First Reading (Acts 10: 34, 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
Refrain: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
1) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say, "His mercy endures forever." (Refrain)
2) "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. (Refrain)
3) The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes. (Refrain)
Second Reading: (Colossians 3: 1-4)
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
Alternate Second Reading: (1 Corinthians 5: 6-8)
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.
Christians, to the Paschal Victim
Offer your thankful praises!
A Lamb the sheep redeems;
Christ, who only is sinless,
Reconciles sinners to the Father.
Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous:
The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal.
Speak, Mary, declaring
What you saw, wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ, who is living,
The glory of Jesus’ resurrection;
bright angels attesting,
The shroud and napkin resting.
Yes, Christ my hope is arisen;
to Galilee he goes before you.”
Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining.
Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!
Amen. Alleluia.
On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, nd 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.
(Copyright 1970, 1986, 1992, 1998, 2001 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc. Washington D.C. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Copyright 1970, 1997, 1998 Contraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc. Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
The English translation of some Psalm responses, some Alleluia and Gospel verses and the Lenten Gospel Acclamations, some Summaries, and the Titles and Conclusion of the Readings, from the Lectionary for Mass copyright 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc., Washington D.C. All rights reserved.
The poetic English translation of the sequences of the Roman Missal are taken from the Roman Missal approved by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States, copyright 1964 by the National Catholic Welfare Conference, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission of ICEL. This resource is available at a discount through the Homiletic Resource Center.)
Resources:
- Catechism: #'s 638 - 658 (On the third day, he rose from the dead). Copyright 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Washington, DC.
- Days of the Lord, Volume 3, pp. 37-76. Copyright 1991 by the Order of Saint Benedict. The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN.
- The Cultural World of Jesus, pp. 67-69. Copyright 1997 by John J. Pilch, the Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN.
- Bewildered Love & The Great Discovery, from The Gospel of John. Copyright 1975 by William Barclay. Saint Andrew Press, Edinburgh, Scotland.
- The Risen Life & Christ, Our Life, from The Letter to the Colossians. Copyright 1975 by William Barclay. Saint Andrew Press, Edinburgh, Scotland.
- Sin And Complacency, from The Letters to the Corinthians. Copyright 1975by William Barclay. Saint Andrew Press, Edinburgh, Scotland.
-Easter Sunday by Roland J. Faley. Copyright 1994 by the Third Order Regular of St. Francis. From Footprints on the Mountain, pp. 286-291, Paulist Press, Mahwah, NJ 07430.
-Easter Sunday, copyright 1995 by Liam Swords. From Sunday Homilies, pp. 47-48, Twenty-third Publications, Mystic, CT 06355.
-Easter Sunday(Psalm 118). From Sing a New Song, by Irene Nowell, pp. 117-118. Copyright 1993 by the Order of St. Benedict. The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN.
- Hedgers and Huggers, copyright 1993 by Robert P. Waznak, S.S. From Like Fresh Bread, pp. 73-76. Paulist Press, Mahwah, NJ.
-Easter Sunday by Reginald H. Fuller. Copyright 1984 by the Order of St. Benedict. From Preaching the Lectionary, pp. 424-425, the Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN.
- Easter Sunday, by Jeffrey A. Merkel. Copyright 1989 by Pueblo Publishing Company, New York, New York and 1991 by the Order of St. Benedict, Collegeville, MN. From Homilies for the Christian People, pp. 453-455, the Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN.
- Easter Sunday, copyright 1991 by Francis J. Moloney, S.D.B. From The Gospel of the Lord, pp. 96-97. The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN.
- Easter Sunday, copyright 1991 by Desmond Knowles. From Homilies and Prayers of the Faithful, pp. 292-293. Twenty-third Publications, Mystic, CT.
- Easter Sunday, copyright 1996 by Tom Clancy. From Living the Word, p.169. The Columba Press, Dublin, Ireland. Distributed in the US by Twenty-third Publications, Mystic, CT.
- Jeremy was born with a twisted body, a slow mind and a chronic, terminal illness that had been slowly killing him all his young life. Still, his parents had tried to give him as normal a life as possible and had sent him to St. Theresa's Elementary School. At the age of 12, Jeremy was only in second grade, seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became exasperated with him. Although there were times when he spoke clearly and distinctly, most of the time he would just squirm in his seat, drool and make grunting noises.
