Readings for Monday in the Octave of Easter[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
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."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 2:14, 22-33
This is the first of the six professions (“kerugma” 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 that “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 made the promise of an eternal dynasty (quoting Psalm 16:8-11) that had been fulfilled in the resurrected Messiah, Jesus.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
Psalm 16 is the song quoted in the Acts above. A song of thanksgiving that has become prophetic, it speaks clearly of the resurrection accomplished now in Christ. (“Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption”.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, that is 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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
With the strains of the Exultet-the great proclamation of Easter still echoing in our ears, sacred scripture reminds us that the Word must be spread and that many will disbelieve. First we are given the first “kerugma” by St. Peter. We see the effect of the newly given gift of the Holy Spirit as he speaks to the same population of Jews who had recently found it expedient to murder Jesus for the same kind of talk about Him being the Messiah. The fear he expressed when he was challenged in the outer courtyard when he denied even knowing Jesus has left him and he courageously proclaims Christ as Messiah, and him crucified and raised by God.
In the Gospel we see the Sanhedrin attempting to “spin” Jesus resurrection as an attempt by the disciples to create the appearance that Jesus prediction that he would rise in three days had not come true; that it was a hoax. We find this completely believable. In fact many of those who reject Christ today, point to this scenario as the probable truth about the empty tomb. Who can really blame them? It requires a belief that all things are not knowable or explained by physical evidence or scientific understanding. Many of those who cannot believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead fall into this category of arrogance.
We use the word “arrogance” to describe those who reject the story of the Risen Christ because we find it amazing that, if the reason for their rejection is that they do not believe that one dead could be raised by God or return to a former state of life (in Jesus case, he returned to his glorified state, clothed in his Godhood); then they presume to possess a knowledge beyond physical or metaphysical proofs. In essence, they claim complete and total knowledge of the physical world in all its varieties and refuse to accept that any event can violate the model they have built for themselves.
In the movie “Expelled” with Ben Stein, which we strongly recommend, Ben actually gets an interview with the famous British atheist Richard Dawkins. He masterfully explores Dawkins’ views on Neo-Darwinism (Evolutionary Theory) and brings him back to the very beginning asking him how life on earth began. At this point Dawkins, somewhat uncomfortably put forth the theory that suggests “space aliens” had seeded life on earth.
It is much easier for those with no faith to believe in the physical, no matter how absurd, than it is to believe in God’s creating hand. And if they have a problem believing that God created all things which they can see and touch, how much more will they reject the idea that God so loved the world that he sent his only Son, whom they cannot see or touch? How could they possibly accept that this loving God sacrificed his own Son so we, his favorite creation, could have life with him?
The next time we, in our zeal for the risen Lord, find ourselves scoffed at or criticized as superstitious for our belief, we should remember that those who reject Christ do so out of arrogance or ignorance. In either case, they deserve our consolation for they have closed the door on their own life.
He is Risen!
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
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."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 2:14, 22-33
This is the first of the six professions (“kerugma” 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 that “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 made the promise of an eternal dynasty (quoting Psalm 16:8-11) that had been fulfilled in the resurrected Messiah, Jesus.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
Psalm 16 is the song quoted in the Acts above. A song of thanksgiving that has become prophetic, it speaks clearly of the resurrection accomplished now in Christ. (“Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption”.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, that is 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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
With the strains of the Exultet-the great proclamation of Easter still echoing in our ears, sacred scripture reminds us that the Word must be spread and that many will disbelieve. First we are given the first “kerugma” by St. Peter. We see the effect of the newly given gift of the Holy Spirit as he speaks to the same population of Jews who had recently found it expedient to murder Jesus for the same kind of talk about Him being the Messiah. The fear he expressed when he was challenged in the outer courtyard when he denied even knowing Jesus has left him and he courageously proclaims Christ as Messiah, and him crucified and raised by God.
In the Gospel we see the Sanhedrin attempting to “spin” Jesus resurrection as an attempt by the disciples to create the appearance that Jesus prediction that he would rise in three days had not come true; that it was a hoax. We find this completely believable. In fact many of those who reject Christ today, point to this scenario as the probable truth about the empty tomb. Who can really blame them? It requires a belief that all things are not knowable or explained by physical evidence or scientific understanding. Many of those who cannot believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead fall into this category of arrogance.
We use the word “arrogance” to describe those who reject the story of the Risen Christ because we find it amazing that, if the reason for their rejection is that they do not believe that one dead could be raised by God or return to a former state of life (in Jesus case, he returned to his glorified state, clothed in his Godhood); then they presume to possess a knowledge beyond physical or metaphysical proofs. In essence, they claim complete and total knowledge of the physical world in all its varieties and refuse to accept that any event can violate the model they have built for themselves.
In the movie “Expelled” with Ben Stein, which we strongly recommend, Ben actually gets an interview with the famous British atheist Richard Dawkins. He masterfully explores Dawkins’ views on Neo-Darwinism (Evolutionary Theory) and brings him back to the very beginning asking him how life on earth began. At this point Dawkins, somewhat uncomfortably put forth the theory that suggests “space aliens” had seeded life on earth.
It is much easier for those with no faith to believe in the physical, no matter how absurd, than it is to believe in God’s creating hand. And if they have a problem believing that God created all things which they can see and touch, how much more will they reject the idea that God so loved the world that he sent his only Son, whom they cannot see or touch? How could they possibly accept that this loving God sacrificed his own Son so we, his favorite creation, could have life with him?
The next time we, in our zeal for the risen Lord, find ourselves scoffed at or criticized as superstitious for our belief, we should remember that those who reject Christ do so out of arrogance or ignorance. In either case, they deserve our consolation for they have closed the door on their own life.
He is Risen!
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture today is “Magdalene” by Carlo Dolci, 1660-70
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
[2] The picture today is “Magdalene” by Carlo Dolci, 1660-70
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
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