Acts 10:34a. 37-43,
Psalm 118: I-2, 15c- 17, 22-23,
Colossians 3:1-4 or I Cor 5:6b-8
John 20:1-9 Full Readings
Saint Isidore of Seville
The Lord has Risen as He said! Alleluia!
Brethren, the Lord is Alive! He has Risen as He said! Let us Rejoice and shout Alleluia! This is the day that the Lord has made, Let us Rejoice in it and Be glad, for the Lord has won over death and sin and has opened for us doors of life, death no longer has power on us. Let us rejoice and be glad. It is the resurrection of Jesus that is the basis of our faith; without resurrection is nothing (1 Corinthians 15:14), and thus today is the apex of our faith and the apex Christianity. Let us rejoice and be glad.
It was Mary Magdala who first brought this good news of the resurrection of Jesus. She went early morning to the tomb and found that he had risen and she took the good news to disciples and then to all people. What a faithful disciple. All others were afraid and locked in the room but Mary had to pay homage to crucified Jesus. Women are always the channels of salvation. Let us imitate her and spread such good news to the whole world that Jesus is risen and death no longer has power on him. This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it for the Lord has fulfilled his promise.
Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, “while it was still dark.” We too are called to wake up early, while it is still dark. We are not to linger in our beds, but to love and serve the Lord now. St. Paul told the Romans, “It is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:11-12). While it is Easter Sunday, and the world seems fresh and pure and joyful, the works of darkness continue. The darkness lurks, but we are called to confront it, not alone, but with the power of the risen Christ: “...draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11). Christ our Light has defeated the ultimate effects of darkness, but we must do our part to dispel “this present darkness” around us, armed with the Holy Spirit of truth, righteousness, and faith and compelled by the Gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:12-17).
The disciples saw and believed. It was true. All they had hoped for came true. They saw Jesus arrested. They saw Him beaten. They saw Him falsely accused. They saw Him sentenced to death. And they saw Him die. Now for the miracle of miracles, they saw their Savior is alive. Every hope that they had came true. Everything came to fruition in that moment. All that was lost was restored a hundredfold. It will also be to us like this, when we have hope in him, we shall experience the resurrection experience in our lives. Since we have been waiting and preparing our hearts for 40 days to receive this light of Easter and we have moved with Jesus like Mary Magdala all the way from his life words, deeds, miracles, passion, crucifixion, death, burial and now to his resurrection, as Peter recounts in first Reading, we are indeed sharers of the resurrection experience and we have received the light. May this light continue to enlighten our minds and hearts so that we may always imitate Jesus.
The Resurrection of Christ is not simply an event that took place long ago. It’s an event that continues to take place when we patiently walk with our Lord through the trials, crosses and sufferings of life, with hope and trust in His power to do all good things. Evil always loses in the end when we remain steadfast in our hope in Him. Everything we are passing through are ways in which God wants to show his Glory as he allowed Jesus to suffer in order to show his power, glory, divine plans and his love for humanity . The risen Lord has brought life to us by rising from the dead. So don't be afraid for he is with us. He has a plan, a divine plan in our lives, let us not lose hope.
Reflect, today, upon the unfathomable plan that God has for your life. Know that if you remain faithful until the end, our Lord will bring forth greater joys in your life than you could ever think possible. It may not happen according to your schedule or your wishes, but it will happen in accord with His perfect divine will. Do not doubt. Do not be afraid. Have hope and trust, and anticipate the moments when the power of the Resurrection brings forth the greatest joys you could ever imagine. All we need is to trust the Lord and have hope.
Let us Pray
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