Tuesday in the Octave of Easter
Lectionary: 262
Lectionary: 262
On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jewish people,
"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.
"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
PsalmPS 33:4-5, 18-19, 20 AND
22
R. (5b) 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.
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.
AlleluiaPS 118:24
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 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.
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.
Meditation: "I have seen the Lord!"
Do you recognize the Lord's presence when you hear his
word? How easy it is to miss the Lord Jesus 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.
The Risen Lord Jesus reveals himself to us as we
listen to his word
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 Jesus who loves us personally and shares his glory with us. The Lord Jesus gives us "eyes of faith" to see the truth of his resurrection and his victory over sin and death (Ephesians 1:18). And he opens our ears to recognize his voice as we listen to the "good news" proclaimed in the Gospel message today.
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 Jesus who loves us personally and shares his glory with us. The Lord Jesus gives us "eyes of faith" to see the truth of his resurrection and his victory over sin and death (Ephesians 1:18). And he opens our ears to recognize his voice as we listen to the "good news" proclaimed in the Gospel message today.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the
foundation of our hope - the hope that we, too, who believe in him will see the
living 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 as you open the Scriptures for me and
speak your life-giving word."
A Daily Quote for Easter season: The Easter Alleluia, by Augustine of
Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Because there are these two periods of time -
the one that now is, beset with the trials and troubles of this life, and the
other yet to come, a life of everlasting serenity and joy - we are given two
liturgical seasons, one before Easter and the other after. The season before
Easter signifies the troubles in which we live here and now, while the time
after Easter which we are celebrating at present signifies the happiness that
will be ours in the future. What we commemorate before Easter is what we
experience in this life; what we celebrate after Easter points to something we
do not yet possess. This is why we keep the first season with fasting and
prayer; but now the fast is over and we devote the present season to praise.
Such is the meaning of the Alleluia we sing." (excerpt from commentary on Psalm 148, 1-2)
TUESDAY,
APRIL 3, JOHN 20:11-18
Tuesday within the Octave of Easter
(Acts 2:36-41; Psalm 33)
Tuesday within the Octave of Easter
(Acts 2:36-41; Psalm 33)
KEY VERSE: "I have seen the Lord" (v.18).
TO KNOW: When Peter and John heard the good news that Jesus had risen from the dead, they hurried to inspect the empty tomb for themselves. When they returned to their homes, Mary Magdalene was left alone in the garden, Fearing that someone had taken away Jesus' body, she wept. When the Risen Christ appeared to her, she mistook him for the gardener. In truth, he was the new Adam, the keeper of the garden of the new creation. Through her tears, Mary failed to recognize her Lord, but when he spoke her name, she knew that he was her "dear master" (Hebrew, Rabbouni, teacher). Jesus told her not to cling to him in the joy of her discovery. He had a mission for her, that of sharing the good news with his "brothers," the rest of his disciples. The Church regards Mary Magdalene as an "Apostle to the Apostles," the redeemed daughter of the Lord," the first to see the Risen Christ.
TO LOVE: Do I give testimony of the Risen Christ to my brothers and sisters?
TO SERVE: Risen Lord, help me to recognize you in all those around me.
Tuesday 3 April
2018
Easter Tuesday.
Acts 2:36-41. Psalm 32(33):4-5, 18-20, 22. John 20:11-18.
The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord—Psalm 32(33):4-5,
18-20, 22.
‘I have seen the Lord!’
Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene in the tomb where he was
buried. What a shock it must have been for her. One minute she is weeping for
the loss of Jesus and then he appears before her. She goes, as Jesus asks her,
and tells the disciples that she has seen the Lord.
Have there been times in our lives where we are weeping, like
Mary, for the loss of someone so treasured by us that our hearts are breaking.
Our tears and sadness tell us many things about our state in those times. We
are in great need of comfort, understanding and love. We ask Jesus to be there
with us just as Mary was at his tomb. We ask him to listen to our sorrow, wipe
away our tears, help us carry the burden of our worries, and wrap us with his
love.
Saint Benedict the African
Saint of the Day for April 3
(1526 – 1589)
 |
| Statue of Saint Benedict the Moor | Church of Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Benedict, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil | photo by Mateus Hidalgo |
Saint Benedict the African’s Story
Benedict held important posts in the Franciscan Order and
gracefully adjusted to other work when his terms of office were up.
His parents were slaves brought from Africa to Messina, Sicily.
Freed at 18, Benedict did farm work for a wage and soon saved enough to buy a
pair of oxen. He was very proud of those animals. In time, he joined a group of
hermits around Palermo and was eventually recognized as their leader. Because
these hermits followed the Rule of Saint Francis, Pope Pius IV ordered
them to join the First Order.