One day, she called his parents and asked them to come to St. Theresa's for a consultation. As the Forrester's sat quietly in the empty classroom, Doris said to them, "Jeremy really belongs in a special school. It isn't fair to him to be with younger children who don't have learning problems. Why, there is a five-year gap between his age and that of the other students!"
Mrs. Forrester cried softly into a tissue while her husband spoke. "Miss Miller," he said, "there is no school of that kind nearby. It would be a terrible shock for Jeremy if we had to take him out of this school. We know he really likes it here."
Doris sat for a long time after they left. She wanted to sympathize with the Forrester's. After all, their only child had a terminal illness. But it wasn't fair to keep him in her class. She had 18 other youngsters to teach, and Jeremy was a distraction. Furthermore, he would never learn to read and write. Why waste any more time trying?
As she pondered the situation, guilt washed over her. "Oh God," she said aloud, "here I am complaining when my problems are nothing compared with that poor family! Please help me to be more patient with Jeremy." From that day on, she tried hard to ignore Jeremy's noises and his blank stares.
Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter. Doris told them the story of Jesus, and then to emphasize the idea of new life springing forth, she gave each of the children a large plastic egg. "Now," she said to them, "I want you to take this home and bring it back tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Miss Miller!" the children responded enthusiastically--all except for Jeremy. He just listened intently, his eyes never left her face. He did not even make his usual noises. Had he understood what she had said about Jesus' death and resurrection? Did he understand the assignment? Perhaps she should call his parents and explain the project to them.
That evening, Doris' kitchen sink stopped up. She called the landlord and waited an hour for him to come by and unclog it. After that, she still had to shop for groceries, iron a blouse and prepare a vocabulary test for the next day. She completely forgot about phoning Jeremy's parents.
The next morning, nineteen children came to school, laughing and talking as they placed their eggs in the large wicker basket on Miss Miller's desk. After they completed their math lesson, it was time to open the eggs.
In the first egg, Doris found a flower. "Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new life," she said. "When plants peek through the ground, we know that spring is here." A small girl in the first row waved her arms. "That's my egg, Miss Miller," she called out.
The next egg contained a plastic butterfly, which looked very real. Doris held it up. "We all know that a caterpillar changes and grows into a beautiful butterfly. Yes, that is new life, too" Little Judy smiled proudly and said, "Miss Miller, that one is mine!"
Next, Doris found a rock with moss on it. She explained that moss, too, showed life. Billy spoke up from the back of the classroom. "My daddy helped me!" he beamed.
Then Doris opened the fourth egg. She gasped. The egg was empty! Surely it must be Jeremy's, she thought, and, of course, he did not understand her instructions. If only she had not forgotten to phone his parents. Because she did not want to embarrass him, she quietly set the egg aside and reached for another.
Suddenly Jeremy spoke up. "Miss Miller, aren't you going to talk about my egg?"
Flustered, Doris replied, "But Jeremy--your egg is empty!" He looked into her eyes and said softly, "Yes, but Jesus' tomb was empty too!"
Time stopped. When she could speak again, Doris asked him, "Do you know why the tomb was empty?" "Oh, yes!" Jeremy exclaimed. "Jesus was killed and put in there. Then his Father raised him up!"
Just then, the recess bell rang. While the children excitedly ran out to the schoolyard, Doris sat at her desk and cried. The cold inside her melted completely away. Three months later, Jeremy's illness caught up with him and he died. Those who paid their respects at the mortuary were surprised to see nineteen eggs on top of his casket, all of them empty.
After all was said and done, Jeremy had "gotten it". He had understood about the resurrection after all. Perhaps, despite his handicaps, he had understood it better than we do.
In our gospel passage, the evangelist John, whom we believe was "the other disciple" that he speaks of in this passage, saw and believed. Do we believe in the resurrection? Do we believe there is life...after life??? And if we believe it, does it make a difference in our lives?
In our story, Jeremy was hindered by a body which made him different from other children his age. But after he died, his spirit was freed from the limitations of that human body. Just as Christ left behind an empty tomb after he rose from the dead, do we believe that everyone of us will also leave behind an empty body when we die?
Look around you at the others in your families and in our community. Do you see them? I mean, do you really "see" them?? Do you really believe that someday all of our "eggs", our human bodies, will be empty too and release the immortal spirit that is held inside? And if you really believe it, are you treating them with the love and respect that they deserve, no matter what their limitations may be? And if not, why not? Just remember that someday, just like Christ's tomb and Jeremy's egg, all of our "eggs" will be empty too.
