Thursday in the Octave of Easter

“Christ Takes Leave of His Disciples”
by Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1308-1311

Readings for Thursday in the Octave of Easter [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Acts 3:11-26
 
As the crippled man who had been cured clung to Peter and John,
all the people hurried in amazement toward them
in the portico called "Solomon's Portico."
When Peter saw this, he addressed the people,
"You children of Israel, why are you amazed at this,
and why do you look so intently at us
as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety?
The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus
whom you handed over and denied in Pilate's presence,
when he had decided to release him.
You denied the Holy and Righteous One
and asked that a murderer be released to you.
The author of life you put to death,
but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.
And by faith in his name,
this man, whom you see and know, his name has made strong,
and the faith that comes through it
has given him this perfect health,
in the presence of all of you.
Now I know, brothers and sisters,
that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did;
but God has thus brought to fulfillment
what he had announced beforehand
through the mouth of all the prophets,
that his Christ would suffer.
Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away,
and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment
and send you the Christ already appointed for you, Jesus,
whom heaven must receive until the times of universal restoration
of which God spoke through the mouth
of his holy prophets from of old.
For Moses said:
 
A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you
from among your own kin;
to him you shall listen in all that he may say to you.
Everyone who does not listen to that prophet
will be cut off from the people.
 
"Moreover, all the prophets who spoke,
from Samuel and those afterwards, also announced these days.
You are the children of the prophets
and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors
when he said to Abraham,
In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
For you first, God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you
by turning each of you from your evil ways."
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Commentary on Acts 3:11-26
 
Following the earlier cure of the lame beggar, a crowd gathers in the temple area and Peter launches into the second kerygmatic discourse or proclamation about the nature of Christ. When Peter sees the Jews are amazed, in response to the crowd's incredulity he explains that the God anointed his "servant Jesus." In the original Greek, the word used is "pais," which is translated into Latin as "puer," which can be understood both as "slave/servant" and as "filius" - son. Peter uses the same formula: "The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" from Exodus 3:6. He also uses a new title for the Savior, “The Author of Life.”
 
"This second address by St. Peter contains two parts: in the first (vv. 12-16) the apostle explains that the miracle has been worked in the name of Jesus and through faith in this name; in the second (vv. 17-26) he moves his listeners to repentance - people who were responsible in some degree for Jesus' death.  This discourse has the same purpose as that of Pentecost - to show the power of God made manifest in Jesus Christ and to make the Jews see the seriousness of their crime and have them repent."[4]
 
He concludes this discourse with a call for conversion and repentance. He cites Moses' prophecy using a paraphrase of Deuteronomy 18:15, demonstrating that the Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled in Christ.
 
CCC: Acts 3:13-14 597; Acts 3:13 599; Acts 3:14 438, 601; Acts 3:15-16 2666; Acts 3:15 612, 626, 632, 635; Acts 3:17-18 591, 600; Acts 3:17 597; Acts 3:18 601; Acts 3:19-21 674
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 8:2ab and 5, 6-7, 8-9
 
R. (2ab) O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
O LORD, our Lord,
how glorious is your name over all the earth!
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 8:2ab and 5, 6-7, 8-9
 
Psalm 8 is another of the songs of thanksgiving.  In this selection we hear the title “son of man” used.  It is, in this instance, referring to all the faithful as opposed to Jesus.  The song reflects on the creation account from Genesis, and how God gave man dominion over the life he had created. The humility expressed in this song has the same sense of questioning humility found in Hebrews 2:5-12. It also marvels at the fact that God made his creation subject to man.
 
CCC: Ps 8:2 300, 2566; Ps 8:6 2566, 2809
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Gospel: Luke 24:35-48
 
The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way,
and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread.
 
While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
"Peace be with you."
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, "Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have."
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?"
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.
 
He said to them,
"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled."
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them,
"Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things."
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 24:35-48
 
This is the first appearance of the risen Christ to the disciples immediately following his appearance on the road to Emmaus, the account of which is referenced at the beginning of this selection. No mention is made of St. Thomas’ presence or absence as in the account from St. John (see John 20:19-31). He shows the disciples his wounds, and then to prove he is corporeal, he asks for food and eats in front of them.
 
As with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus “opened their minds” so they could see how Mosaic Law and the Hebrew Prophets were fulfilled in him. Then, satisfied that they believe, the Lord brings them to understand the prophetic significance of what had taken place. He concludes pointedly by saying: “You are witnesses to these things.” This statement is important since later in St. Luke’s narrative in the Acts of Apostles, their witness becomes the foundation of faith for others.
 
