FIRST READING
Acts 2:36–41
On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jews, “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
Psalm 33:4–5, 18–19, 20, 22 (5b)
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. 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
Psalm 118:24
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
John 20:11–18
Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. 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.
REFLECTIONS:
How easy it is to miss the Lord when our focus is
on ourselves! Mary did not at first recognize the Lord because her focus
was on the empty tomb and on her own grief. It took only one word from
the Master, when he called her by name, for Mary to recognize him. Mary's
message to the disciples, I have seen the Lord, is the very essence
of Christianity. It is not enough that a Christian know about the Lord,
but that we know him personally. It is not enough to argue about him, but
to meet him. In the resurrection we encounter the living Lord who loves
us personally and shares his glory with us. The Lord gives us "eyes of
faith" to see the truth of his resurrection and victory over sin and death
(Ephesians 1:18).
The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our hope – the hope that
we will see God face to face and share in his everlasting glory and joy.
"Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you
believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the
outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls" (1
Peter 1:8-9). Do you recognize the Lord's presence with you, in his word,
in the "breaking of the bread", and in his church, the body of Christ?
"Lord Jesus, may I never fail to recognize your voice nor lose sight
of your presence in your saving word."
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