Reading 1 1 Cor 15:12-20
If Christ is preached as raised from the dead,
how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead?
If there is no resurrection of the dead,
then neither has Christ been raised.
And if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching;
empty, too, your faith.
Then we are also false witnesses to God,
because we testified against God that he raised Christ,
whom he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised.
For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised,
and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain;
you are still in your sins.
Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If for this life only we have hoped in Christ,
we are the most pitiable people of all.
But now Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 17:1bcd, 6-7, 8b and 15
Hear, O LORD, a just suit;
attend to my outcry;
hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my word.
Show your wondrous mercies,
O savior of those who flee
from their foes to refuge at your right hand.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Hide me in the shadow of your wings,
But I in justice shall behold your face;
on waking, I shall be content in your presence.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Alleluia See Mt 11:25
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Lk 8:1-3
Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others
who provided for them out of their resources.
LIVING THE CHANGE
"We should then be exposed as false witnesses of God." –1 Corinthians 15:15
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the central event in our faith. Our response to Jesus' Resurrection makes a total difference in the world around us. If we do not live as a risen people, living a risen life to the full (Jn 10:10), whose entire existence is transformed, then we look no different from those in the world.
Satan couldn't stop Jesus from rising from the dead. So now Satan and his demons are reduced to trying to stop people from living the risen life in Christ. If he can get them to stop living "the radical newness of [their] Christian life that comes from Baptism" (Lay Members of Christ's Faithful People, 10, Pope St. John Paul II), Satan has accomplished much of his objective. When Christians live a listless, faithless life, the world sees that resurrection makes no practical difference and decides that this life is all there is.
However, when we Christians allow the Resurrection of Jesus to pierce our hearts, encounter the risen Jesus, receive the Holy Spirit, and change our lifestyles to be risen, the change cannot be hidden. The world may not believe, but they will not be able to miss the joy and the changes. In Jesus, we renounce extra-marital sex, greed for money, and sinful pleasures. We radiate joy, love, peace, and courage. The world will come to believe if we live like we believe in Jesus risen.
| PRAYER: | Father, may I "rate all as loss in the light of the surpassing knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ" (Phil 3:8). |
| PROMISE: | "As it is, Christ is now raised from the dead." –1 Cor 15:20 |
| PRAISE: | Once opposed for his teaching, St. Cornelius preached that repentant sinners should be re-instated in the Sacraments. |
No comments:
Post a Comment