Saturday in the Octave of Easter
Lectionary: 266
Lectionary: 266
Observing the
boldness of Peter and John
and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men,
the leaders, elders, and scribes were amazed,
and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus.
Then when they saw the man who had been cured standing there with them,
they could say nothing in reply.
So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin,
and conferred with one another, saying,
“What are we to do with these men?
Everyone living in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign
was done through them, and we cannot deny it.
But so that it may not be spread any further among the people,
let us give them a stern warning
never again to speak to anyone in this name.”
So they called them back
and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
Peter and John, however, said to them in reply,
“Whether it is right in the sight of God
for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges.
It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.”
After threatening them further,
they released them,
finding no way to punish them,
on account of the people who were all praising God
for what had happened.
and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men,
the leaders, elders, and scribes were amazed,
and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus.
Then when they saw the man who had been cured standing there with them,
they could say nothing in reply.
So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin,
and conferred with one another, saying,
“What are we to do with these men?
Everyone living in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign
was done through them, and we cannot deny it.
But so that it may not be spread any further among the people,
let us give them a stern warning
never again to speak to anyone in this name.”
So they called them back
and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
Peter and John, however, said to them in reply,
“Whether it is right in the sight of God
for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges.
It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.”
After threatening them further,
they released them,
finding no way to punish them,
on account of the people who were all praising God
for what had happened.
Responsorial Psalm PS 118:1 AND 14-15AB, 16-18, 19-21
R. (21a) I will give thanks to you, for you have
answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the LORD has struck with power.”
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
Though the LORD has indeed chastised me,
yet he has not delivered me to death.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the LORD has struck with power.”
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
Though the LORD has indeed chastised me,
yet he has not delivered me to death.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel MK 16:9-15
When Jesus had
risen, early on the first day of the week,
he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had driven seven demons.
She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that he was alive
and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
After this he appeared in another form
to two of them walking along on their way to the country.
They returned and told the others;
but they did not believe them either.
But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them
and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart
because they had not believed those
who saw him after he had been raised.
He said to them, “Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”
he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had driven seven demons.
She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that he was alive
and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
After this he appeared in another form
to two of them walking along on their way to the country.
They returned and told the others;
but they did not believe them either.
But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them
and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart
because they had not believed those
who saw him after he had been raised.
He said to them, “Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”
Meditation: "Go
and preach the gospel to the whole creation"
Do you
believe the Lord Jesus is truly alive and ready to make his presence known to
everyone who believes in him? The first to see the risen Lord was
not Peter or one of the apostles, but a woman noted for her demonized living!
She had been forgiven much, and loved her Master greatly. She was first at the
tomb to pay her respects. Unfortunately for the disciples, they would not
believe her account of the Risen Master. Jesus had to scold his apostles
because of their unbelief and stubborn hearts.
Are
you like the apostles or like Mary - slow to believe or quick to run to Jesus?
Do you doubt because you do not see? The Lord makes his presence known to us
through the work and power of the Holy Spirit. He gives us the gift of faith to
know him personally and to understand the mystery of his death and rising. Do
you believe his word and do you listen to his voice?
After
his appearance to his beloved apostles, Jesus commissions them to go and preach
the gospel to the whole creation. Their task is to proclaim the good news of
salvation, not only to the people of Israel but to all the nations. This is the
great commission which the risen Christ gives to the whole church. All
believers have been given a share in this task - to be heralds of the good news
and ambassadors for Jesus Christ, the only savior of the world. We have not
been left alone in this task, for the risen Lord works in and through us by the
power of his Holy Spirit. Do you witness to others the joy of the Gospel and
the hope of the resurrection?
"Lord
Jesus Christ, increase my faith and hope in the power of your resurrection. And
give me joy and courage to be your witness to others and to boldly speak of
what you have done to save us from sin and death."
