Readings for Saturday in the Octave of Easter[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Acts 4:13-21
Observing the boldness of Peter and John
and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men,
the leaders, elders, and scribes were amazed,
and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus.
Then when they saw the man who had been cured standing there with them,
they could say nothing in reply.
So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin,
and conferred with one another, saying,
"What are we to do with these men?
Everyone living in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign
was done through them, and we cannot deny it.
But so that it may not be spread any further among the people,
let us give them a stern warning
never again to speak to anyone in this name."
So they called them back
and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
Peter and John, however, said to them in reply,
"Whether it is right in the sight of God
for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges.
It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard."
After threatening them further,
they released them,
finding no way to punish them,
on account of the people who were all praising God
for what had happened.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 4:13-21
This is the conclusion of the story of the healing of the lame beggar at the “Beautiful” Gate. The Sanhedrin has a problem. Too many people saw the miracle done in Jesus’ name. They attempt damage control by threatening Peter and John. This does not work and we hear the final word of their kerygmatic discourse as they proclaim once more Christ Risen. Significant is the fact that the reason the Sanhedrin could not punish them further was the event had been attributed by the people to God’s mercy not to the disciples themselves.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118:1 and 14-15ab, 16-18, 19-21
R. (21a) I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the LORD has struck with power."
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
Though the LORD has indeed chastised me,
yet he has not delivered me to death.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 118:1 and 14-15ab, 16-18, 19-21
Psalm 118 is the great litany of thanksgiving. In this selection, it leads nicely into the Gospel with “I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me and have been my savior.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 16:9-15
When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week,
he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had driven seven demons.
She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that he was alive
and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
After this he appeared in another form
to two of them walking along on their way to the country.
They returned and told the others;
but they did not believe them either.
But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them
and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart
because they had not believed those
who saw him after he had been raised.
He said to them, "Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 16:9-15
This Gospel selection is called “The Longer Ending” or “The Canonical Ending” of St. Mark’s Gospel. It captures pieces of the story we have from the Gospels of St. Luke and St. John. The emotion expressed is one of fear and determination rather than joy and confidence found in later writings. On this Saturday in the Octave of Easter we hear the story of the risen Lord encapsulated by Mark. This earliest of the Gospel accounts provides a very human account of Jesus’ friends immediately following his death and before their recognition of his risen victory.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
The journey of faith we walk is much like those disciples that were not part of the twelve. We know from scripture that Jesus had a following throughout his ministry that grew and shrank depending upon a number of factors. It probably grew following those times when he spectacularly healed lepers, the lame, the deaf mute or the blind. People would flock to him and follow him as their circumstances permitted, sometimes for weeks.
Then would come a dispute with the religious leaders, the scribes of Pharisees and many would fall away, not disbelieving in Jesus, but feeling that being seen as a staunch disciple of his might incur the negative attention of those powerful groups. They might return later and perhaps even be fed as part of a multitude as Jesus preached in Galilee. But then would come another setback and most would silently steal away, avoiding any backlash.
Those who waked with him for a time and heard him speak would have wondered; could this be the Messiah? Can it possibly be? He performs all the right signs. He sounds like one of the Great Prophets; could it be him? They would wonder but when Jesus went too far, when he challenged the High Priests in the Temple in Jerusalem, most would have thought the risk of coming out publicly for him would have been too great. Even though they welcomed him to Jerusalem with palm branches a short time before, it was clear that the Sanhedrin was out to get him and Herod (given what he had done to John the Baptist) would probably side with them; not to mention the Romans who had all the compassion of a hungry lion.
No, sticking with the prophet from Galilee was not a good idea. Better to go home and celebrate the Passover with family and friends. Then these acquaintances of Jesus would have heard he had been arrested. There would be trouble for the young carpenter’s son now. Word would have come that he would be tried at the Pretorium and they would have gathered there to view the spectacle and they would not have been disappointed. Was Pilot being sarcastic just to upset the Chief Priests when he named him “King of the Jews”?
Some may have wondered why Pilot seemed reluctant to put the young man to death. He would usually have not given the idea of killing a “local” accused of sedition a second thought. And when he was condemned and no one was in the crowd yelling for his release, not even his closest friends, well, so much for the idea that this could have been the Messiah.
A good number would have remembered the signs and wonders he had performed and followed the procession to the execution site. Would God himself intervene? They would have understood that Pilot had been perversely kind to Jesus when they saw the manner of his crucifixion. Pilot had ordered him scourged which meant he was beaten savagely, this would have weakened him. Then, instead of binding him to the cross with rope and prolonging his suffering, the Governor had ordered him nailed to his cross. This would not take long.
Nor did it take long. In just a few hours he died. No miracle had saved him, some people said that he called for Elijah but not many heard the words he spoke as he hung there barely conscious. There would have been a sense of sadness. The words he had spoken and the deeds he had done would have been remembered by many.
Then rumors would have started. The tomb where they had buried him had been found empty. The Chief Priest was telling everyone his disciples had taken his body away, but there had been guards there – Roman guards, and given that his so called friends had run away in fear when he was arrested, it was ridiculous to believe that they had challenged professional soldiers, rolled a huge stone away from the tomb, and spirited his body away.
