Easter Sunday

Readings:

Saturday Vigil:

• Genesis 1:1–2:2
• Genesis 22:1-18
• Exodus 14:15–15:1
• Isaiah 54:5-14
• Isaiah 55:1-11
• Baruch 3:9-15, 32–4:4
• Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28
• Romans 6:3-11
• Luke 24:1-12

Easter Sunday:

• Acts 10:34a, 37-43
• Colossians 3:1-4  or  1 Corinthians 5:6b-8
• John 20:1-9 or Mark 16:1-7 or Luke 24:13-35

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

What are we to make of the significance of Easter Sunday? The Gospel of Mark sets the early tone for what took place. Women came to prepare the body when they witnessed an empty tomb. A series of unexplained events take place. An unknown young man informs them of the Resurrection causing the women to run away in fear and terror. The Gospel of John tells us that Peter and the favorite disciple also visit the empty tomb. According to Luke sometime after this Jesus begins to appear to Peter and the other disciples, including two who were walking to Emmaus.

 

A theologian once said that if you wanted to examine miracles you would not need to bother with Jesus walking on water, feeding of the five thousands or the numerous healing and exorcisms. Instead consider the greatest miracle which is that Christianity, perhaps the greatest religion on earth, began with the most unlikely event of a relatively unknown man being legitimately executed in a relatively obscure part of the world. By all worldly conditions this should not have happened. The only explanation being that the disciples must have witnessed something extraordinary in the person of Jesus.

 

For two thousand years we have explained this with the Easter event. Something powerful took place here. Not only did the disciples and the early Christian community witness Jesus who God brought back from the dead. They must have also received an amazing and divine understanding for the significance of what this event means for them and for the human community. We call this Pentecost.

 

This divine revelation is beyond history. The readings from Acts, Colossians and Corinthians all tell us that the significance of the Easter event was not only that Jesus was raised from the dead. We are called to witness and experience this resurrection ourselves. By the power of God Jesus was transformed back to life. We are called to live a transformed life through Christ. In Acts Peter becomes aware that this call is for everyone, since “God shows no partiality.” Paul tells the Colossians and Corinthians that they must reassess their lives to the priorities of God’s Kingdom over the priorities of our society. These are the priorities that Jesus preached:

• Reconciling the sinner
• Healing the sick
• Feeding the hungry
• Comforting the sorrowful
  
• Bringing to bear the Kingdom of God, A Kingdom that is built on the values of promoting peace, justice and the Integrity of Creation

 

This is the Resurrection we are called to witness. More than ever we need a spirit that will help and heal the death, violence, and injustice of the world. Peter in Acts reminds us that Jesus “… went about doing good and healing all those oppressed ….”   We are called to do the same.

Questions for Reflection in your Faith Sharing Group:

• When have your experienced the cycle of death & resurrection in your own ministry?