Benedict was eventually novice master and then guardian of the
friars in Palermo—positions rarely held in those days by a brother. In fact,
Benedict was forced to accept his election as guardian. And when his term
ended, he happily returned to his work in the friary kitchen.
Benedict corrected the friars with humility and charity. Once he
corrected a novice and assigned him a penance only to learn that the novice was
not the guilty party. Benedict immediately knelt down before the novice and
asked his pardon.
In later life, Benedict was not possessive of the few things he
used. He never referred to them as “mine,” but always called them “ours.” His
gifts for prayer and the guidance of souls earned him throughout Sicily a reputation
for holiness. Following the example of Saint Francis, Benedict kept seven 40-day fasts throughout
the year; he also slept only a few hours each night.
After Benedict’s death, King Philip III of Spain paid for a
special tomb for this holy friar. Canonized in 1807, he is honored as a patron
saint by African Americans. The Liturgical Feast of Saint Benedict the
African is April 4.
Reflection
Among Franciscans, a position of leadership is limited in time.
When the time expires, former leaders sometimes have trouble adjusting to their
new position. The Church needs men and women ready to put their best energies
into leadership—but also men and women who are gracefully willing to go on to
other work when their time of leadership is over.
Saint Benedict the African is the Patron Saint of:
African Americans
LECTIO DIVINA: JOHN 20,11-18
Lectio Divina:
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Easter Time
1) OPENING PRAYER
O God of life,
we profess our faith in Jesus
and recognize Him as our Lord and Savior. Make us listen to Him
when He speaks His good news to us
for it is a message of life.
May we also hear His voice
when He cries out to us in people in need
or simply when He speaks to us
in people who express to us
their joys and hopes, their love and their faith.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
we profess our faith in Jesus
and recognize Him as our Lord and Savior. Make us listen to Him
when He speaks His good news to us
for it is a message of life.
May we also hear His voice
when He cries out to us in people in need
or simply when He speaks to us
in people who express to us
their joys and hopes, their love and their faith.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
2) GOSPEL READING - 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.
3) REFLECTION
• Today’s Gospel describes the
apparition of Jesus to Mary Magdalene. The death of her great friend prompts
Mary to lose her sense of life. But she does not give up her search. She goes
to the tomb in order to meet again the one whom death has taken away. There are
moments in our life in which everything crumbles. It seems that everything is
finished. Death, disasters, pain and suffering, disillusionments, betrayals: so
many things which may cause us to feel lost, as if standing on firm ground, and
which can lead us to fall into a deep crisis. But other things also happen. For
example, suddenly we meet a friend again, and that can give us hope anew and
can make us discover that love is stronger than death and defeat. The Lord
allows desolation, but He also provides consolation as we need it.
• Chapter 20 in John’s Gospel, besides the apparitions of Jesus to Mary Magdalene, also speaks about diverse episodes which indicate the richness of the experience of the Resurrection: (a) to the beloved disciple and to Peter (Jn 20:1-10); (b) to Mary Magdalene (Jn 20:11-18); (c) to the community of disciples (Jn 20:19-23) and (d) to the Apostle Thomas (Jn 20:24-29). The purpose of the writing of the Gospel is to lead people to believe in Jesus, and believing in Him, to have life (Jn 20:30-31).
• In the way of describing the apparition of Jesus to Mary Magdalene one is aware of the different stages of the road that she had to follow, of the sorrowful search until the time of the encounter at Easter. These are also the stages through which we all have to pass, throughout our life, in seeking God and living the Gospel.
• John 20:11-13: Mary Magdalene weeps, but she seeks. There was a very strong love between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. She was one of the few persons who had the courage to remain with Jesus up to the moment of His death on the Cross. After the obligatory rest on Saturday, she goes back to the tomb to be in the place where she had seen her beloved for the last time. But, surprisingly, the tomb is empty! The angels ask her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” and her response is, “They have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have put Him!” Mary Magdalene looked for Jesus, that Jesus whom she had known for three years.
• John 20:14-15: Mary Magdalene speaks with Jesus without knowing Him. The disciples at Emmaus saw Jesus but they did not recognize Him. She thinks that Jesus is the gardener. And just as the angels had done, Jesus also asks, “Why are you weeping?” and He adds, “Whom are you looking for?” The response: “If you have taken Him away, tell me where you have put Him and I will go and get Him”. She was still looking for the Jesus of the past, the same one of three days before. And it is precisely the image of the Jesus of the past which prevents her from recognizing the living Jesus, who is present before her.
• John 20:16: Mary Magdalene recognizes Jesus. Jesus pronounces her name: “Mary!” This was the signal to recognize Him: the same voice, the same way of pronouncing her name. She answers, “Master!” Jesus had returned the same as the one who had died on the cross. The first impression was that death was only a painful incident on the journey, but now everything has again become as before. Mary embraces Jesus strongly. He was the same Jesus whom she had known and loved. And thus is fulfilled what the Parable of the Good Shepherd said: “He calls them by name and they recognize His voice”. “I know My sheep and My sheep know Me” (Jn 10:3, 4, 14).
