Octave of Easter
11th April 2023 (Tuesday) Readings and Reflection
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Reading of the Day
First Reading: Acts 2:36-41
[On the day of Pentecost,] Peter said to the Jews, "Let all the 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 said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" And 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 for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation." So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20 and 22 (R. 5b)
R/. His merciful love fills the earth. Or: Alleluia.
Gospel : John 20:11-18
At that time: Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." Having said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and that he had said these things to her.
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Main Theme: No more to weep!
Indicative: We are called to experience the presence and power of the risen Lord in our life. That is possible only when we are deeply stirred within and moved to the core{alertSuccess}
1. Peter dared to speak the truth. He would point out to the Jews that they crucified the Lord of life. This courage was because of his conviction. This conviction was because of his passion for the Lord. This passion was from his deep personal experience with Jesus. This experience was from his unceasing intimacy with Jesus.
2. Now what he personally lived with and experienced, he would testify before them and exhort them to repent. We clearly see some concrete ingredients of this repentance. They were “cut to heart”. This means they were deeply touched, moved and stirred within, with a radical sense of anguish.
3. They realise the wrong they did and they are eager to make up for it. So they want to know what they should do. They humbly follow the directive of Peter. They repent and receive baptism. They believe in the Lord.
4. This repentance and faith would be rewarded. Their sins will be forgiven. They will receive the Holy Spirit. They will become the children of God. The greatest reward for this repentance and conversion is the vision of the risen Lord. Those who repent, believe and turn to the Lord will see the Lord.
5. Mary Magdalene is one such great example. She believed in and loved the Lord. So she could encounter the risen Lord. Her love was so passionate that her anguish was inconsolable. She would go on weeping. She would not leave the Lord even after death. So she would be hanging around the tomb of Jesus.
6. Her faithful love was richly rewarded with the Lord’s vision. But she cannot be content with it and remain confined within her personal experience. Vision entails a mission. That is to spread the same message of the Lord’s rising to others.
Imperative: We are called for a personal encounter with Jesus. This must enable us to affirm like Mary Magdalene, “I have seen the Lord”. How many can confidently and honestly make such a personal confession?{alertSuccess}