1. What Was In Jeremy's Egg? copyright 1988 by Ida Mae Kempel. Reprinted with permission from What Was In Jeremy's Egg? Also included in Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul, pp. 239-242, copyright 1997 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Patty Aubery and Nancy Mitchell, Health Communications, Inc., Deerfield Beach, FL. Both of these resources are available at a discount through the Homiletic Resource Center.)(The Chicken Soup books, including a specially-priced Chicken Soup package, are available at a discount through the Homiletic Resource Center.)
(Copyright 2016 by the Spirit through Deacon Sil Galvan, with a little help from the friends noted above. Permission is freely granted for use, in whole or in part, in oral presentations. For permission to use in writing, please contact the human intermediary at deaconsil@comcast.net.)
I would like to begin today with a little interactive homily. I would like to see if you can figure out what a theme of the day might be if I just give you a few clues. What did you all say to one another as you entered church this morning? (Ask for response from congregation. If no correct response, then add:) It may well have been "Happy Easter". Well, the word I'm thinking of for today's theme is like "happy", but with only three letters (after all, we can't have a four-letter word in church now, can we?). We spoke about this word back on the Gaudete Sunday in Advent, and again three weeks ago on Laetare Sunday in Lent. It is the word for an emotion which should be the first one we experience on a day like today. (See if they can guess it.) And that word is joy.
If we read Matthew's account of the Easter events, an angel appears to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary telling them of Jesus' resurrection. And Matthew recounts that the women left the tomb "with fear and great joy". Joy should be our primary emotion today, because Jesus overcame death and showed us that, if we believe in him and follow his commands, then we too will someday overcome death. In fact, this is only one example of God showing us the way.
"When we were all children, didn't we quickly learn that there were two basic types of situations in which we might find ourselves at any given moment. The first situation brought about the 'me first' response, especially if we had other brothers and sisters to contend with. 'Me first' was the screech we learned to utter when ice cream was brought out, the pony rides came into view or someone was being chosen to sit up front in the car. We screamed out 'me first' because we wanted the best selection or the biggest piece of cake; we wanted to be the focus of attention, center-stage, the envy of all who had to wait their turn. Winning the 'me first' competition made us feel special, made us feel, just for a moment, like the most important person in the whole world. Isn't that the truth?
"But children also quickly learn that there are some situations where you definitely didn't want to be first. These were known as the 'go ahead' situations. Part of perfecting your response in a 'go ahead' scenario depended on a careful delivery of that crucial line. Say it too quickly, too loudly or too enthusiastically and you all but guaranteed that it would become an unwanted 'me first' experience. 'Go ahead' had to be voiced with just the right amount of hesitation and a hint of subservience. 'Go ahead' was the mantra you used to avoid taking the last helping of creamed spinach, or to let someone else determine the temperature of the lake at camp, or to let your lab partner determine just how bad that stuff really smelled.
"We said 'you go ahead' because we didn't want to take a risk, look foolish, suffer discomfort or pain, show our fear, or experience the unknown. When we succeeded in getting someone else to 'go ahead', we could watch their reactions and then mentally prepare ourselves when it eventually became our turn. Even though sometimes there was really nothing to be gained by letting someone else 'go ahead', you somehow felt safer just knowing that someone else had gone before you." (1)
And guess what! Jesus went ahead of us without even being asked. "And not only did he go ahead of us, but he even went so far as to exclaim 'me first' and practically pushed his way to the front of the line, through the gates of Jerusalem, into the fracas at the temple, and onto the cross at Golgotha. Jesus willingly 'went ahead' of us to experience the suffering and death that were really supposed to be a part of our turn. If we truly entered into his suffering and death over the past few days, we would have a better understanding of what he endured for our sakes. And today we can more fully rejoice in the victory which Christ achieved over death, but we also feel the safety and security that come from watching someone else, God's only Son, 'go ahead'.
"In Mark's Easter narrative, Christ appears to the women and tells them to tell his disciples to go into Galilee where he will appear to them. Galilee was the site of the disciples' first witness and mission but, even more, it was home for them. Jesus was 'going ahead' of them into Galilee, just as God had always gone ahead of his people Israel in the Hebrew scriptures.
