Reading 1 Acts 2:36-41
“Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made him both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other Apostles,
“What are we to do, my brothers?”
Peter said to them,
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call.”
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,
“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.
Responsorial Psalm PS 33:4-5, 18-19, 20 and 22
or:
R. Alleluia.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia Ps 118:24
R. Alleluia, alleluia.This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Jn 20:11-18
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,
and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
“Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,”
which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.’”
Mary went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he had told her.
"OH BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?"
"Go to My brothers…" –John 20:17
The above verse is the first time in the Gospels that Jesus specifically calls His apostles "brothers." Jesus' Father can now become the Father of the apostles and of us because He will now be able to give them the Holy Spirit. The Spirit comes from the Father. Thus Jesus, Who ascends to His Father, knows that His disciples can be re-born as God's children (see Jn 3:5), and therefore, literally be His brothers and sisters, children of the same Father. The apostles had done the will of God even through the cross. They were trying their best to remain together as His community. And so Jesus rewards them by telling them that His Father and God was their Father and God. What a privilege to be able to call the God Who created the universe our Father!
When we carry our crosses and walk directly through Calvary, Jesus has risen blessings in store for us that make us consider the sufferings we must endure as nothing (Rm 8:18). In Lent 2014, Pope Francis spoke of Christians who choose to live a "Lent without Easter" existence. He meant that they focus on various aspects of the Christian life, such as the cross, suffering, renunciation, but neglect to rejoice and be glad in the risen life Jesus came to inaugurate. The Pope said that these Christians didn't let the joy of the risen Jesus transform their hearts or smiles. They didn't receive their reward in full (see 2 Jn 8).
Be Jesus' brother or sister in its fullest meaning. Rejoice and be glad in the risen Savior. Jesus is risen. Alleluia!
| PRAYER: | "I have seen the Lord!" (Jn 20:18) |
| PROMISE: | "You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." –Acts 2:38 |
| PRAISE: | Praise You, risen Lord Jesus, our Brother. Thank You for preparing our family reunion with the Father. |
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