The Resurrection of the Lord
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April 15, 2022April 17, 2022
Easter Sunday
The Resurrection of the Lord
Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Col 3:1-4 or
I Cor 5:6b-8
Jn 20:1-9
GROW AS A DISCIPLE | PRAY, STUDY, ENGAGE, SERVE
GROW: Happy Easter! When I think about Easter when I was a child, I admit that many of my memories are centered more around its symbolic trappings: Fannie Mae Easter eggs and peppermint ice cream, my grandma’s table set just so, and unseasonably cold Easter egg hunts. While I may not have yet fully understood the theology of the Resurrection, being at Mass with my family and taking part in the celebratory activities engendered in me the disposition of which the psalmist speaks: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad. Today’s readings invite us to see both the secular and the sacred with new eyes. The fact that Jesus took on our humanity, died and rose again give us a glimpse of the joy that awaits. The simple pleasures we experience at Easter and throughout the year hint at what the Lord has in mind for all of us. In the meantime, we can turn to Jesus for encouragement, with the knowledge that God is present in the ordinary and extraordinary people and events in our daily lives.
GO EVANGELIZE | PRAYER, INVITATION, WITNESS, ACCOMPANIMENT
GO: After Mary Magdalene discovers the empty tomb, Simon Peter and “the other disciple” (John) don’t walk – but run to the tomb. I’m struck by the detailed account that follows. Peter “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.” The words that follow seem contradictory: “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.” Their understanding would grow in the hours and days that followed. These early witnesses would then share the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection, often at the cost of their own lives, building up the Church that endures today. Like the disciples, we, too, are commissioned to witness to our faith in the risen Jesus, sharing this life-changing reality with others through our words and actions.
PRAY: As this Easter season begins, we celebrate Christ’s triumph over death, yet mourn that death still comes so violently for so many around the world. Make an extra effort – an extraordinary effort – this week to pray for peace in the world.