 The World Awaits Our Witness |
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Saturday in the
Octave of Easter
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Mark 16:9-15
When Jesus had risen, early on the first day
of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven
seven demons. She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not
believe. After this he appeared in another form to two of them walking along
on their way to the country. They returned and told the others; but they did
not believe them either. But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared
to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because
they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised. He said to
them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”
Introductory Prayer: Lord, you are the source of all life because
you are life itself. Your resurrection gives me the hope of being raised from
the dead to rejoice with you in heaven forever. I need to dwell more often on
the good you have done for us and on your promises to those who put their
trust in you. Thank you, Jesus for taking up your life again and leading the
way home to heaven. I love you, and I want to follow after you with all my
heart. I want to cooperate more fully with you in bringing many others to
heaven with me.
Petition: Lord, grant me the grace of a profound
apostolic zeal.
1A Saint Who Is Sad Is a Sad Saint: “When they heard that he was alive and had
been seen by her, they did not believe.” From these lines of scripture we can
see the power our emotions can exercise over our faith. Melancholy can affect
our trust. Perhaps we have been hurt by others and our sorrows are as real as
those of the disciples. But let us not get accustomed to our tears; rather,
with the courage and help of Our Lord, let us put aside past resentments and
pain. After all, if his love is enough to convert our hearts, what grounds do
we have to think that it is not powerful enough to convert the hearts and
lives of those who hurt us? Humanity will not be converted by the distressed.
We should be willing to give the world a joyful witness to the Resurrection,
for the source of our joy is in the Lord, not in the hands of our adversaries.
2. Rebuked for Unbelief and Hardness of
Heart: We may be a bit
scandalized at Our Lord’s apparent lack of understanding and sympathy towards
his disciples who were mourning his tragic loss. Sometimes though, a good
shaking-up is required to slough off a melancholic spirit and to switch us
from an inordinate self-love and self-pity to a concern for others. In
moments when we begin to despair and feel suffocated by our sufferings, St.
Paul reminds us to have hope: “I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor
powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be
able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans
8:38). We must never allow anything to rob us of our trust in Christ. He is
faithful to his promises.
3. We Are to Be Witnesses to His Love: Despite their unbelief, Our Lord did not
retract his gift of redemption or lessen our responsibility for the mission. “It is
not to a dull everyday routine that we return.… We need to imitate the zeal
of the Apostle Paul: ‘Straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on
towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus
(Philippians 3:13-14)’”(John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte, 59). Our
encounter of faith with the Risen Lord cannot be kept solely for the private
sphere of our life. Rather, it needs to draw us to be zealous in proclaiming
him to others. The sense of Christ’s command—“Go into the whole world”—is to
proclaim him to as many others as possible.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I have taken away from this meditation
the lesson that it is time for me to wake from my slumber to fulfill your
words. I must “go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every
creature.” Help me to realize that my past sinfulness and disbelief do not
excuse me from this mission.
Resolution: The next time I find a person struggling or
in turmoil, I will offer to pray with them—or at least for them if they
decline.
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SOLEMNITY
OF EASTER SATURDAY, APRIL 26, MARK 16:9-15
(Acts 4:13-21; Psalm 118)
(Acts 4:13-21; Psalm 118)
KEY VERSE: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature" (v 15).
READING: This section of Mark's gospel (verses 9-20) is termed the "Longer Ending." It is believed that this material was added later from other traditions so as to complete what was thought to be an abrupt ending to Mark's gospel (16:8). But Mark's purpose in writing was complete: Jesus was raised from the dead just as he told his followers. Mark's message was an exhortation to the Christian community to be fearless in announcing the gospel of Jesus. The longer version includes Christ's appearance to Mary Magdalene (Jn 20:1-18), and to two disciples on a country road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-24). Although the disciples did not believe any of these witnesses, later, when they "were at table" (v 14, Eucharist), the Lord appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief. Jesus then commissioned his followers to go into the world and proclaim the message of salvation to everyone.
REFLECTING: Have I the courage to share the good news with those who do not believe?
PRAYING: Risen Lord, help me to recognize your presence in my daily life.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
Praying With Mary
Our Lady offers grace to all who come to her. She awaits our visit
and our request. Her image is merely a reminder to pray, to ask, and to
remember her endless, unconditional love for her children.
