EASTER SUNDAY
April 12, 2009
Gospel: (John 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…and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.
Reflection:
We can hardly grasp the joy and glory of Easter Sunday! The disciples didn’t understand, but they came to believe. So can we. Easter Sunday is more than a celebration of the resurrection of Christ. It is also an invitation to each of us to preach the gospel and take our place in the long line of witnesses to Jesus’ resurrected life. This is why we are so awed at the mystery: not only that Jesus was raised from the dead but that God entrusts us with Jesus’ mission and to be witness of God’s mighty deed of resurrection. It appears as though God trusts us a great deal. (Living Liturgy, p.112)
Vincentian Meditation:
“My friend, you belong to God. Let this reality color your entire existence. Give yourself up to God ceaselessly with every beat of your heart. We are commissioned not only to God, but to cause Him to be loved. It is not enough for us to love God, if our
neighbor does not love Him also. Only through the charity of our Lord can we transform the world. The wonderful thing is that in letting His love pass through us, we are ourselves converted. The poor are our masters; they are our kings; we must obey them. It is no exaggeration to call them this, since our Lord is in the poor.”(P.40)
Discussion: (Share your thoughts after a moment of silence)
Name the “Easter” people you have known - true witnesses of God’s love.
Closing Prayer:
Lord, in your resurrection, you brought joy to the disciples,
- fill us with joy.
Lord, in your resurrection, there is hope for a world suffering from injustice,
-enliven our hope.
Lord, in your resurrection, you turned unbelief to belief in the hearts of your followers,
-increase our faith.
Lord, in your resurrection, you gifted the fearful with peace,
-deepen our peace. Amen