• John 20:17-18: Mary Magdalene receives the mission to announce the resurrection to the apostles. In fact, it is the same Jesus, but the way of being together with her is not the same as before. Jesus tells her, “Do not cling to me, because I have not as yet ascended to the Father!” He goes toward the Father. Mary Magdalene has to let Jesus go and assume her mission: to announce to the brothers that He, Jesus, has ascended to the Father. Jesus has opened up the way for us and thus, once more, God is close to us.
• Chapter 20 in John’s Gospel, besides the apparitions of Jesus to Mary Magdalene, also speaks about diverse episodes which indicate the richness of the experience of the Resurrection: (a) to the beloved disciple and to Peter (Jn 20:1-10); (b) to Mary Magdalene (Jn 20:11-18); (c) to the community of disciples (Jn 20:19-23) and (d) to the Apostle Thomas (Jn 20:24-29). The purpose of the writing of the Gospel is to lead people to believe in Jesus, and believing in Him, to have life (Jn 20:30-31).
• In the way of describing the apparition of Jesus to Mary Magdalene one is aware of the different stages of the road that she had to follow, of the sorrowful search until the time of the encounter at Easter. These are also the stages through which we all have to pass, throughout our life, in seeking God and living the Gospel.
• John 20:11-13: Mary Magdalene weeps, but she seeks. There was a very strong love between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. She was one of the few persons who had the courage to remain with Jesus up to the moment of His death on the Cross. After the obligatory rest on Saturday, she goes back to the tomb to be in the place where she had seen her beloved for the last time. But, surprisingly, the tomb is empty! The angels ask her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” and her response is, “They have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have put Him!” Mary Magdalene looked for Jesus, that Jesus whom she had known for three years.
• John 20:14-15: Mary Magdalene speaks with Jesus without knowing Him. The disciples at Emmaus saw Jesus but they did not recognize Him. She thinks that Jesus is the gardener. And just as the angels had done, Jesus also asks, “Why are you weeping?” and He adds, “Whom are you looking for?” The response: “If you have taken Him away, tell me where you have put Him and I will go and get Him”. She was still looking for the Jesus of the past, the same one of three days before. And it is precisely the image of the Jesus of the past which prevents her from recognizing the living Jesus, who is present before her.
• John 20:16: Mary Magdalene recognizes Jesus. Jesus pronounces her name: “Mary!” This was the signal to recognize Him: the same voice, the same way of pronouncing her name. She answers, “Master!” Jesus had returned the same as the one who had died on the cross. The first impression was that death was only a painful incident on the journey, but now everything has again become as before. Mary embraces Jesus strongly. He was the same Jesus whom she had known and loved. And thus is fulfilled what the Parable of the Good Shepherd said: “He calls them by name and they recognize His voice”. “I know My sheep and My sheep know Me” (Jn 10:3, 4, 14).
• John 20:17-18: Mary Magdalene receives the mission to announce the resurrection to the apostles. In fact, it is the same Jesus, but the way of being together with her is not the same as before. Jesus tells her, “Do not cling to me, because I have not as yet ascended to the Father!” He goes toward the Father. Mary Magdalene has to let Jesus go and assume her mission: to announce to the brothers that He, Jesus, has ascended to the Father. Jesus has opened up the way for us and thus, once more, God is close to us.
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• Have you ever had an experience which
gave you the feeling of loss and death? What was it like? What gave you new
life and gave you back the hope and joy of living?
• What is the change that took place in Mary Magdalene throughout the dialogue? Mary Magdalene was looking for Jesus in a certain way and found Him in a different way. How does this take place in our life?
• What is the change that took place in Mary Magdalene throughout the dialogue? Mary Magdalene was looking for Jesus in a certain way and found Him in a different way. How does this take place in our life?
• Do we also look for Jesus in the past,
as a historical figure, when He is present right before us in the poor and
outcast we meet every day? What can we do to be more aware of Him in those that
we meet today?
• Has Jesus ever called to me as I faced
someone who was poor and outcast? Did I recognize my name as He called me
through that person and that opportunity to see Him?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
We are waiting for Yahweh;
He is our help and our shield,
for in Him our heart rejoices,
in His holy name we trust.
Yahweh, let Your faithful love rest on us,
as our hope has rested in You. (Ps 33:20-22)
He is our help and our shield,
for in Him our heart rejoices,
in His holy name we trust.
Yahweh, let Your faithful love rest on us,
as our hope has rested in You. (Ps 33:20-22)
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