Easter

Easter Tuesday (2)

by

Today’s readings remind us that it is the Risen Christ who helps us bridge the gap between perdition and redemption, between despair and hope. In the First Reading Peter helps his listeners realize that their sins and failings had consequences: their sins had led Christ to be crucified. However, if Christ shows them their guilt, he also presents the path to their redemption: through Baptism Christ would lead them from perdition to redemption. In a special way this week the Church prays for her new members who received the sacraments of initiation last Saturday, including Baptism, just as the repentant listeners did today, and have passed from perdition to redemption.

Mary Magdelene had already been brought from perdition to redemption, but now, with her Lord missing and no way to find him or pay him one last gesture of devotion, she is in despair. Even holy souls, when they lose sight of God, run the risk of falling into despair. It is in that moment of despair that the Risen Lord comes to meet them and put them on the path of hope again. Hearing Our Lord’s voice brought Mary back from the brink of despair.

What’s in your heart today? A feeling of perdition regarding how your life is going? A feeling of despair about some trial you’re undergoing? Ask the Risen Lord to come to you and help you bridge the gap.

Readings: Acts 2:36–41; Psalm 33:4–5, 18–20, 22; John 20:11–18. See also Easter Tuesday.

Easter Monday (2)

by

Today’s readings, as we continue the Easter octave, remind us that Easter is also a proclamation of the end of the greatest fear man has ever faced: death. In today’s First Reading Peter boldly “proclaims” that Christ has risen from the dead after everything he had endured and suffered: his enemies thought death would be a definitive solution, but not even death could contain the Christ. Mary Magdalene is described in today’s Gospel as “fearful yet overjoyed.” A horrible death has not definitively conquered her Lord; rather, in his death Our Lord has conquered death itself for all of us.

The thought of this life ending some day for each one of us has captured the imagination and anxiety of mankind throughout the centuries. Some have faced it with resignation and an attitude of tragedy and drama. Others have shaken their fist at it and tried to squeeze every drop out of their life before it runs out. Christians live this life and the thought of death with hope: we know now, thanks to Christ and through Christ, that death no longer has the last word. Death is a passage to a new and wonderful life for those who believe in Christ.

Let’s treat those little fears about proclaiming Christ and his victory over death as just that: shadows that should vanish in the light of Christ. Christ is truly risen and the fear of death, be it physical death or simply the death of our reputation for sharing the Good News, should no longer hold sway over us.

Readings: Acts 2:14, 22–33; Psalm 16:1–2a, 5, 7–11; Matthew 28:8–15. See also Easter Monday.

Easter Sunday, Mass During the Day (2)

by

Today’s Gospel, recommended for celebrations on the afternoon or evening of Easter Sunday, presents a thematic continuity with the Gospel of yesterday‘s Easter Vigil. The implications of the Resurrection are continuing to “dawn” on the disciples that first Easter Sunday, and now, in the evening that day, the “dawn” spreads to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. They too did not believe the holy women’s announcement of what had happened, just like the Apostles. Things were just not turning out as they’d hoped, so they were calling it quits and heading home.

Our Lord calls them foolish, but he doesn’t abandon them to their ignorance. They are not trying to interpret the events scripturally, which is a recipe for failure: how do you rationalize someone rising from the dead? You can’t fathom it through any text book or science other than the Word and science of God. God has to help the profound and amazing reality of the Resurrection “dawn” on them. Even with hearts burning they don’t recognize him until he’s vanished from their sight, but now the light of Christ has dawned on them and they too must spread the news.

We have a new Easter season ahead of us. The contemplation of the Resurrection is not just for today; we have an entire liturgical season to go deeper in the mystery. Let’s spend this Easter season asking Our Lord to help understand his Word, written or otherwise, regarding the new life that has begun not only in him, but in us. This light is not just for us, but for others as well.

Readings: Acts 10:34a, 37–43; Psalm 118:1–2, 16–17, 22–23; Colossians 3:1–4; Luke 24:13–35. See also Easter Sunday, Mass During the Day and Easter Wednesday.

Easter Vigil, Cycle C

by

Tonight’s Gospel shows an understandable confusion on the part of the apostles, but also the noble calling of being a witness to the Risen Lord, something to which every believer is called. The Apostles would be privileged witnesses to what Jesus said and did, but the holy women got the scoop: early on that first Easter Sunday morning went to the tomb and angels helped them process the incredible even that had taken place. The angels helped them to see that the empty tomb was all part of Our Lord’s plan. For their dedication to Our Lord they were blessed with being the first witnesses to the Resurrection, witnesses who announced it the Apostles themselves. Peter, to his credit, went to check the tomb, but Luke doesn’t say what he was thinking and he was uncharacteristically silent.

The readings of the Easter Vigil are many and long because they represent all of salvation history. The Old Testament hardly spoke of the resurrection of the dead, and even then the Jews believed it would only come at the end of time. Yet here were signs that it had happened in their lifetimes. The candles we light from the Paschal candle blessed on this solemn night represent the light of Christ spreading like the light of dawn. Today’s Gospel doesn’t show Our Risen Lord appearing to the disciples who had believed in him, yet the empty tomb poignantly symbolizes the dawn of a new life in Christ that we celebrate this evening, not just due to the amazing event of the resurrection, but also due to so many catechumens who receive the light of Christ tonight through baptism.

As we contemplate the candles in our hands that remind us of that day when we received the light of Christ through baptism, it’s a good moment to ask ourselves whether the amazing implications of the Resurrection have dawned on us. Let’s pray in this newly born Easter season that the light of Christ shines in everything we do.

Readings: Romans 6:3–11; Luke 24:1–12.

7th Week of Easter, Saturday

by

Today’s readings bring us to the last words of the Acts of the Apostles and of the Gospel of John. The Easter season concludes tomorrow with Pentecost, and the readings prepare us for the next chapter of salvation history: our chapter. When Peter grows suspicious about the beloved disciple in today’s Gospel Our Lord gives him some sound advice: don’t worry about others, focus on following Christ. Peter’s concern is not the considerateness of a charitable outlook that seeks to identify a need someone has and to address it; rather, it’s one of those suspicious glances that can lead to rash judgments about others, unwarranted comparisons that can lead to discouragement or a superiority complex depending on how we (or they) measure up, and gossip.

Rumors had been flying about Jesus’ words to Peter about the beloved disciple and they’d caused such a stir that the author of the Gospel of John had to clarify what Jesus meant. We have to also be on guard against hanging around the rumor mill searching for some tidbit to satisfy our curiosity or to pride ourselves on being “in the know.” Some details about the lives of others are on a need to know basis and Our Lord will tell us if we need to know. We should concentrate on following him, not on how someone else is doing it (or not doing it).

Let’s ask Our Lord today to help close any rumor mills that cross our path, and to focus on following him. Let’s also ask for a prayerful attitude that praises God when we see him blessing others and entreats God’s help when we see others in spiritual difficulty.

Readings: Acts 28:16–20, 30–31; Psalm 11:4–5, 7; John 21:20–25.