Reading 1
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."

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

R. (24) This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
"His mercy endures forever."
R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
Alleluia.
"The right hand of the LORD has struck with power;
the right hand of the LORD is exalted.
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD."
R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
Alleluia.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or: Alleluia.

Brothers and sisters:
If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of 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.

Brothers and sisters:
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast,
so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
inasmuch as you are unleavened.
For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

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.

When the sabbath was over,
Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome
bought spices so that they might go and anoint him.
Very early when the sun had risen,
on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb.
They were saying to one another, "Who will roll back the stone for us
from the entrance to the tomb?"
When they looked up,
they saw that the stone had been rolled back;
it was very large.
On entering the tomb they saw a young man
sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe,
and they were utterly amazed.
He said to them, "Do not be amazed!
You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified.
He has been raised; he is not here.
Behold the place where they laid him.
But go and tell his disciples and Peter,
'He is going before you to Galilee;
there you will see him, as he told you.'"

That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus' disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
"What are you discussing as you walk along?"
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?"
And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"
They said to him,
"The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see."
And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?"
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, "Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
"Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the eleven and those with them who were saying,
"The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"
Then the two recounted
what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

Pray the Rosary

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary

By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

April Devotion: The Blessed Sacrament

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The Church traditionally encouraged the month of April for increased devotion to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. "The Church in the course of the centuries has introduced various forms of this Eucharistic worship which are ever increasing in beauty and helpfulness; as, for example, visits of devotion to the tabernacles, even every day; Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament; solemn processions, especially at the time of Eucharistic Congresses, which pass through cities and villages; and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament publicly exposed . . . These exercises of piety have brought a wonderful increase in faith and supernatural life to the Church militant upon earth and they are re-echoed to a certain extent by the Church triumphant in heaven, which sings continually a hymn of praise to God and to the Lamb 'Who was slain.'" --Pope Pius XII

ACT OF ADORATION
I adore Thee, 0 Jesus, true God and true Man, here present in the Holy Eucharist, humbly kneeling before Thee and united in spirit with all the faithful on earth and all the blessed in heaven. In deepest gratitude for so great a blessing, I love Thee, my Jesus, with my whole heart, for Thou art all perfect and all worthy of love.

Give me grace nevermore in any way to offend Thee, and grant that I, being refreshed by Thy Eucharistic presence here on earth, may be found worthy to come to the enjoyment with Mary of Thine eternal and everblessed presence in heaven. Amen.

FAITH IN THE EUCHARIST
O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art really and corporally present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. I adore Thee here present from the very depths of my heart, and I worship Thy sacred presence with all possible humility. O my soul, what joy to have Jesus Christ always with us, and to be able to speak to Him, heart to heart, with all confidence. Grant, O Lord, that I, having adored Thy divine Majesty here on earth in this wonderful Sacrament, may be able to adore it eternally in Heaven. Amen.

PETITION
Believing that Thou, my God, hast in any way revealed to us--grieving for all my sins, offenses and negligences--hoping in Thee, O Lord, who wilt never let me be confounded--thanking Thee for this supreme gift, and for all the gifts of Thy goodness--loving Thee, above all in this sacrament of Thy love--adoring Thee in this deepest mystery of Thy condescension: I lay before Thee all the wounds and wants of my poor soul, and ask for all that I need and desire. But I need only Thyself, O Lord; I desire none but Thee--Thy grace, and the grace to use well Thy graces, the possession of Thee by grace in this life, and the possession of Thee forever in the eternal kingdom of Thy glory.

FOR THE PEACE OF CHRIST
O most sacred, most loving heart of Jesus, Thou art concealed in the Holy Eucharist, and Thou beatest for us still. Now as then Thou sayest, "With desire I have desired." I worship Thee, then, with all my best love and awe, with my fervent affection, with my most subdued, most resolved will. O make my heart beat with Thy heart. Purify it of all that is earthly, all that is proud and sensual, all that is hard and cruel, of all perversity, of all disorder, of all deadness. So fill it with Thee, that neither the events of the day nor the circumstances of the time may have power to ruffle it; but that in Thy love and Thy fear it may have peace. --Cardinal Newman

ACT OF LOVE
I believe Thou art present in the Blessed Sacrament, O Jesus. I love Thee and desire Thee. Come into my heart. I embrace Thee, O never leave me. I beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus, may the burning and most sweet power of Thy love absorb my mind, that I may die through love of Thy love, who wast graciously pleased to die through love of my love. --St. Francis of Assisi

