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The Resurrection of the Lord
The Mass of Easter Day
Readings for Easter Sunday[1][2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Acts 10:34a, 37-43
This is part of Peter’s speech to the Cornelius and his family (Gentiles). Peter (according to St. Luke) assumes the people know what has happened – namely that Jesus who was thought to be the Messiah, had proven that fact in the resurrection. Now he reminds them, before the creed was written that Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
Or Alleluia.
Psalm 118 is a song of thanksgiving emphasizing the fidelity of God. The final strophe gives a reminder that God’s only Son was rejected and, in the resurrection, revealed to all the word that he is the cornerstone of all creation.
Reading II Colossians 3:1-4
Paul gives assurance to the Colossians that they too have a home with Christ who now is seated at the right hand of the Father. In saying this, he points their aspirations to the things of heaven.
Or I Corinthians 5:6b-8
Paul calls the Corinthians to conversion with a metaphor. He uses the duel meaning or implication of leaven bread and the feast of the Passover to symbolize the new covenant. The traditional Passover meal or Seder is lamb and unleavened bread. Christ, the Lamb of God in the unleavened bread of the Eucharist is their meal.
Gospel John 20:1-9
In St. John’s account of the discovery of the “Empty Tomb” we hear how the disciple whom Jesus loved understood what had come to pass before Peter. Found also in Luke, this story furnishes the testimony that confirms Christ’s resurrection.
Reflection:
He is Risen!
The forty days of preparation have ended and we celebrate the greatest feast of the Church. Jesus Christ The Gospel of St. John tells the story of the foot race between St. Peter and another (much younger) disciple, probably St. John himself. They rush to the grave because Mary Magdala has told them something astonishing. She has been to the Tomb and it was empty!
They had to see for themselves. It had been three days and they could not have gone earlier because they were forbidden to make that journey on the Sabbath. What did they think as they ran? Were they fighting with their faith? Did they believe that what Jesus had been telling them all along had come to pass or could have been the Romans or even the Temple guards that took the body, still not prepared for proper burial to some other place, further humiliating the Lord after his death.
The truth of that event has come to be known. Centuries past and the debate raged. The Lord came to reveal the truth; that God loves us, created in His image, an impulse of his love. And when he saw that we did not understand, he sent his Son that we might come to see that he was not simply a parent who punished his children when they were in error. He was not simply, as the Jews had come to believe, a strict disciplinarian, rather he was a loving Father who cared deeply for his children and wanted to be with them always.
His Son came to us knowing that many would not accept the Love of the Father; knowing that they would reject him so violently that it would result in humiliation and horrible, painful death. Molding flesh in the Virgin Mary’s womb, Christ came to us with all of the frailties that make up a true man. What good would God’s sacrifice have seemed if his unending Godhead descended? He showed us with his actions the life God wanted for us; a life without contest, in harmony with one another and all creation. He gathered all Sacred Scripture to himself and showed us how it fit together – he was the Epiphany.
In the end, when he had shown us all the love he could, he took the path preordained. It was a path the man Jesus did not want. It was the path the God, Jesus, knew was necessary. It fulfilled the new covenant. The sacrifice was God himself, the seal of that covenant was his blood. And now, so we might not be like those who live in darkness and have no hope, He has Risen!
What do we believe and what does that mean for us? If we believe that Christ has risen as he told us repeatedly that he would, then we understand him the be the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God who as Paul and Luke both tell us, now sits at the right had of the Father in the seat of Justice. If that is our belief, first we celebrate that event joyfully today. Not just because our long fast has ended, but once more the Church proclaims throughout the world that salvation is there for the asking. The great “Alleluia” has sounded and we are called to echo that joyous sound that the world will know and come to believe, “For they did not yet understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead.”
Pax
Please Pray for Esther.
Additional Information About the Solemnity of Epiphany[1]
Readings for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord[2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Isaiah 60:1-6
The Church sees in the images of Isaiah’s prophecy symbols of her universality. We hear echoes of Isaiah’s prophetic vision of the coming of Christ and what that means.(“See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the Lord shines, and over you appears his glory”). Verses 5 and 6 give clear reference to the arrival of the Magi as the Prophet envisions the gifts of gold and frankincense being brought from the east in praise of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13R Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
This selection focuses us clearly on the revelation of Christ. References are made to the Son of the King who will govern the people with justice. In the third strophe we are given kings bringing gifts and finally, in the fourth strophe we see the Savior’s care for the poor reflected.