CCC: Lk 24:36 641, 645; Lk 24:38 644; Lk 24:39 644, 645, 645, 999; Lk 24:40 645; Lk 24:41-43 645; Lk 24:41 644; Lk 24:43 2605; Lk 24:44-48 652; Lk 24:44-46 112; Lk 24:44-45 572, 601; Lk 24:44 702, 2625, 2763; Lk 24:45 108; Lk 24:46 627; Lk 24:47-48 730; Lk 24:47 981, 1120, 1122; Lk 24:48-49 1304
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Reflection:
 
The mystery of the Lord’s Supper held in the upper room is unraveled in the locked room.  Even though Jesus is quoted in St. John’s Gospel as having said “my body is true food and my blood true drink” (John 6:55), there are many who cannot accept that Jesus left us the gift of his true body and blood in the Eucharist.  If he had done that, it is argued, the bread and wine would change their outward appearance; they would taste and feel different.
 
So difficult was this to accept that, during the Reformation, most Protestants who had decided that they could interpret Sacred Scripture as well as the Church decided that the last supper was merely symbolic, and that the words of St. John were only a metaphor.  They could not bring themselves to believe that Christ would physically make himself available to all those who followed him in faith.  In essence, they put God in a box of human understanding and would not allow the possibility of something beyond their human logic.
 
Jesus’ appearance in the locked room transforms our understanding of what is possible for God.  We must ask ourselves: “Did God violate the laws of physics in order for Jesus to physically stand in that room with the disciples?”  Did God somehow beam Jesus into the room like some Star Trek episode?  How did a physically solid Jesus get into a room without using a door or window?  There is really only one possibility.  The body Jesus showed to the disciples was a body transformed, it was a gloriously risen body which, while bearing the marks of his passion, was transformed into something real and substantial, not like anything physics has described.  In short, it is the essence of the Eucharist, real but unexplainable except by faith.
 
If we believe that Jesus walked with the disciples at Emmaus, if we believe that he came (twice) to the disciples in the locked room and to Peter on the shore, we must believe that his body is truly present in the Eucharist we share.  To deny that relationship is to deny Christ himself.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture used is “Christ Takes Leave of His Disciples” by Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1308-1311.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002), 738.

Wednesday in the Octave of Easter

“The Emmaus Disciples”
by Abraham Bloemaert, 1622

 
Readings for Wednesday in the Octave of Easter [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Acts 3:1-10
 
Peter and John were going up to the temple area
for the three o'clock hour of prayer.
And a man crippled from birth was carried
and placed at the gate of the temple called "the Beautiful Gate" every day
to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple.
When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple,
he asked for alms.
But Peter looked intently at him, as did John,
and said, "Look at us."
He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.
Peter said, "I have neither silver nor gold,
but what I do have I give you:
in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk."
Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up,
and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong.
He leaped up, stood, and walked around,
and went into the temple with them,
walking and jumping and praising God.
When all the people saw him walking and praising God,
they recognized him as the one
who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple,
and they were filled with amazement and astonishment
at what had happened to him.
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Commentary on Acts 3:1-10
 
This dramatic cure of the lame beggar is the first miracle worked by the apostles and begins a series of events that place the disciples in the footsteps of Jesus. "'This cure,' says St John Chrysostom, 'testifies to the resurrection of Christ, of which it is an image. [...] Observe that they do not go up to the temple with the intention of performing a miracle, so clear were they of ambition, so closely did they imitate their Master' (Hom. on Acts, 8)." [4]
 
In this first action, the beggar is cured in the name of Jesus and immediately he is led into the temple area. The symbolism here is that Jesus heals us and leads us to faith. The miraculous cure also serves a secondary purpose. In addition to demonstrating the power of God’s intense love invoked through the name of Jesus, it also serves to draw a large crowd to hear the kerygmatic discourse of St. Peter which follows.
 
CCC: Acts 3:1 584; Acts 3:9 2640
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9
 
R. (3b) Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations,
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9
 
The song of praise exhorts us to praise the Lord constantly and to remember his covenant with Abraham and Isaac. We praise him also for the new covenant in Jesus, for which the Son of God became the sealing sacrifice. It emphasizes the saving power of the name of the Lord.  In using the name of God, the speaker implicitly gives glory to God for the blessings that follow.
 