ACT OF REPARATION
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, well known in connection with devotion to the Sacred Herat of Jesus, led the way in making reparation to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for the coldness and ingratitude of men. This prayer of hers can become our own as we attempt to make amends for our own and others' neglect of the great Sacrament of His love, the Eucharist.
O kind and merciful savior, from my heart I earnestly desire to return Thee love for love. My greatest sorrow is that Thou art not loved by men, and, in particular, that my own heart is so cold, so selfish, so ungrateful. Keenly aware of my own weakness and poverty, I trust that Thy own grace will enable me to offer Thee an act of pure love. And I wish to offer Thee this act of love in reparation for the coldness and neglect that are shown to Thee in the sacrament of Thy love by Thy creatures. O Jesus, my supreme good, I love Thee, not for the sake of the reward which Thou hast promised to those who love Thee, but purely for Thyself. I love Thee above all things that can be loved, above all pleasures, and above myself and all that is not Thee, promising in the presence of heaven and earth that I will live and die purely and simply in Thy holy love, and that if to love Thee thus I must endure persecution and suffering I am completely satisfied, and I will ever say with Saint Paul: Nothing "will be able to separate us from the love of God." 0 Jesus, supreme master of all hearts, I love Thee, I adore Thee, I praise Thee, I thank Thee, because I am now all Thine own. Rule over me, and transform my soul into the likeness of Thyself, so that it may bless and glorify Thee forever in the abode of the saints.
--Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

OFFERING
My Lord, I offer Thee myself in turn as a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Thou hast died for me, and I in turn make myself over to Thee. I am not my own. Thou hast bought me; I will by my own act and deed complete the purchase. My wish is to be separated from everything of this world; to cleanse myself simply from sin; to put away from me even what is innocent, if used for its own sake, and not for Thine. I put away reputation and honor, and influence, and power, for my praise and strength shall be in Thee. Enable me to carry out what I profess. Amen. --Cardinal Newman

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

The best, the surest , and the most effective way of establishing everlasting peace on the face of the earth is through the great power of perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament." -- Pope John Paul II

"Could you not watch one hour?" -- Mark 14:37

I am happy to testify that many young people are discovering the beauty of adoration, whether personal or in community. I invite priests to encourage youth groups in this, but also to accompany them to ensure that the forms of adoration are appropriate and dignified, with sufficient times for silence and listening to the word of God. In life today, which is often noisy and scattered, it is more important than ever to recover the capacity for interior silence and recollection: Eucharistic adoration permits one to do this not only within one's "I" but rather in the company of that "You" full of love who is Jesus Christ, "the God who is near us."

~Pope Benedict XVI

Holy Communion and Non-Catholics (with a Quiz!)
Beginning Catholic: The Eucharist: In the Presence of the Lord Himself [Ecumenical]
Beginning Catholic: Receiving the Lord in Holy Communion [Ecumenical]
Faithful Invited to Follow Pope, Adore Eucharist [Catholic Caucus]
Christmas and the Eucharist(Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)

Eucharist kneeling request sparks controversy [Catholic Caucus]
Eucharist vs. the Word (which is more important in the Catholic Church)
Christ the Miracle Worker in the Eucharist(Catholic Caucus)
Imitating Christ in the Eucharist(Catholic Caucus)
The Eucharist - the Lord's Sacrifice, Banquet and Presence (OPEN)

Pope Calls Eucharist History's Greatest Revolution [OPEN]
A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 22: The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion)
A series of reflections from St. Peter Julian Eymard Blessed Sacrament(Catholic Caucus)
Eucharist, Holy Meal
Imitating Christ in the Eucharist

Christmas and the Eucharist
Prayer Before the Blessed Sacrament
This is My Body, This is My Blood
THE HOLY EUCHARIST IS THE WHOLE CHRIST
Gift Of Life, Gift Eternal: The Most Holy Eucharist and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

Area worshipers march to celebrate Holy Eucharist
Grace of the Eucharist is secret to holy priests, says Pope
The Disposition of Priests [Valid Mass, Valid Holy Eucharist?]
The Body of Christ?
Holy Sacrifice, Living Sacrament

Knights of the Eucharist
The Banquet of Corpus Christi - "Why did Jesus give us His Body and Blood?"
The Eucharist: Eternity and Time Together
Restored Order of the Sacraments of Initiation? Confirmation and First Eucharist together? (Vanity)
Reflections of Cardinal Ratzinger on the Eucharist

THE HOLY EUCHARIST: NOURISHMENT TO FINISH OUR COURSE
The Eucharist in Scripture - Part 1 - Old Testament
LITANY OF REPARATION TO OUR LORD IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
POPE GRANTS PLENARY INDULGENCE FOR YEAR OF THE EUCHARIST

New Plenary Indulgence to Mark Year of the Eucharist
Kneeling and Faith in the Eucharist
The Immaculate Conception and the Eucharist, a course in Christian culture in Tashkent
The Year of the Eucharist by Bishop Donald Wuerl
"While We're At It": What can we do to show that the Eucharist is a communal activity?