Reading II Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Paul, in his Letter to the Ephesians, makes reference to the revelation by God of his Only Son through various means to all peoples. He mentions specifically the Apostles and prophets have been lead to enlightenment by the Holy Spirit and now the Gentiles. The reference traces the predictive revelation from the prophets who foresaw the coming of the Messiah, to the Apostles who walked with him, to Paul whose mission to the Gentiles fulfills the global mission of Jesus.
Gospel Matthew 2:1-12
We hear the story of the Magi (whom tradition holds were named Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar) coming to pay homage to Jesus. For us, in this time the story holds significance not only as a significant event in the life of Jesus, but also as a symbol of the Lord’s universal revelation. Scripture and tradition hold that the Magi were from Persia and were not Hebrew. Their participation in the revelation of the Messiah provides a global element to the coming of Christ.
While this story provides depth and meaning to the coming of Christ as a universal symbol of salvation, it also sets the stage for other events in the life of Jesus. Had not Herod been made aware of the prophecy, he would not later have dispatched his solders to Bethlehem to slaughter the Holy Innocents and Joseph would not have been forced to flee to Egypt with a babe in arms.
Reflection:
Christmas tide draws to an end with this great celebration. The Universal Church around the world rejoices in the event that created her. We say that because this is the day we see, in the visit of the Magi, the mission of the Savior expanded beyond the Hebrew people as God embraces all of his creation.
Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, Persian astrologers brought their gifts to the new born King. They were not of the Hebrew faith. Rather they were directed by the Holy Spirit to that place at that time so that the world might marvel at God’s infinite love. The Gold, Frankincense and Mir were noble gifts that must have, to others present, seemed hugely contradictory to the circumstances of the Lord’s birth – a manger – a stable. It was hardly a place where one would expect the arrival of the most important person ever born of woman.
By the faith of Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar we are shown that one does not need to have some special heritage to belong to the Savior. Race, color, or national origins are not barriers to God’s saving love. How often that universal embrace has been forgotten in our history? How many times has the human race looked at itself and decided that only people of one region or one race or one set of customs may benefit from God’s favor?
Today, the whole world rejoices. The king of, not just the Jews, but of the whole world has been revealed and the door to salvation is flung open to all who can reach out to him. As we celebrate this day, let us all give thanks that in our time and place we can exercise that acceptance of God openly and freely. And may we also look at the example provided here of the universal love God has shown and to all people and attempt to stamp out any bigotry in our own hearts.
Pax[1] The picture used today is “Adoration of the Magi” by Abraham Bloemaert, 1623-24
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
The Octave Day of Christmas
Information about the Catholic Teaching on the Blessed Virgin Mary[1]Information from the Catechism of the Catholic Church about Mary
Readings for the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary[2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Numbers 6:22-27
Especially in Protestant circles this passage is known as Aaron’s Blessing and is often used as the final blessing given at their services. It is interesting for us that it is used on the Solemnity of Mary – the obvious inference is that Mary, the Mother of God is a blessing to all of us.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8.R. May God bless us in his mercy.
Psalm 67 gives us another blessing and has elements of the ancient blessing of Aaron we heard in the first reading. This blessing has more of a plaintive tone, beseeching, almost pleading that the Lord bless us.
Reading II Galatians 4:4-7
“God sent his Son, born of a woman” this passage provides us with the important fact that Mary gave birth to Jesus. He did not mystically appear to us. Jesus is (was) true man, meaning he went through the biological birth process. That also means that Mary, the Mother of God when through all of the difficult physical process of giving birth.
St. Paul goes on to remind us that through this action we are all adopted by God and are entitled to call God our Father “Abba” (translated into American usage as “daddy”).
Gospel Luke 2:16-21
The message, given to the shepherds by choirs of angels that they, in turn, brought to Mary that she kept and reflected in her heart about was; “For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." (Luke 2 11-12)
This encounter with the shepherds further reinforces Mary’s faith, the acceptance of her child’s role explained to her by the Archangel Gabriel when this wonderful and tragic journey began.
Reflection:
We, as Disciples of Christ, always try to imitate him. We try to develop our spiritual selves and to conform our minds to His will in order to be faithful to our call. This is our life long pursuit. It is one that we know, while we constantly hold that goal up before ourselves, is impossible to fully attain until we are purified through the grace God and stand before him.