I praise you, Lord, for you have
answered me
There is much Easter joy around in this gospel portrayal.We see three groups of people, dispirited and unable to believe the good news that Jesus was alive, even when he stood in their midst. ‘He upbraided them for their incredulity and obstinacy.’ Yet, in this moment of weakness, he gives them their mission: ‘Go out to everyone and proclaim the Good News.’ When we hear the words, after the gospel reading, ‘This is the Good News’, do we accept it as good news when worry, sorrow and affliction weigh on us? Look at the group depicted in the first reading: the same people but now transformed. ‘The rulers were astonished at the assurance of Peter and John.’ The Good News of the Spirit is at work. ‘Since the Spirit is our life, let us be directed by the Spirit.’
April
26
St. Pedro de San José Betancur
(1626-1667)
St. Pedro de San José Betancur
(1626-1667)
Central America claimed its first saint with the canonization
of Pedro de San José Betancur by Pope John Paul II in Guatemala City on July
30, 2002. Known as the "St. Francis of the Americas," Pedro de
Betancur is the first saint to have worked and died in Guatemala.
Calling
the new saint an “outstanding example” of Christian mercy, the Holy Father
noted that St. Pedro practiced mercy “heroically with the lowliest and the most
deprived.” Speaking to the estimated 500,000 Guatemalans in attendance, the
Holy Father spoke of the social ills that plague the country today and of the
need for change.
“Let us
think of the children and young people who are homeless or deprived of an
education; of abandoned women with their many needs; of the hordes of social
outcasts who live in the cities; of the victims of organized crime, of
prostitution or of drugs; of the sick who are neglected and the elderly who
live in loneliness,” he said in his homily during the three-hour liturgy.
Pedro
very much wanted to become a priest, but God had other plans for the young man
born into a poor family on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Pedro was a shepherd
until age 24, when he began to make his way to Guatemala, hoping to connect
with a relative engaged in government service there. By the time he reached
Havana, he was out of money. After working there to earn more, he got to
Guatemala City the following year. When he arrived he was so destitute that he
joined the bread line that the Franciscans had established.
Soon,
Pedro enrolled in the local Jesuit college in hopes of studying for the
priesthood. No matter how hard he tried, however, he could not master the
material; he withdrew from school. In 1655 he joined the Secular Franciscan
Order. Three years later he opened a hospital for the convalescent poor; a
shelter for the homeless and a school for the poor soon followed. Not wanting
to neglect the rich of Guatemala City, Pedro began walking through their part
of town ringing a bell and inviting them to repent.
Other men
came to share in Pedro's work. Out of this group came the Bethlehemite
Congregation, which won papal approval after Pedro's death. A Bethlehemite
sisters' community, similarly founded after Pedro's death, was inspired by his
life of prayer and compassion.
He is
sometimes credited with originating the Christmas Eve posadas procession
in which people representing Mary and Joseph seek a night's lodging from their
neighbors. The custom soon spread to Mexico and other Central American
countries.
Pedro was
canonized in 2002.
Comment:
As humans, we often pride ourselves on our ability to reason. But, as Pedro’s life shows, other skills may be an even more crucial element of our humanity than a clever mind: compassion, imagination, love. Unable to master studies for the priesthood despite his efforts, Pedro responded to the needs of homeless and sick people; he provided education to the poor and salvation to the rich. He became holy—as fully human as any of us can ever be.
As humans, we often pride ourselves on our ability to reason. But, as Pedro’s life shows, other skills may be an even more crucial element of our humanity than a clever mind: compassion, imagination, love. Unable to master studies for the priesthood despite his efforts, Pedro responded to the needs of homeless and sick people; he provided education to the poor and salvation to the rich. He became holy—as fully human as any of us can ever be.
Quote:
Speaking of Pedro and the four others beatified with him in 1980, Pope John Paul II said: "God lavished his kindness and his mercy on them, enriching them with his grace; he loved them with a fatherly, but demanding, love, which promised only hardships and suffering. He invited and called them to heroic holiness; he tore them away from their countries of origin and sent them to other lands to proclaim the message of the gospel, in the midst of inexpressible toil and difficulties" (L'Osservatore Romano).