CATHOLICS AND BAPTISTS WITNESSED UNUSUAL IMAGES IN BLESSED SACRAMENT
The Discipline of the Eucharist Holy See Releases Redemptionis Sacramentum...
Vatican: Matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist (April 23, 2004)
Devotion to the Holy Eucharist Advances Devotion to Jesus' Person
New rules on the Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday

The Reverence due to the Holy Eucharist
The Holy Face of Jesus Christ as appeared on the Holy Eucharist
The Fourth Cup: The Sacrament of the Eucharist [Holy Thursday] [Passover]
Holy Father stresses Need of Devotion to Holy Eucharist outside of Mass: Pope Paul VI

From: Acts 10:34, 37-43

Peter’s Address

[34] And Peter opened his mouth and said, “(You know the) [37] word which
was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism
which John preached; [38] how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Spirit and with power; how He went about doing good and healing all that were
oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. [39] And we are witnesses to 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; [40] but God raised Him on the third day and
made Him manifest; [41] not to all the people but to us who were chosen by
God as witnesses, who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.
[42] And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that He is
the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead. [43] To Him all
the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in Him receives forgive-
ness of sins through His name.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

34-43. Peter’s short address is his first to non-Jews. It begins with the central
idea that God is impartial: He wants all men to be saved through the proclama-
tion of the Gospel (verses 34-36) and, finally, the statement (the first time it
appears in Acts) that Jesus Christ has been made Judge of the living and the
dead (verse 42). As in all Christian preaching to Gentiles, proofs from Scripture
take a secondary place (verse 43).

34. This verse refers to 1 Samuel 16:7, where the Lord, in connection with the
anointing of David as king of Israel, tells the prophet, “Do not look on his appea-
rance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord
sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord
looks on the heart.” When God calls and offers salvation to His elect, He does
not judge as men do. With Him distinctions regarding social class, race, sex
or education do not count.

Here St. Peter proclaims that the Old Testament prophecies about the Jews and
the Gentiles forming one single nation (Isaiah 2:2-4; Joel 2:28; Amos 9:12; Micah
4:1) and Jesus’ words calling everyone to enter His Kingdom (cf. Matthew 8:11;
Mark 16:15-16; John 10:16) should be interpreted literally.

40. Peter’s summary of the Gospel of Jesus (verses 37-41) reaches its climax
with his statement that “God raised Him on the third day.” This had become the
usual way of referring to our Lord’s resurrection (cf.1 Corinthians 15:4); see note
on Acts 4:10.

42. This verse refers to Christ’s role as Judge: He has been made supreme Judge
over all mankind and will deliver His judgment at His second coming (Parousia).
“The Sacred Scriptures inform us that there are two comings of the Son of God:
the one when He assumed human flesh for our salvation in the womb of a virgin;
the other when He shall come at the end of the world to judge all mankind” (”St.
Pius V Catechism”, I, 8, 2).

Christ’s coming as Judge means that men will appear before Him twice, to render
an account of their lives—of their thoughts, words, deeds and omissions. The first
judgment will take place “when each of us departs this life; for then He is instant-
ly placed before the judgment-seat of God, where all that he has ever done or
spoken or thought during his life shall be subjected to the most rigid scrutiny.
This is called the Particular Judgment. The second occurs when on the same
day and in the same place all men shall stand together before the tribunal of their
Judge [...], and this is called the General Judgment” (”Ibid.”, I, 8, 3).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Colossians 3:1-4

Seek the Things That Are Above

[1] If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Avoid Sin

[2] Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
[3] For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. [4] When Christ
who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

1-4. The more ethical and exhortatory part of the letter begins at this point. It is
a practical application of the teaching given in the earlier chapters, designed to
suit the circumstances that have arisen in the Colossian church.

By His death and resurrection the Son of God frees us from the power of Satan
and of death. “By Baptism men are grafted into the paschal mystery of Christ;
they die with him, are buried with Him, and rise with Him” (Vatican II, “Sacro-
sanctum Concilium”, 6). In other words, Christians have been raised to a new
kind of life, a supernatural life, whereby they share, even while on earth, in the
glorious life of the risen Jesus. This life is at present spiritual and hidden, but
when our Lord comes again in glory, it will become manifest and glorious.

Two practical consequences flow from this teaching—the need to seek the
“things that are above”, that is, the things of God; and the need to pass unno-
ticed in one’s everyday work and ordinary life, yet to do everything with a
supernatural purpose in mind.

As regards the first of these the Second Vatican Council has said: “In their
pilgrimage to the Heavenly city Christians are to seek and relish the things that
are above (cf. Colossians 3:1-2): this involves not a lesser, but a greater commit-
ment to working with all men to build a world that is more human” (”Gaudium Et
Spes”, 57). Work, family relationships, social involvements—every aspect of
human affairs — hould be approached in a spirit of faith and done perfectly, out
of love: “The true Christian, who acts according to this faith”, Monsignor Escriva
comments, “always has his sights set on God. His outlook is supernatural. He
works in this world of ours, which he loves passionately; he is involved in all its
challenges, but all the while his eyes are fixed on Heaven” (”Friends of God”,
206).