CCC: Ps 105:3 30
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Gospel: Luke 24:13-35
 
That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus' disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
"What are you discussing as you walk along?"
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?"
And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"
They said to him,
"The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his Body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see."
And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?"
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, "Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
"Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the Eleven and those with them who were saying,
"The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 24:13-35
 
This story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus is found only in Luke’s Gospel. It is the first appearance of the Lord following his resurrection in Luke.  There is a mention in Mark (Mark 16;12) that is vague but probably refers to this event. The actual location of Emmaus is not known, but it is estimated that it was between seven and eighteen miles from Jerusalem. The focus of the story is the unrecognized Jesus (similar: in John 20:11-18, Mary Magdalene thought he was a gardener).
 
It appears these disciples thought the unknown stranger joining them was "ignorant of events." They begin to explain their understanding of events.  Here one of the travelers is named "Clopas." This is likely to be Luke's source for the event and it was probably his wife who stood by the cross in St. John's Gospel. (John 19:25) [5] It is clear from the disciples' dialogue that they do not understand the true mission of the Lord, nor that he was the long-awaited Messiah whose mission is the redemption of mankind.
 
"In the course of their conversation with Jesus, the disciples' mood changes from sadness to joy; they begin to hope again, and feel the need to share their joy with others, thus becoming heralds and witnesses of the risen Christ." [6]
 
Jesus interprets Scripture and then he is recognized in the breaking of the bread (the Eucharistic reference). Luke uses the exact phrase used at the feeding of the five thousand (Luke 9:12): "he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them." Their reaction in recognizing him mirrors St. Peter's reaction immediately following as he confesses the Lord to be "The Messiah of God." (Luke 9:20)
 
CCC: Lk 24:13-49 1094; Lk 24:13-35 1329, 1347; Lk 24:15 645, 659; Lk 24:17 643; Lk 24:21 439; Lk 24:22-23 640; Lk 24:25-27 112, 601; Lk 24:26-27 572, 652; Lk 24:26 555, 710; Lk 24:27 555, 2625; Lk 24:30 645, 1166; Lk 24:31 659
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Reflection:
 
The disciples on the road to Emmaus were almost assuredly giving up.  They had just seen the Lord, for whom they had such high hopes, crucified and killed by the Romans.  Now they were headed toward Emmaus for some unknown reason.  It has been speculated that they were going home or perhaps, fearing further violence against Jesus’ supporters, they were simply running away.  Whatever their reasons might have been, the most likely purpose for their trip was to be headed away from the Lord rather than toward him.
 
The story tells us that Jesus joined them as they walked and, after hearing them explain how they perceived events that had taken place, he proceeded to break open the Law and Prophets, citing all of those instances that predicted what had unfolded in Jerusalem three days prior (remember, this is taking place shortly after Mary found the empty tomb).  Intellectually the disciples must have been thinking all of this made sense (in retrospect they would look back and remember how that revelatory conversation had caused their hearts to burn).
 
Still they did not recognize him until he recreated the Eucharist for them at the meal.  How blessed they were, who were shown Jesus in the Eucharist in such a way.  And how sad it is that many of us today have failed to recognize Jesus, even when we are told countless times that Jesus left us his body and blood in just that way.
 
The beauty of the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus is that we can all put ourselves in the place of the disciples.  Sometimes, on that dusty road, we are frightened, and we feel like we don’t know it is the Lord who is walking with us.  At times we are very close to Jesus and at times we feel like those disciples must have felt at the beginning of their journey: that they were running away.  We place ourselves at different times and in different places on that road and pray that we always recognize the Lord in those who travel with us.  We most especially pray that in this Easter Week we recognize the Lord in the bread and wine, his Risen Body broken for us.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture used is “The Emmaus Disciples” by Abraham Bloemaert, 1622.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002), 737.
[5] Gadenz , Pablo T., The Gospel of Luke  (Baker Academic, Grand Rapids MI © 2018), 395.
[6] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002) 513.

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

“Noli Me Tangere”
by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1524

 
Readings for Tuesday in the Octave of Easter [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Acts 2:36-41
 
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.
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Commentary on Acts 2:36-41
 
The selection from Acts continues the First Discourse by Peter concerning the Messiah. In this section he introduces baptism in the name of Jesus. This is in accord with the instructions of all four Gospels found here for the first time. Peter’s arguments are compelling, and we are told that three thousand people accepted the call.
 
We note here also that Peter called for “repentance” in addition to the call to baptism. While baptism washes away past sins, repentance is a call to ongoing conversion of heart. The indelible change in character is a consequence of the gift of the Holy Spirit also given in baptism.
 