1) When Moses led the people away from pharaoh and into the wilderness, the Lord went ahead of them - as a pillar of fire by night and smoke by day.
2) When the Israelites were struggling to establish their foothold in the land of Canaan, the ark of the covenant, God's presence in their midst, would always go ahead of them into battle.
3) When the psalmists and poets of Israel described God's ever-guiding presence, they sang of the 'mighty arm of God' that went ahead of God's people.
4) When God wanted to speak to the people, a divinely called prophet was sent ahead with words of warning and comfort for all of Israel.
5) And when the women who had witnessed Jesus' death and burial went to anoint his body with spices, God went ahead of them to roll away the stone from in front of the now-empty tomb.
"God has been ahead of us every step along the way since our creation. The Easter moment celebrates the greatest 'go ahead' dare ever taken - Jesus Christ, God made man, willingly 'goes ahead' of us into the future, even to suffering and death. If God 'goes ahead' of us into pain and suffering, torture and death, then how can we doubt that God will be ahead of us wherever life may take us? Just as he was "going ahead" of the disciples into Galilee, the risen Christ will 'go ahead' of us anywhere we go, whether that be a new career or a new family or anywhere else, for that matter." (1)
It is this belief in God's willingness to "go first" which brings us the joy of this Easter day. It is our faith, our belief in the truth of Christ's resurrection, which should lead us to peace, to a calm serenity about our future because we know that God will be there with us. Our faith should lead us to a true Christian joy, a joy which someday will have no end in our eternal home in heaven.
I would like to conclude with a portion of the Easter homily delivered by St. John Chrysostom back in the fourth century:
- No one need fear death; for our Savior himself has died and set us free.
He confronted death in his own person, and blasted it to nothing. He made it defunct by the very taste of his flesh.
Poor death, where is your sting? Poor hell, where is your triumph?
Christ steps out of the tomb and you are reduced to nothing.
Christ rises and the angels are wild with delight. Christ rises and life is set free.
Christ rises and the graves are emptied of dead.
Oh yes, for he broke from the tomb like a flower a beautiful fruit: the first fruit of those already gone.
All glory be his, all triumph and power...for ever and ever. Amen.
1. From A Go-Ahead God, copyright 1997 by Dr. Leonard Sweet. From Homiletics, Communication Resources, 4150 Belden Village Street NW, Suite 400, Canton, OH 44799-6115. Used with permission.
(Copyright 2004 by the Spirit through Deacon Sil Galvan, with a little help from the friends noted above. Permission is freely granted for use, in whole or in part, in oral presentations. For permission to use in writing, please contact the human intermediary at deaconsil@comcast.net.)
Today's gospel reading has two themes that run through it: faith and love. First of all, to believe in the resurrection, we need faith. The resurrection is a mystery. As Webster himself defines it, a mystery is something which is puzzling and inexplicable, something which causes amazement, awe or wonder. The resurrection is certainly all of those things, something which can only be understood in the context of faith, for there is nothing on earth which prepares us for the truth of the resurrection of the body from its death. And yet there it is. The sadness and apparent finality of death has been overcome by the promise of life to come, which also can be accepted only through the eyes of faith.
Second, we see love at work. As he relates at the end of today's passage, it was John, the disciple whom Jesus loved and who loved Jesus, who was the first to believe in the resurrection. He was the first one to believe and to understand. Love gave him eyes to read the signs and to believe. Love can grasp the truth when the intellect is left groping and uncertain. Love can realize something's true meaning when our minds are blinded.
It is also fitting that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary should be the first to receive the news of the Risen Lord and encounter him, because they had been there among the last to be present with him at the cross. They were there when they laid him in the tomb, and now they were receiving love's reward: they were the first to know the joy of the Resurrection.
So now that Jesus has ascended to his heavenly home, where can people in our own day and age encounter Jesus? Earlier in John's gospel, some Greeks - historically renowned as great seekers of the truth - approach the disciples with the request to see Jesus. But Jesus could only be found through them. So there is the answer to our question: others should see Jesus through those who profess to believe in his name, namely, all of us Christians, who are Christ's modern-day disciples. Our friends and any others, for that matter, who encounter us in our everyday daily lives, should be able to see Jesus through our love and service to them. This is a love which is impossible unless it is rooted in a firm belief in the resurrection, a belief that our actions do have eternal consequences.