Ordinary life, everyday interests, the desire to be better and to serve others with-
out seeking public recognition of one’s merits—all this makes for holiness if done
for love of God. A simple life “hid with Christ in God” (verse 3) is so important
that Jesus Himself chose to spend the greater part of His life on earth living like
an ordinary person: He was the son of a tradesman. “As we meditate on these
truths, we come to understand better the logic of God. We come to realize that
the supernatural value of our life does not depend on accomplishing great under-
takings suggested to us by our over-active imagination.

Rather it is to be found in the faithful acceptance of God’s will, in welcoming
generously the opportunities for small, daily sacrifice” (St J. Escriva, “Christ Is
Passing By”, 172).

This means that those who try to seek holiness by imitating Jesus in His hidden
life will be people full of hope; they will be optimistic and happy people; and after
their death they will share in the glory of the Lord: they will hear Jesus’ praise,
“Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little; I will set
you over much; enter into the joy of your Master” (Matthew 25:21).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Colossians 3:1-4

Seek the Things That Are Above

[1] If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Avoid Sin

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

Rather it is to be found in the faithful acceptance of God’s will, in welcoming
generously the opportunities for small, daily sacrifice” (St J. Escriva, “Christ Is
Passing By”, 172).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8

Punishment of the sinner

[6] Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? [7] Cleanse out
the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For
Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us, therefore, celebrate the
festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the un-
leavened bread of sincerity and truth.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

6. Jesus used the example of leaven in dough to describe the growth of good-
ness (cf. Mt 13:31-33 and par.) and also of evil (cf. Mk 8:15-16 and par.): in both
cases a small amount can produce a very large result. Here St Paul uses the
simile to show the Corinthians the harm of the incestuous man’s behaviour can
do to the whole community through the bad example and scandal he gives and
also through others’ consenting to his sin and not doing what they can to get
him to reform (cf. St Thomas, Commentary on 1 Cor, ad loc.).

St Paul draws attention to the gravity of the sin of scandal – “anything said, done
or omitted which leads another to commit sins” (St Pius X Catechism, 417): “For,
all other sin, no matter how grave they be, do injury only to the person who com-
mits them; but this sin harms those others whom it steers off God’s path. How
can satisfaction be made for this injury, which involves killing a soul whom God
has bought with his blood? For if gold is that gold is worth, the blood of Christ is
what cost blood. Whence it follows that, if these people be condemned, not only
will they undergo punishment for their faults but also for the faults of those whom
they led into evil. Therefore, every Christian realizes how justly Christ spoke
when he said (Mt 18:7), ‘Woe to the world for temptations to sin” (Fray Luis de
Granada, Sermon on public sins).

7-8. The Apostle is here using examples taken from the Jewish celebration of
the Passover and the Azymes, to draw spiritual lessons for the Corinthians.
The Passover was the principal Jewish feast, and its central rite the eating of the
passover lamb. At the Passover meal, as also on the seven days following, which
were also feast-days, the eating of leavened bread was forbidden, which was why
they were described as the days of the Azymes (a-zyme = without leaven). Thus,
in the Book of Exodus God laid it down that during these days no leaven should
be kept in Jewish homes (cf. Ex 12:15, 19).

Jesus Christ, our Passover, our paschal lamb, “has been sacrificed”. The pas-
chal lamb was a promise and prefigurement of the true Lamb, Jesus Christ (cf.
Jn 1:29), who was the victim of the sacrifice on Calvary, offered on behalf of all
mankind: “He is the true lamb who took away the sins of the world; by dying he
destroyed our death; by rising he restored our life” (Roman Missal, first Easter
Preface). The perennial value of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross (cf. Heb.
10:11-14), renewed every time Mass is said, means that Christians are always
celebrating a festival. Therefore, the Apostle concludes, the Christians should
eliminate – from community life and personal life – the old leaven, which in the
context of the festival symbolizes impurity and sinfulness; and they should al-
ways live a genuinely Christian life, with azymes, the symbol of cleanness and
purity,” of sincerity and truth.

“The present time is, then, a festival day,’ St John Chrysostom comments, “for
when he says ‘let us celebrate the festival’, Paul does not add: ‘for Passover or
Pentecost is imminent.’ No, he is pointing out that all this life is a festival for
Christians by virtue of the ineffable benefits they have received. Indeed, Chris-
tians, what wonders have you not received from God? For your sakes Jesus
Christ has become man; he has freed you from eternal damnation, to call you to
take possession of his kingdom. With this thought in mind, how can you not be
in continuous festival right through your life on earth? Poverty, sickness or the
persecution which oppresses us – these should not discourage us; this present
life, the Apostle tells us, is a life of rejoicing” (Hom. on 1 Cor, ad loc.).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: John 20:1-18 (or 1-9)

The Empty Tomb

[1] Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early,
while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the
tomb. [2] So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one
whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb,
and we do not know where they have laid Him.” [3 ]Peter then came out with the
other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. [4] They both ran, but the other
disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; [5] and stooping

to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. [6] Then Si-
mon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths
lying, [7] and the napkin, which had been on His head, not lying with the linen
cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. [8] Then the other disciple, who reached
the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; [9] for as yet they did not
know the Scripture, that He must rise from the dead. [10] Then the disciples went
back to their homes.