The Lord has left us helps along the way so we would not become discouraged,. First he gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit, the third person of God that dwells in us and sustains us. We are aware of this gift given to all at Pentecost and to us individually at our Baptism. But we still must learn to use it. That ability (to reach inside and tap into the strength of the Holy Spirit) is much like a muscle it must be built up or a discipline of will that must be developed.
God, in his infinite wisdom, has seen our dilemma and also provided us with additional examples, like stepping stones; inspired people of faith have proceeded us on this journey and in this task. Their lives provide us with examples, showing us the way to follow the path and the pitfalls along the way. Like lamps on a dark and winding road, these heroic figures stand like sign-posts directing us on the path of holiness. These people are, of course, the Saints acclaimed and canonized by Holy Mother Church.
Chief among these beacons of light in the darkness is Mary, the Mother of God, Blessed Virgin who is the first to know and accept our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It was she who accepted, without fear, the great blessing of bearing the Messiah long prophesied. It was she who kept all of the signs and foreknowledge in hear heart. It was she who first gave the world a peak at the nature of her son at the wedding feast of Cana when she told the steward to listen to him regarding the wine. And it was she who stood at the foot of the cross, torn by grief, as her son fulfilled his Father’s purpose.
From that high station, hanging upon the cross, Jesus sent his mother to be mother of us all; “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.” (John 19 26-27)
Through all those years since, Mary has come to the people of this earth. She has come in many places and ways; to Fatima and Lourdes, to Guadalupe, Mexico and Czestochowa, Poland. She has come with various messages but with one overwhelming purpose – to bring the people of God to faith in Her Son.
Today, on her day, we celebrate the Virgin Mary’s sacrifice and gift. We thank God for that shining example of faith that gives us hope in our own journey. May we always revere her and keep her example in our hearts.
Pax[1] The icon used today is “The Mother of God Enthroned” by Andreas Ritzos, 1460-80
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
Christmas
Mass During the Day
Readings for the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord[1][2]Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Isaiah 52:7-10
The Prophet’s original intent was to proclaim the joy of the return from the Babylonian exile. He sees the event as salvation for the Hebrew people, God leads them back. From a greater distance and depth of understanding we see him announcing the coming of the Messiah and the salvation that comes to the new Jerusalem through him.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6[3]R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Psalm 98 is a song of praise and thanksgiving. We see in this selection how God is praised for the strength he lends his people and the salvation he brings to those who are faithful. The psalm rejoices in God’s salvation. The Lord has revealed his compassion toward the people and they sing his praises in response. As the Hebrews saw this as salvation for the people of Israel from its enemies, we see the deeper expression of God’s love as he sent his Son for salvation and justice for the whole world.”
Reading II Hebrews 1:1-6
The note from the NAB does a nice job of setting this passage within the context of the Solemnity of the Nativity: “The letter opens with an introduction consisting of a reflection on the climax of God's revelation to the human race in his Son. The divine communication was initiated and maintained during Old Testament times in fragmentary and varied ways through the prophets (Hebrews 1:1), including Abraham, Moses, and all through whom God spoke. But now in these last days (Hebrews 1:2) the final age, God's revelation of his saving purpose is achieved through a son, i.e., one who is Son, whose role is redeemer and mediator of creation. He was made heir of all things through his death and exaltation to glory, yet he existed before he appeared as man; through him God created the universe. Hebrews 1:3-4, which may be based upon a liturgical hymn, assimilate the Son to the personified Wisdom of the Old Testament as refulgence of God's glory and imprint of his being (Hebrews 1:3; cf Wisdom 7:26).”
Gospel John 1:1-18
The introduction of St. John’s Gospel first provides the description of the relationship of God and Jesus who is the Logos – or word of God. The Word is light to the world and all things are subordinate to the Word because they were created by and through the Word.
St. John then introduces himself as one who came to testify to the light (now equivocated above with the Word). His message, like that of Jesus was not accepted by the very people created by the Lord. He goes on to say that those who accept Christ are adopted by God.