Speaking of Pedro and the four others beatified with him in 1980, Pope John Paul II said: "God lavished his kindness and his mercy on them, enriching them with his grace; he loved them with a fatherly, but demanding, love, which promised only hardships and suffering. He invited and called them to heroic holiness; he tore them away from their countries of origin and sent them to other lands to proclaim the message of the gospel, in the midst of inexpressible toil and difficulties" (L'Osservatore Romano).
LECTIO DIVINA:
MARK 16,9-15
Lectio:
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Easter Time
1) Opening prayer
Our God and Father,
your Son Jesus lived among us,
flesh of our flesh, blood of our blood.He died for our sake
and you raised him back to life.
May we experience his love and his presence
to such an extent
that we can never stop proclaiming
what we have seen and heard,
and that people may give glory to you, our God.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
your Son Jesus lived among us,
flesh of our flesh, blood of our blood.He died for our sake
and you raised him back to life.
May we experience his love and his presence
to such an extent
that we can never stop proclaiming
what we have seen and heard,
and that people may give glory to you, our God.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 16, 9-15
Having risen in the morning on the first day of the week, he
appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom he had cast out seven devils. She
then went to those who had been his companions, and who were mourning and in
tears, and told them. But they did not believe her when they heard her say that
he was alive and that she had seen him.
After this, he showed himself under another form to two of them as they were on their way into the country. These went back and told the others, who did not believe them either.
Lastly, he showed himself to the Eleven themselves while they were at table. He reproached them for their incredulity and obstinacy, because they had refused to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. And he said to them, 'Go out to the whole world; proclaim the gospel to all creation.
After this, he showed himself under another form to two of them as they were on their way into the country. These went back and told the others, who did not believe them either.
Lastly, he showed himself to the Eleven themselves while they were at table. He reproached them for their incredulity and obstinacy, because they had refused to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. And he said to them, 'Go out to the whole world; proclaim the gospel to all creation.
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel forms part of a broader literary unit (Mk 16,
9-20) which places us before a list or summary of diverse apparitions of Jesus:
(a) Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, but the disciples do not accept her
testimony (Mk 16, 9-11); (b) Jesus appears to the disciples, but the others do
not accept their testimony (Mk 16, 12-13); (c) Jesus appears to the eleven, he
criticizes their lack of faith and orders them to announce the Good News to all
(Mk 16, 14-18); (d) Jesus ascends to Heaven and continues to cooperate with the
disciples (Mk 16, 19-20).
• Besides this list of apparitions in the Gospel of Mark, there are other lists of apparitions which do not always coincide among themselves. For example, the list kept by Paul in the Letter to the Corinthians is very different (1 Co 15, 3-8). This variety shows that at the beginning the Christians were not concerned to prove the Resurrection by means of the apparitions. For them faith in the Resurrection was so evident and alive that there was no need to prove it. A person who takes sun on the shore is not concerned in showing that the sun exists, because she herself, sun burnt, is the evident proof of the existence of the sun. The communities, existing in the midst of the immense Empire, were a living proof of the Resurrection. The list of the apparitions began to appear later, in the second generation in order to refute the criticism of the enemies.
• Mark 16, 9-11: Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, but the other disciples do not believe her. Jesus first appears to Mary Magdalene. She goes to announce this to the others. To come into the world, God wanted to depend on the womb of a young girl 15 or 16 years old, called Mary of Nazareth (Lk 1, 38). To be recognized alive in our midst, he wants to depend on the announcement of a woman who had been liberated from seven devils, also called Mary, of Magdala! (This is why she was called Mary Magdalene). But the others did not believe her. Mark says that Jesus appeared first to Magdalene. In the list of apparitions, transmitted in the letter to the Corinthians (1 Co 15, 3-8), the apparitions of Jesus to the women are not mentioned. The first Christians had difficulty to believe in the testimony of women. It is a sin!
• Mark 16, 12-13: Jesus appears to the disciples, but the others do not believe them. Without too many details, Mark refers to an apparition of Jesus to two disciples, “while they were on their way into the country”. This is perhaps a summary of the apparition of Jesus to the disciples of Emmaus, narrated by Luke (Lk 24, 13-35). Mark insists in saying that “the others did not believe them either”.