The Appearance To Mary Magdalene

[11] But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to
look into the tomb; [12] and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body
of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. [13] They said to her,
“Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken
away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” [14] Saying this,
she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was
Jesus. [15] Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you
seek?” Supposing Him to be gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried
Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” [16]
Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!”
(which means Teacher). [17] Jesus said to her, “Do not hold Me, for Ihave not
yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, I am ascen-
ding to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.” [18] Mary
Magdalene went and said to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told
them that He had said these things to her.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

1-2. All four Gospels report the first testimonies of the holy women and the dis-
ciples regarding Christ’s glorious resurrection, beginning with the fact of the empty
tomb (cf. Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1ff; Luke 24:1-12) and then telling of the va-
rious appearances of the risen Jesus.

Mary Magdalene was one of the women who provided for our Lord during His
journeys (Luke 8:1-3); along with the Virgin Mary she bravely stayed with Him
right up to His final moments (John 19:25), and she saw where His body was
laid (Luke 23:55). Now, after the obligatory Sabbath rest, she goes to visit the
tomb. The Gospel points out that she went “early, when it was still dark”: her
love and veneration led her to go without delay, to be with our Lord’s body.

4. The Fourth Gospel makes it clear that, although the women, and specifically
Mary Magdalene, were the first to reach the tomb, the Apostles were the first
to enter it and see the evidence that Christ had risen (the empty tomb, the linen
clothes “lying” and the napkin in a place by itself). Bearing witness to this will
be an essential factor in the mission which Christ will entrust to them: “You
shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem...and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8; cf.
Acts 2:32).

John, who reached the tomb first (perhaps because he was the younger), did
not go in, out of deference to Peter. This is an indication that Peter was alrea-
dy regarded as leader of the Apostles.

5-7. The words the Evangelist uses to describe what Peter and he saw in the
empty tomb convey with vivid realism the impression it made on them, etching
on their memory details which at first sight seem irrelevant. The whole scene
inside the tomb in some way caused them to intuit that the Lord had risen.
Some of the words contained in the account need further explanation, so terse
is the translation.

“The linen clothes lying there”: the Greek participle translated as “lying there”
seems to indicate that the clothes were flattened, deflated, as if they were
emptied when the body of Jesus rose and disappeared—as if it had come out
of the clothes and bandages without their being unrolled, passing right through
them (just as later He entered the Cenacle when the doors were shut). This
would explain the clothes being “fallen”, “flat” “lying”, which is how the Greek
literally translates, after Jesus’ body—which had filled them—left them. One
can readily understand how this would amaze a witness, how unforgettable the
scene would be.

“The napkin...rolled up in a place by itself”: the first point to note is that the
napkin, which had been wrapped round the head, was not on top of the clothes,
but placed on one side. The second, even more surprising thing is that, like the
clothes, it was still rolled up but, unlike the clothes, it still had a certain volume,
like a container, possibly due to the stiffness given it by the ointments: this is
what the Greek participle, here translated as “rolled”, seems to indicate.

>From these details concerning the empty tomb one deduces that Jesus’ body
must have risen in a heavenly manner, that is, in a way which transcended the
laws of nature. It was not only a matter of the body being reanimated as hap-
.pened, for example, in the case of Lazarus, who had to be unbound before he
could walk (cf. John 11:44).

8-10. As Mary Magdalene had told them, the Lord was not in the tomb; but the
two Apostles realized that there was no question of any robbery, which was
what she thought had happened, because they saw the special way the clothes
and napkin were; they know began to understand what the Master had so often
told them about His death and resurrection (cf. Matthew 16:21; Mark 8:31; Luke
9:22; etc....)

The empty tomb and the other facts were perceptible to the senses; but the re-
surrection, even though it had effects that could be tested by experience, requires
faith if it is to be accepted. Christ’s resurrection is a real, historic fact: His body
and soul were re-united. But since His was a glorious resurrection unlike Lazarus’,
far beyond our capacity in this life to understand what happened, and outside the
scope of sense experience, a special gift of God is required—the gift of faith—to
know and accept as a certainty this fact which, while it is historical, is also super-
natural. Therefore, St. Thomas Aquinas can say that “the individual arguments
taken alone are not sufficient proof of Christ’s resurrection, but taken together, in
a cumulative way, they manifest it perfectly. Particularly important in this regard
are the spiritual proofs (cf. specially Luke 24:25-27), the angelic testimony (cf.
Luke 24:4-7) and Christ’s own post-resurrection word confirmed by miracles (cf.
John 3:13; Matthew 16:21; 17:22; 20:18)” (St. Thomas Aquinas, “Summa Theo-
logiae”, III, q. 55, a. 6 ad 1).