St. John then makes his own profession as he speaks of the incarnation of the eternal as “the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” His divinity is once more established as he says “…we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son”. This was the message St. John tells us he was sent to bring. He then reestablishes himself as messenger and servant of the one who sent him, Jesus. He says that while Moses brought the Law, Christ came and revealed God himself.
or John1:1-5, 9-14
In this shorter form of the Gospel, the first introduction and second introductions of the Gospel author is omitted “the one who came to testify to the light. He reiterates his role as messenger in the John 1:15 as he says “This was he of whom I said, 'The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.'" Omitting these references to St. John, focuses the scripture more specifically on the incarnation of Christ as the “Word mad flesh.”
Reflection:
Profound awe tempers our enthusiasm as our joy at the incarnation of the Word is announced by St. John’s Gospel today. His is not the story of the baby Jesus born in the manger in Bethlehem. St. John does not mention the difficult journey from Nazareth nor the crowded conditions that forced them to stay in a cave. He does not recall the angel choirs singing to the shepherds nor the kings from the east following the morning star that lit the night sky under which the baby was laid.
This day we are reminded that he who took on flesh and became man for our salvation is eternal. Before he came to the virgin’s womb was the Word. When God created all that is, was the Word. It was through the Word that we have life and light because the Word is light.
God took the light of creation and made it man so that we might see the light and understand the love of God who was both eternal and mortal in the form of Jesus. It is this amazing gift we celebrate today as we ponder the love of one so great he is beyond our imagining.
We are reminded too that when the light came into the world it was rejected by those who love the darkness. The Word made flesh was not to be adored but brought light none the less. His short journey was from the manger to the cross and while we celebrate one on this day, we remember the other.
Today, whether we recall the manger in Bethlehem or the Logos, the Word that brought light into the world, we thank the Father who through his Son’s sacrifice has adopted us and provided us with salvation through the forgiveness of our sins. We celebrate the great love we receive in this gift and pass that love on to all we meet so that we too become light in dark places.
Merry Christmas indeed, in the Word comes our joy and the peace of him who was made flesh for our salvation.
Pax
The Epiphany of the Lord
Historical Information about the Feast of EpiphanyReadings for Epiphany
Commentary:
Reading 1 Is 60:1-6
The footnote on this reading says the Church sees in the images of Isaiah’s prophecy symbols of her universality. We hear echoes of Isaiah’s prophetic vision of the coming of Christ and what that means. The end feels very much like the arrival of the three Kings.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
This selection focuses us clearly on the revelation of Christ. References are made to the Son of the King who will govern the people with justice. In the third strophe we are given kings bringing gifts and finally, in the fourth strophe we see the Savior’s care for the poor reflected.
Reading II Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6
Paul, in his Letter to the Ephesians, makes reference to the revelation by God of his Only Son through various means to all peoples. He mentions specifically the Apostles and prophets have been lead to understand by the Holy Spirit and now the Gentiles. The reference traces the predictive revelation from the prophets who foresaw the coming of the Messiah, to the Apostles who walked with him, to Paul whose mission to the Gentiles fulfills the global mission of Jesus.
Gospel Mt 2:1-12
We hear the story of the Magi (whom tradition holds were named Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar) coming to pay homage to Jesus. For us, in this time the story holds significance not only as a significant event in the life of Jesus, but also as a symbol of the Lord’s universal revelation. Scripture and tradition hold that the Magi were from Persia and were not Hebrew. Their participation in the revelation of the Messiah provides a global element to the coming of Christ.
Reflection:
Christmas tide draws to an end with this great celebration. The Universal Church around the world rejoices in the event that created her. We say that because this is the day we see, in the visit of the Magi, the mission of the Savior expanded beyond the Hebrew people as God embraces all of his creation.
Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, Persian astrologers brought their gifts to the new born King. They were not of the Hebrew faith. Rather they were directed by the Holy Spirit to that place at that time so that the world might marvel at God’s infinite love. The Gold, Frankincense and Mir were noble gifts that must have, to others present, have seemed hugely contradictory to the circumstances of the Lord’s birth – a manger – a stable. It was hardly a place where one would expect the arrival of the most important person ever born of woman.
By the faith of Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar we are shown that one does not need to have some special heritage to belong to the Savior. Race, color, or national origins are not barriers to God’s saving love. How often that has been forgotten in our history? How many times has the human race looked at itself and decided that only people of one region or one race or one set of customs must benefit from God’s favor?
Today, the whole world rejoices. The king of, not just the Jews, but of the whole world has been revealed and the door to salvation is flung open to all who can reach out to him. As we celebrate this day, let us all give thanks that in our time and place we can exercise that acceptance of God openly and freely.
Pax