• Mark 16, 14-15: Jesus criticizes the unbelief and orders them to announce the Good News to all creatures. For this reason, Jesus appears to the Eleven and reproaches them because they had not believed the persons who had seen him resurrected. Once again, Mark refers to the resistance of the disciples in believing to believe the testimony of those who have experienced the Resurrection of Jesus. Why? Probably to teach three things. In the first place that faith in Jesus passes through the faith in the persons who give witness. In the second place, that nobody should be discouraged, when the doubt or the unbelief arises in the heart. In the third place, in order to refute the criticism of those who said that the Christian is naïve and accepts without criticism any news, because the Eleven had great difficulty to accept the truth of the Resurrection!
• Today’s Gospel ends with the sending out: “Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Gospel to all creation!” Jesus confers to them the mission to announce the Good News to all creatures.
• Besides this list of apparitions in the Gospel of Mark, there are other lists of apparitions which do not always coincide among themselves. For example, the list kept by Paul in the Letter to the Corinthians is very different (1 Co 15, 3-8). This variety shows that at the beginning the Christians were not concerned to prove the Resurrection by means of the apparitions. For them faith in the Resurrection was so evident and alive that there was no need to prove it. A person who takes sun on the shore is not concerned in showing that the sun exists, because she herself, sun burnt, is the evident proof of the existence of the sun. The communities, existing in the midst of the immense Empire, were a living proof of the Resurrection. The list of the apparitions began to appear later, in the second generation in order to refute the criticism of the enemies.
• Mark 16, 9-11: Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, but the other disciples do not believe her. Jesus first appears to Mary Magdalene. She goes to announce this to the others. To come into the world, God wanted to depend on the womb of a young girl 15 or 16 years old, called Mary of Nazareth (Lk 1, 38). To be recognized alive in our midst, he wants to depend on the announcement of a woman who had been liberated from seven devils, also called Mary, of Magdala! (This is why she was called Mary Magdalene). But the others did not believe her. Mark says that Jesus appeared first to Magdalene. In the list of apparitions, transmitted in the letter to the Corinthians (1 Co 15, 3-8), the apparitions of Jesus to the women are not mentioned. The first Christians had difficulty to believe in the testimony of women. It is a sin!
• Mark 16, 12-13: Jesus appears to the disciples, but the others do not believe them. Without too many details, Mark refers to an apparition of Jesus to two disciples, “while they were on their way into the country”. This is perhaps a summary of the apparition of Jesus to the disciples of Emmaus, narrated by Luke (Lk 24, 13-35). Mark insists in saying that “the others did not believe them either”.
• Mark 16, 14-15: Jesus criticizes the unbelief and orders them to announce the Good News to all creatures. For this reason, Jesus appears to the Eleven and reproaches them because they had not believed the persons who had seen him resurrected. Once again, Mark refers to the resistance of the disciples in believing to believe the testimony of those who have experienced the Resurrection of Jesus. Why? Probably to teach three things. In the first place that faith in Jesus passes through the faith in the persons who give witness. In the second place, that nobody should be discouraged, when the doubt or the unbelief arises in the heart. In the third place, in order to refute the criticism of those who said that the Christian is naïve and accepts without criticism any news, because the Eleven had great difficulty to accept the truth of the Resurrection!
• Today’s Gospel ends with the sending out: “Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Gospel to all creation!” Jesus confers to them the mission to announce the Good News to all creatures.
4) Personal questions
• Mary Magdalene, the two disciples of Emmaus and the eleven
disciples: who had the greatest difficulty to believe in the Resurrection? Why?
With whom do I identify myself?
• Which are the signs which can convince persons of the presence of Jesus in our midst?
• Which are the signs which can convince persons of the presence of Jesus in our midst?
5) Concluding Prayer
May God show kindness and bless us,
and make his face shine on us.
Then the earth will acknowledge your ways,
and all nations your power to save. (Ps 671-2)
and make his face shine on us.
Then the earth will acknowledge your ways,
and all nations your power to save. (Ps 671-2)
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