There has been some debate about the formula to be used in baptism.  Some point to this passage and say that “in the name of Jesus Christ,” is possible.  However, as early as 100 AD, the Didache stated that baptism should be given in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (cf. Matthew 28:19), but this does not prevent it, in other passages, from referring to "those baptized in the name of the Lord." The expression "baptized in the name of Christ" means, therefore, becoming a member of Christ, becoming a Christian (cf. "Didache", VII, 1; IX, 5). [4]
 
CCC: Acts 2:34-36 447, 449; Acts 2:36-38 1433; Acts 2:36 440, 597, 695, 731, 746; Acts 2:38 1226, 1262, 1287, 1427; Acts 2:41 363, 1226
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 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.
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Commentary on Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20 and 22
 
Psalm 33 is a song of praise and thanksgiving.  In this selection the emphasis is on faithfulness to God who has saving power, combined with hope, a central component of faith in God. The sense of God’s adoption of his chosen ones is expressed as the singer rejoices in the interdependence of the people and God’s love.
 
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Gospel: 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.
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Commentary on Jn 20:11-18
 
Today we are given St. John’s account of the first meeting between Mary Magdalene and Jesus following the Lord’s crucifixion. It is likely, given her past relationship with Jesus, that Mary throws herself at the Lord, embracing either his knees or feet.  The Lord’s response, “stop holding,” or in other translations “stop touching me” (noli me tangere), may indicate that relationships have changed, that Christ must now let go of earthly ties to assume his Godhead.   In this account, we get a distinct picture that the ascension had not been completed, but the Lord is waiting to deliver his final instructions.
 
There is debate about when the Lord ascended to the Father. Clearly, his last earthly appearance was fifty days following the resurrection. Most scholars believe Jesus ascended immediately following his meeting with Mary depicted here. His return, and his actions from this point to the Ascension (Acts 1:1-11), were to reassure the disciples and to bestow the gift of the Holy Spirit he had promised.
 
CCC: Jn 20:11-18 641; Jn 20:13 640; Jn 20:14-15 645, 659; Jn 20:14 645; Jn 20:16 645; Jn 20:17 443, 645, 654, 660, 2795
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Reflection:
 
It is surprising, while we are still in the Octave of Easter, that the message conveyed by Scripture is not simply one of rejoicing.  It has a very practical message.  Mary Magdalene is weeping at the tomb, capturing the sense of loss initially felt before realization dawned on the disciples about Jesus’ resurrection.  Yet in a temporal shift, we would hear St. Peter exhorting the Jews to repentance.  Yes, he is making his point, primarily about faith in Jesus and the need to accept the cleansing bath of baptism, but beyond that he is exhorting the need for repentance – a change in how they act going forward.
 
Repentance is more than simply saying we are sorry.  True repentance is a fundamental change in how we act and think about the world and those around us.  It is conforming ourselves to Christ’s mind in such a way that we react to people with what we will call the “Christ reflex.” 
 
Anyone who has trained for a sport knows that there is something called muscle memory.  That means, when an athlete trains long enough under strict supervision, their muscles automatically perform without conscious thought.  They reflexively act as they were trained.  Repentance means we train ourselves to have the “spiritual memory” of how Christ would react.  Through repetition and coaching we train ourselves to think and act as if Christ were whispering in our ear in real-time.
 
We are an Easter people.  We believe that our Savior came to the world so that we might take his message of love to heart and understand that it is God’s will that we apply his example in our lives.  The only way we can do that is to develop the “Christ reflex.”  When we see the poor, the infirm, or the marginalized, our reflex should be love, not fear or revulsion.  When we are wronged, mentally or physically, our reaction must be compassion and forgiveness, not hatred or the desire for vengeance.  It is difficult, this Christ reflex.  And it will not come overnight.  Further we cannot do it in a vacuum.  We need a coach.  Getting a spiritual director is advisable and having a training partner is also recommended to keep each other honest and on track.  And of course, we need the whole team to cheer us on (that would be our faith community).
 
Our Easter joy is somewhat tempered by the knowledge of how far we must grow to become the disciples the Lord expects.  Now while the echo of the Gloria bells still reverberates, let us make a pledge to work toward that Christ reflex and to accept his challenge and example.
 
Pax
 
In other years on April 7: Optional Memorial for Saint John Baptist De La Salle, Priest

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[1] The picture used is “Noli Me Tangere” by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1524.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts, (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002), 735.

Monday in the Octave of Easter

“Noli Me Tangere”
by Marco Pino, 1550s

Readings for Monday in the Octave of Easter [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Acts 2:14, 22-33
 
On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
"You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.
Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
 
"You who are children of Israel, hear these words.
Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God
with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs,
which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.
This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,
you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.
But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death,
because it was impossible for him to be held by it.
For David says of him:
 
I saw the Lord ever before me,
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted;
my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,
because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.
 