In addition to Christ’s predictions about His passion, death and resurrection (cf.
John 2:19; Matthew 16:21; Mark 9:31; Luke 9:22), the Old Testament also fore-
tells the glorious victory of the Messiah and, in some way, His resurrection (cf.
Psalm 16:9; Isaiah 52:13; Hosea 6:2). The Apostles begin to grasp the true
meaning of Sacred Scripture after the resurrection, particularly once they receive
the Holy Spirit, who fully enlightens their minds to understand the content of the
Word of God. It is easy to imagine the surprise and elation they all feel when
Peter and John tell them what they have seen in the tomb.

11-18. Mary’s affection and sensitivity lead her to be concerned about what has
become of the dead body of Jesus. This woman out of whom seven demons were
cast (cf. Luke 8:2) stayed faithful during His passion and even now her love is still
ardent: our Lord had freed her from the Evil One and she responded to that grace
humbly and generously.

After consoling Mary Magdalene, Jesus gives her a message for the Apostles,
whom He tenderly calls His “brethren”. This message implies that He and they
have the same Father, though each in an essentially different way: “I am ascen-
ding to My Father”—My own Father by nature—”and to your Father”—for He is your
Father through the adoption I have won for you and by My death. Jesus, the Good
Shepherd, shows His great mercy and understanding by gathering together all
His disciples who had abandoned Him during His passion and were now in hiding
for fear of the Jews (John 20:19).

Mary Magdalene’s perseverance teaches us that anyone who sincerely keeps
searching for Jesus Christ will eventually find Him. Jesus’ gesture in calling His
disciples His “brethren” despite their having run away should fill us with love in
the midst of our own infidelities.

15. From Jesus’ dialogue with Mary Magdalene, we can see the frame of mind
all His disciples must have been in: they were not expecting the resurrection.

17. “Do not hold Me”: the use of the negative imperative in the Greek, reflected
in the New Vulgate (”noli me tenere”) indicates that our Lord is telling Mary to
release her hold of Him, to let Him go, since she will have another chance to see
Him before His ascension into Heaven.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Luke 24:13-35 (For Afternoon or Evening Mass)

The Road To Emmaus

[13] That very day two of them (disciples) were going to a village named Emmaus,
about seven miles from Jerusalem, [14] and talking with each other about all these
things that had happened. [15] While they were talking and discussing together,
Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. [16] But their eyes were kept from
recognizing Him. [17] And He said to them, “What is this conversation which you
are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. [18]
Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered Him, “Are You the only visitor to
Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
[19] And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “Concerning
Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and
all the people, [20] and how our chief priests and rulers delivered Him up to be
condemned to death, and crucified Him. [21] But we had hoped that He was the
one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this
happened. [22] Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were
at the tomb early in the morning [23] and did not find His body; and they came
back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that He was
alive. [24] Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just
as the women had said; but Him they did not see.”

[25] And He said to them, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that
the prophets have spoken! [26] Was it not necessary that the Christ should suf-
fer these things and enter into His glory?” [27] And beginning with Moses and
all the prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning
Himself.

[28] So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to
be going further, [29] but they constrained Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is
toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So He went in to stay with them.
[30] When He was at table with them, He took the bread and blessed, and broke
it, and gave it to them. [31] And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him;
and He vanished out of their sight. [32] They said to each other, “Did not our hearts
burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the Scrip-
tures?” [33] And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they
found the Eleven gathered together and those who were with them, [34] who said,
“The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” [35] Then they told what
had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of the
bread.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

13-35. In the course of their conversation with Jesus, the disciples’ mood changes
from sadness to joy; they begin to hope again, and feel the need to share their joy
with others, thus becoming heralds and witnesses of the risen Christ.

This is an episode exclusive to St. Luke, who describes it in a masterly way. It
shows our Lord’s zeal for souls. “As He is walking along, Christ meets two men
who have nearly lost all hope. They are beginning to feel that life has no meaning
for them. Christ understands their sorrow; He sees into their heart and communi-
cates to them some of the life He carries within Himself.”

“When they draw near the village, He makes as if to go on, but the two disciples
stop Him and practically force Him to stay with them. They recognize Him later
when He breaks the bread. The Lord, they exclaimed, has been with us! ‘And
they said to each other: “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us
on the road, while He opened to us the Scriptures?”’ (Luke 24:32). Every Chris-
tian should make Christ present among men. He ought to act in such a way that
those who know Him sense ‘the aroma of Christ’ (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:15). Men
should be able to recognize the Master in His disciples” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ
Is Passing By”, 105).

13-27. Jesus’ conversation with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus gives
us a very good idea of the disillusionment felt by His disciples after His apparent
total failure. Cleopas’ words summarize Christ’s life and mission (verse 19), His
passion and death (verse 20), the despair felt by His disciples (verse 21), and the
events of that Sunday morning (verse 22).

