’s but ours as well. In the first reading we have a retelling of
the circumstances surrounding the crucifixion to establish the significance of
our Lord’s resurrection to His role in relationship with all humanity – to be
the judge of both the living and the dead.
In the second reading we have a practical application for understanding
our participation in the Lord’s resurrection during our present lives, while
the gospel gives us an indication as to how difficult it was for the apostles
to grasp the concept.
Reflection:
The difficulty in grasping the concept of the resurrection
isn’t limited to the apostles. There are
many people today who still do not fully understand what the resurrection means
to us in our present lives. As implied
by Paul’s preface, “If you were raised with Christ…” what follows, then, is a
description for the reader of how we must live our present lives to show that
we have indeed been raised with Christ – that being, abandoning worldly
concerns to live only for heavenly ones. To better understand the meaning for “living”
as we are instructed, we need to better understand what it means to “die” with
Christ so as to have our lives become hidden in Him.
Simply put, we are to crucify our flesh! Paul says, “Now those who belong to Christ
[Jesus] have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.” (Gal. 5: 24)
Paul also says, “For if we have grown into union with him through a
death like his, (mentioned above) we shall also be united with him in the
resurrection. We know that our old self
was crucified with him, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we
believe that we shall also live with him.”
(Rom. 6: 5-8) When putting these passages
together we arrive at a much clearer understanding of what is necessary to
actually enter into the resurrection of Christ during our lifetime, which involves
overcoming sin’s power to subject us.
From this we learn that the condition of achieving liberty from
sin has been attained for us by Christ.
But, more importantly, by Christ offering Himself to us also through his
sacrifice of the crucifixion, perpetuated by the institution of the Eucharist,
He gives us the means for attaining that life for ourselves. In conclusion; those who have applied their
faith in the resurrected life of Christ offered to us through the perpetuation
of the Eucharistic sacrifice, can themselves, by their reception of Christ in
the Eucharist, overcome sin’s power to subject them. This is the mark of those who have indeed
entered into the resurrection of Christ.
And by that, they too will have their bodies resurrected.
THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR SIN!!! There is only failing to remain in him;[1]
or worse, the erring faith that denies the possibility of this understanding
for becoming raised up!!!
Even if one has not yet entered into this participation in
Christ’s resurrection, we must at least believe in it if at some point in our
future we hope to attain it. So, do not
be discouraged! Rather, become hopeful
because our future is to shine like the stars in the night sky.[2]
Come, let us shine His light for the whole world to see!!!
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