My brothers, one can confidently say to you
about the patriarch David that he died and was buried,
and his tomb is in our midst to this day.
But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him
that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,
he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,
that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld
nor did his flesh see corruption.
God raised this Jesus;
of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God,
he poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit
that he received from the Father, as you both see and hear."
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Commentary on Acts 2:14, 22-33
 
This is the first of the six professions (“kerygma” or proclamations) in Acts about the resurrection set immediately following the Pentecost event. In this proclamation, Peter, speaking to the Jews in Jerusalem (many of whom would have been in the crowd that saw Jesus crucified), first tells them: “This man (Jesus)” demonstrated, through “signs and wonders,” that he was the Christ. He then makes the accusation “you killed,” and concludes with, “but God raised him up.” He reminds them that David had been promised an eternal dynasty (quoting Psalm 16:8-11), and that promise had been fulfilled in the resurrected Messiah, Jesus.
 
CCC: Acts 2:22 547; Acts 2:23 597, 599
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
 
R. (1) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
 
Psalm 16 is a song of thanksgiving that has become prophetic. It speaks clearly of the resurrection accomplished in Christ. It is a hymn of trust in God. Each strophe ends with an affirmation of faithfulness. Key, in the context of the Easter season, is the idea of trust in God who has conquered death and offers the same gift. ("Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.") The psalmist prays that God will shield the faithful from harm, and expresses confidence in the Lord’s salvation, closing the passage with praise for God’s loving mercy.
 
CCC: Ps 16:9-10 627
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Gospel: Matthew 28:8-15
 
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed,
and ran to announce the news to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.
Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me."
 
While they were going, some of the guard went into the city
and told the chief priests all that had happened.
The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel;
then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
telling them, "You are to say,
'His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.'
And if this gets to the ears of the governor,
we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble."
The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.
And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.
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Commentary on Mt 28:8-15
 
From Matthew’s Gospel we are told of Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Christ as she returned from the empty tomb. In this account, Mary is described as actually touching him. This differs from the description in the Gospel of St. John (John 20:17), where Jesus asks Mary not to hold on to him because he has not yet ascended to the Father. This Scripture also tells us something we would expect of those who did not want to believe: the rumor that it was the disciples of Jesus who took the body, rather than letting the truth get out. What was not disputed was that the tomb was empty.
 
“The women have searched for Jesus and set out on their way to the disciples, obeying the angel’s directions. But for the gift of joy to be truly a divine gift unequivocally deriving from the Heart of God, it is Jesus who must set out to find the women and, in this encounter, admit them personally to the experience of his love.” [4]
 
CCC: Mt 28:9-10 641; Mt 28:9 645; Mt 28:10 654; Mt 28:11-15 640
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Reflection:
 
The Gospel story from Matthew is dripping with irony.  At the time the events of this story take place, the disciples probably didn’t fully understand what had happened.  Certainly, those who first discover the empty tomb are likely to be thinking it was the Romans that came to take the body of Jesus away or perhaps someone hired by the Sanhedrin.  Here, St. Matthew describes the reaction of the Jewish leadership to the empty tomb.  It appears they understood, better than Jesus’ friends, what had taken place in the Resurrection.
 
The reaction of the Jews is one of dismay.  All of the Law and the Prophets is predicated upon the one who comes from God to establish his kingdom, and now they find that they were the instruments of his death.  Is it any wonder they initiate the biggest cover-up in the history of the world?  But it is not God’s will.  That is where they have gone wrong from the beginning.  They have been trying to have God behave as they wanted, instead of trying to understand what God was telling them through His Son.
 
Our faith in the truth of the empty tomb must caution us not fall into the same trap, accepting only our limited view of what God wants us to do and be.  The resurrection of Christ changes everything.  It changes the meaning of victory.  If victory for the Christian was expressed in human terms, our crucified Savior would seem a defeat.  The resurrection changes the meaning of life!  If life were defined simply in physical terms, Christians would be nothing but the dust of death.  Yet Christ shows us his risen body, and life with him moves to the eternal plane.
 
We see the irony of St. Matthew, and like all great truths, the logic fits impeccably.  But the Sanhedrin is too late. As the old saying goes, “The cat is out of the bag.”  The Lord has risen as he promised, and with that promise fulfilled, we rejoice in the knowledge that all we have come to know about Jesus is true as well.
 
Pax
 
In other years on this date: Optional Memorial for Saint Vincent Ferrer, Priest
 

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[1] The picture today is “Noli Me Tangere” by Marco Pino, 1550s.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] Leiva-Merikakis, Erasmo, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume IV (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA © 2021), 760.