Earlier, Jesus had said to the Jews: “You search the Scriptures, because you
think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to Me”
(John 5:39). In saying this He indicated the best way for us to get to know Him.
Pope Paul VI points out that today also frequent reading of and devotion to Holy
Scripture is a clear inspiration of the Holy Spirit: “The progress made in biblical
studies, the increasing dissemination of the Sacred Scriptures, and above all the
example of tradition and the interior action of the Holy Spirit are tending to cause
the modern Christian to use the Bible ever increasingly as the basic prayerbook
and to draw from it genuine inspiration and unsurpassable examples” ([Pope]
Paul VI, “Marialis Cultus”, 30).

Because the disciples are so downhearted, Jesus patiently opens for them the
meaning of all the Scriptural passages concerning the Messiah. “Was it not
necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?”:
with these words He disabuses them of the notion of an earthly and political
Messiah and shows them that Christ’s mission is a supernatural one—to save all
mankind.

Sacred Scripture contained the prophecy that God would bring about salvation
through the redemptive passion and death of the Messiah. The Cross does not
mean failure: it is the route chosen by God for Christ to achieve definitive victory
over sin and death (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:23-24). Many of our Lord’s contemporaries
failed to understand His supernatural mission because they misinterpreted the
Old Testament texts. No one knew the meaning of Sacred Scripture like Jesus.
And, after Him, only the Church has the mission and responsibility of conserving
Scripture and interpreting it correctly: “All that has been said about the manner
of interpreting Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgment of the Church which
exercises the divinely conferred commission and ministry of watching over and
interpreting the Word of God” (Vatican II, “Dei Verbum”, 12).

28-35. The Master’s presence and words restore the disciples’ spirits and give
them new and lasting hope. “There were two disciples on their way to Emmaus.
They were walking along at a normal pace, like so many other travelers on that
road. And there, without any fuss, Jesus appears to them, and walks with them,
His conversation helping to alleviate their tiredness. I can well imagine the scene,
just as dusk is falling. A gentle breeze is blowing. All around are fields ripe with
wheat, and venerable olive trees, their branches shimmering in the soft glowing
light.

“Jesus joins them as they go along their way. Lord, how great you are, in every-
thing! But You move me even more when You come down to our level, to follow
us and to seek us in the hustle and bustle of each day. Lord, grant us a childlike
spirit, pure eyes and a clear mind so that we may recognize You when You come
without any outward sign of Your glory.

“The journey ends when they reach the village. The two disciples who, without
realizing it, have been deeply stirred by the words and love shown by God made
man, are sorry to see Him leaving. For Jesus ‘appeared to be going further’ (Luke
24:28). This Lord of ours never forces Himself on us. He wants us to turn to Him
freely, when we begin to grasp the purity of His Love which He has placed in our
souls. We have to hold Him back (’they constrained Him’) and beg Him: ‘Stay
with us, for it is towards evening, and the day is now far spent’ (Luke 24:29).

“That’s just like us—always short on daring, perhaps because we are insincere, or
because we feel embarrassed. Deep down, what we are really thinking is: ‘Stay
with us, because our souls are shrouded in darkness and You alone are the light.
You alone can satisfy this longing that consumes us.’ For ‘we know full well which
among all things fair and honorable is the best—to possess God for ever’ (St. Gre-
gory Nazianzen, “Epistulae”, 212).

“And Jesus stays. Our eyes are opened, as were those of Cleopas and his com-
panion, when Christ breaks the bread; and, though He vanishes once more from
sight, we too will find strength to start out once more—though night is falling—to
tell the others about Him, because so much joy cannot be kept in one heart alone.

“The road to Emmaus—our God has filled this name with sweetness. Now the
entire world has become an Emmaus, for the Lord has opened up all the divine
paths of the earth” ([Blessed] J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 313f).

32. If you were an apostle, these words of the disciples of Emmaus should rise
spontaneously to the lips of your professional companions when they meet you
along the way of their lives” (”The Way”, 917).

33-35. The disciples now feel the need to return to Jerusalem immediately; there
they find the Apostles and some other disciples gathered together with Peter, to
whom Jesus has appeared.

In sacred history, Jerusalem was the place where God chose to be praised in a
very special way and where the prophets carried out their main ministry. God
willed that Christ should suffer, die and rise again in Jerusalem, and from there
the Kingdom of God begins to spread (cf. Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8). In the New
Testament the Church of Christ is described as “the Jerusalem above” (Galatians
4:26), “the Heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22) and the “new Jerusalem” (Re-
velation 21:2).

The Church began in the Holy City. Later on, St. Peter, not without a special
intervention of Providence, moved to Rome, thereby making that city the center
of the Church. Just as Peter strengthened these first disciples in the faith, so too
Christians of all generations have recourse to the See of Peter to strengthen their
faith and thereby build up the unity of the Church: “Take away the Pope and the
Catholic Church would no longer be catholic. Moreover, without the supreme, ef-
fective and authoritative pastoral office of Peter the unity of Christ’s Church would
collapse. It would be vain to look for other principles of unity in place of the true
one established by Christ Himself [...]. We would add that this cardinal principle
of holy Church is not a supremacy of spiritual pride and a desire to dominate man-
kind, but a primacy of service, ministration and love. It is no vapid rhetoric which
confers on Christ’s vicar the title: ‘Servant of the servants of God’” ([Pope] Paul VI,
“Ecclesiam Suam”, 83).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Easter’s Subtlety

April 11th, 2009 by Fr. Paul Scalia

Someone important fails to make an appearance on Easter Sunday. Namely, the risen Lord Himself. In the Gospel for Easter Mass He is conspicuously absent. The angels speak of Him and of His resurrection, but He Himself does not appear.