We all know that Mary Magdalene's life had been radically changed by her first encounters with Christ. He saw the piece of God that was in her, deep within her spirit, and brought her to the point of seeing it in herself. Ideally, those of us who call ourselves Christians should cause the same effect in those whom we meet as Jesus brought about in Mary Magdalene: a radical change of life and a belief in the inherent goodness of themselves as a human person. Here is someone who was scorned and despised by everyone, who is given back her dignity and self-respect through her experience of Jesus. It should be the same with us.
Just as he saw the inner beauty in Mary when no one else did, we need to be able to see that beauty in others, just as Christ has shown us. We need to see, not the weak human natures with which we are all clothed, but the piece of the divine heart which resides within each one of us. We can neither understand Jesus, nor help others to understand him, unless we believe in him and love him and then witness that belief and love in our actions. Only then will others see Jesus in us.
- Several years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday's supper. One thing led to another and the meeting ran overtime so the men had to race to the airport, tickets in hand. As they barged through the terminal, one man inadvertently kicked over a table supporting a basket of apples. Without stopping they all reached the plane in time and boarded it with a sigh of relief. All but one. He paused and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple-stand had been overturned. He waved goodbye to his companions and returned to the terminal. He was glad he did. The ten-year-old girl was blind. The salesman gathered up the apples and noticed that several of them were battered and bruised. He reached into his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this ten dollars for the damage we did." As he started to walk away, the bewildered girl called out to him, "Are you Jesus?" (1)
It was the kindness and disregard for his own welfare by this man which caused a young girl to ask him the question which our actions should cause others to ask us. Are you Jesus for your spouse, your children or your parents? Are you Jesus for your neighbors, your co-workers, the strangers you meet on the street like the girl in our story? Such love can only begin with a firm foundation in faith, in the reality of the resurrection, in the belief that Jesus loves you unconditionally. Once you believe that Jesus loves you, then you can see Jesus in others. In turn, they will see Jesus in you and come to believe that Jesus is in them also. Only then can you be Don Quixote for all of the Dulcinea's you meet every day of your lives and be Jesus to all the Mary Magdalene's you encounter too. For only a faith in the resurrection can lead to love. And only a faith in Jesus can cause us to see Jesus in others and be Jesus to others. Amen.
1. Are You Jesus?, by Brennan Manning. Reprinted with permission from More Sower's Seeds, Second Planting, copyright 1994 by Brian Cavanaugh, TOR, p. 13. Paulist Press, Mahwah, NJ 07430. (You can order this resource, as well as many others including a specially-priced set of the Sower's Seeds books, at a discount through the Homiletic Resource Center.)
(Copyright 2003 by the Spirit through Deacon Sil Galvan, with a little help from the friends noted above. Permission is freely granted for use, in whole or in part, in oral presentations. For permission to use in writing, please contact the human intermediary at deaconsil@comcast.net.)
March 31, 2024
Lord Jesus, you are risen from the dead and now reign in glory at the right hand of the Father. Lord, have mercy.
Christ Jesus, you are the stone rejected by the builders which has become the cornerstone. Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you will raise us up on the last day. Lord, have mercy.
Celebrant: Christ has risen from the dead and now reigns at the right hand of the Father. With confidence that he will always intercede for us, we bring our needs to the Father.
Deacon/Lector: Our response is "Lord, hear our prayer."
That the leaders of the Church may be living examples of Christ's resurrected presence in the world, we pray to the Lord.
That the leaders of all nations will do all in their power to bring peace on earth and end the wars in Ukraine and Israel, we pray to the Lord.
That all those who are sick or grieving the loss of a loved one may feel the healing power of Christ in their lives, we pray to the Lord.
That our concern for the poor, the disadvantaged and the handicapped will demonstrate our faith in the risen Lord , we pray to the Lord.
That all those whom we have welcomed to full communion in our faith through baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist will make that faith active in their lives, we pray to the Lord.
That all of the deceased members of our families, who have died in the hope of the resurrection, may behold the loving face of their Savior in their eternal home, we pray to the Lord.
For all of the intentions we hold in our hearts and which we now recall in silence. For all of these intentions, we pray to the Lord.
Celebrant: Gracious Father, through your infinite power, you raised your Son from the dead. Grant us the grace of your Spirit to experience his risen presence in our lives. We ask this through Christ our Lord.