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April 7, 2023Reflection for Easter Sunday: April 9, 2023
Acts 10:34a, 37-43: Happy Easter! In this passage, our God speaks to us through the voice of the Apostle, Peter, our Church’s first leader. Upon Jesus’ death and Resurrection, Peter briefly reviews for us the main stages of Jesus’ ministry and mission among us. Peter observes that “God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power.” Reflect this week that we’re also anointed with the Holy Spirit and power at our baptisms. Reflect that there are expectations for us, as baptized Christians. Peter reminds us today about one of the expectations of us. Peter confirms us in our empowerment as witnesses to the Christian message. We’re all called to proclaim to those around us the Good News of Jesus’ redemption of us and His call to all of us to live the Gospel message.
Psalm 118: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.” Appropriately for Easter Sunday, today’s psalm is a song of rejoicing and of giving witness to the Good News of God’s eternal Love and Mercy. Reflect that we’re, each and all, called to share the Good News of Jesus’ Sacrifice of Himself for our sins so that we, via faith in Jesus’ mercy, accept forgiveness and the offer of eternal life, through Him. The psalmist rejoices in the Triumph of our Blessed Trinity via Jesus’ life, death and Resurrection. The author rejoices with us in the privilege we’ve been given to be Christian witnesses. At our baptisms, we’ve all been baptized as “priest, prophet and king,” (heirs to Salvation through the merits of Jesus’ Passion, death and Resurrection). That’s a lot to celebrate… the invitation for us, via living out the faith, to proclaim the Christian message that we’ve been privileged to receive!
1 Cor 5:6b-8: Before we become able to internalize and give witness of the Christian message to others, we must first let our own lives be transformed by God’s grace and the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit. However, in order to fully receive the graces offered to us, we must pray to be receptive to God’s messages to us regarding amending our lives and relationships. Are there sinful acts or worldly attachments to wealth and social status that we need to give up in order to receive the Christian message? Are we working to cleanse ourselves of bitterness and relinquish grudges in order to fully forgive others as God has fully and completely forgiven us? This isn’t easy, but if we allow ourselves to be transformed by Jesus’ message of love and forgiveness; we’ll be freed from the prison of sin and death in which we’ve been confined for too long!
John 20:1-9: Today, we begin by walking, in darkness, with St. Mary Magdalen and others to the empty tomb. We’re overwhelmed with a mixture of confusion, excitement, and fear… mixed with a strange hope that we’re not able to completely get hold of. We run, with Mary Magdalene to tell Peter and John, the beloved Apostle. In this excitement, we don’t think much. We just keep following and running. We run with Peter and John and Mary Magdalen and the others… back to the Tomb. We want to make sense of all of this! We notice that John arrives first, but defers to Peter; letting him enter the Tomb, first. We follow our leaders. They “saw and believed.” To “see,” we must look and listen; to “believe,” we must choose. If we see and believe, we must witness to others. Will we? Happy Easter!
Ponderously,
Deacon Matt