The empty tomb has more prominence. And if we look beyond Easter Sunday at the passages in which the Risen One does appear, we note that His appearances lack any sort of grandeur or splendor. He comes in a disguised manner to Mary Magdalen, to the Apostles at the Sea of Tiberias, and on the road to Emmaus (the optional reading from Luke for afternoon Mass on Easter Sunday). He enters the upper room silently and calmly. No thunder, no burst of light, no trumpet blast to announce Him.

Our Lord’s subtlety may surprise us. Why not make a big display of the resurrection? It is a historical event more important than the Super Bowl. It should have just as much — if not more — fanfare, right? After all, a big display would convince the world of His divinity. So why not make some noise? Why must Easter have such a subtlety about it?

The subtlety of Easter has everything to do with the gentleness and courtesy of God. Yes, He does at times use big displays of power to get our attention (as Saul of Tarsus can tell you). But that is rare, and we should not hope for it. More often than not He comes to us in a quiet, gentle, hidden way. He does not want to overwhelm us but to elicit from us the free response of faith.

God comes to invite us to Himself, and an invitation must be courteous. Without courtesy the divine invitation becomes a demand … and human freedom a dead letter. Thus Our Lord was born in the silence and obscurity of Bethlehem and spent most of His life hidden away in Nazareth. Even His public life was not that public. He preached and performed miracles, died and rose in an obscure area and with relatively few people knowing about it.

If we desire, then, to experience the joy of Easter we must be attentive. We must learn to find Him in His subtle, courteous workings. We should not expect, much less require, Him to prove Himself by an overwhelming display of glory.

Our Lord’s public life began in the desert, where He rejected the devil’s demands to awe him by His supernatural power. His public life concludes in a similar way: He invites us to put faith in His resurrection — not to be overpowered by it. We must be content with His invitation, His subtlety, His quiet. We must allow them to call forth our faith.

Consider, furthermore, the people to whom Our Lord appears. He does not go to His persecutors and executioners. He does not, as perhaps we would, visit Pilate, Annas and Caiaphas to vindicate Himself and to condemn the unjust trials of Good Friday. He does not avenge Himself on the guards and soldiers, on those who beat, scourged and crucified Him. Instead He appears to those who already believed, who had accompanied Him throughout the countryside and in His suffering.

So also we — if we desire Our risen Lord to “appear” to us — we must have already accompanied Him through His preaching, to Jerusalem, and through His suffering and death. So many people lack genuine, lasting Easter joy precisely because they have not accompanied Our Lord beforehand. If we have not been with Him throughout His ministry, passion and death, we cannot rejoice as He desires us to in His resurrection.

Let us, then, since we have accompanied Him — since we have observed our time of penance and mortification, since we have mourned our sins and His death, since we have prepared our hearts for His life and love — let us then rejoice in His resurrection.

Fr. Scalia is parochial vicar of St. Rita parish in Alexandria, VA.

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

The Work of God

Year B

- Easter Sunday

He must rise from the dead

John 20:1-9

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.
2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."
3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb.
4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.
6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there,
7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself.
8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;
9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Easter Sunday - He must rise from the dead

The resurrection from the dead was an incredible matter for everyone until my resurrection. To come back to life after death was something unattainable since everyone was destined to die, and no one knew what was next.

I am the only one with the power of life, because I am the life, therefore I laid down my own life and by my own power was able to come back into life again. I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me even if he dies will live again forever.

Even my own apostles had difficulty understanding this revelation about the resurrection. I told them at the temple that if they destroyed this temple (I was referring to my body), I would raise it up in three days. I also told them after the transfiguration that I was destined to suffer and die, and that I would rise from the dead. I also told them that unless I went to the Father, they would not receive the Paraclete, the gift of the Holy Spirit which is my presence of light.

Through my birth, life, death and resurrection I demonstrated the kind of life that is found in me, a complete transformation of the mortal body of a man into the immortal state of a Son of God.

My sufferings and my death were very real, they were extremely painful beyond human understanding, I was a real man even though I was God. I died in my human nature to dignify humanity with my divinity, to empower men with the Holy Spirit, to embellish the soul with my wisdom and to give it wings to soar to heavenly heights where it will take permanent residence after death.

For this reason I ask you my little soul to pay attention to my words and to live a life worthy of the call that I have made to you. It is the Lord who speaks: repent of your sins, die to the filth of the world and live a life of holiness, love everyone, practice charity, do not cling to your earthly possessions, respect my commandments, overcome the world, the devil and the flesh and live to share my victory.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

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