Those who had spent any time with Jesus would have been very concerned and afraid. What if the Chief Priests decided to go after those who had followed him? They had their spies walking along with the crowd that had followed him. Names would have been known.
Yet just a short while later, more words would have come; the young prophet had been seen, alive! How was this possible? The Romans were very good at many things and making things dead was one of them. When they said a person was dead – you could bet that person was dead. Still, the friends of Jesus were saying they had seen him. The women in his entourage saw the tomb – empty! They told others that Jesus had actually spoken with them; he came back from the dead!
Can you believe it?
He is Risen!
Please remember Esther, may she rest in the peace of Christ.
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Acts 4:13-21
Observing the boldness of Peter and John
and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men,
the leaders, elders, and scribes were amazed,
and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus.
Then when they saw the man who had been cured standing there with them,
they could say nothing in reply.
So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin,
and conferred with one another, saying,
"What are we to do with these men?
Everyone living in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign
was done through them, and we cannot deny it.
But so that it may not be spread any further among the people,
let us give them a stern warning
never again to speak to anyone in this name."
So they called them back
and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
Peter and John, however, said to them in reply,
"Whether it is right in the sight of God
for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges.
It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard."
After threatening them further,
they released them,
finding no way to punish them,
on account of the people who were all praising God
for what had happened.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 4:13-21
This is the conclusion of the story of the healing of the lame beggar at the “Beautiful” Gate. The Sanhedrin has a problem. Too many people saw the miracle done in Jesus’ name. They attempt damage control by threatening Peter and John. This does not work and we hear the final word of their kerygmatic discourse as they proclaim once more Christ Risen. Significant is the fact that the reason the Sanhedrin could not punish them further was the event had been attributed by the people to God’s mercy not to the disciples themselves.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118:1 and 14-15ab, 16-18, 19-21
R. (21a) I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the LORD has struck with power."
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
Though the LORD has indeed chastised me,
yet he has not delivered me to death.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 118:1 and 14-15ab, 16-18, 19-21
Psalm 118 is the great litany of thanksgiving. In this selection, it leads nicely into the Gospel with “I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me and have been my savior.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 16:9-15
When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week,
he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had driven seven demons.
She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that he was alive
and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
After this he appeared in another form
to two of them walking along on their way to the country.
They returned and told the others;
but they did not believe them either.
But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them
and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart
because they had not believed those
who saw him after he had been raised.
He said to them, "Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 16:9-15
This Gospel selection is called “The Longer Ending” or “The Canonical Ending” of St. Mark’s Gospel. It captures pieces of the story we have from the Gospels of St. Luke and St. John. The emotion expressed is one of fear and determination rather than joy and confidence found in later writings. On this Saturday in the Octave of Easter we hear the story of the risen Lord encapsulated by Mark. This earliest of the Gospel accounts provides a very human account of Jesus’ friends immediately following his death and before their recognition of his risen victory.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
The journey of faith we walk is much like those disciples that were not part of the twelve. We know from scripture that Jesus had a following throughout his ministry that grew and shrank depending upon a number of factors. It probably grew following those times when he spectacularly healed lepers, the lame, the deaf mute or the blind. People would flock to him and follow him as their circumstances permitted, sometimes for weeks.
Then would come a dispute with the religious leaders, the scribes of Pharisees and many would fall away, not disbelieving in Jesus, but feeling that being seen as a staunch disciple of his might incur the negative attention of those powerful groups. They might return later and perhaps even be fed as part of a multitude as Jesus preached in Galilee. But then would come another setback and most would silently steal away, avoiding any backlash.
Those who waked with him for a time and heard him speak would have wondered; could this be the Messiah? Can it possibly be? He performs all the right signs. He sounds like one of the Great Prophets; could it be him? They would wonder but when Jesus went too far, when he challenged the High Priests in the Temple in Jerusalem, most would have thought the risk of coming out publicly for him would have been too great. Even though they welcomed him to Jerusalem with palm branches a short time before, it was clear that the Sanhedrin was out to get him and Herod (given what he had done to John the Baptist) would probably side with them; not to mention the Romans who had all the compassion of a hungry lion.
No, sticking with the prophet from Galilee was not a good idea. Better to go home and celebrate the Passover with family and friends. Then these acquaintances of Jesus would have heard he had been arrested. There would be trouble for the young carpenter’s son now. Word would have come that he would be tried at the Pretorium and they would have gathered there to view the spectacle and they would not have been disappointed. Was Pilot being sarcastic just to upset the Chief Priests when he named him “King of the Jews”?
Some may have wondered why Pilot seemed reluctant to put the young man to death. He would usually have not given the idea of killing a “local” accused of sedition a second thought. And when he was condemned and no one was in the crowd yelling for his release, not even his closest friends, well, so much for the idea that this could have been the Messiah.
A good number would have remembered the signs and wonders he had performed and followed the procession to the execution site. Would God himself intervene? They would have understood that Pilot had been perversely kind to Jesus when they saw the manner of his crucifixion. Pilot had ordered him scourged which meant he was beaten savagely, this would have weakened him. Then, instead of binding him to the cross with rope and prolonging his suffering, the Governor had ordered him nailed to his cross. This would not take long.
Nor did it take long. In just a few hours he died. No miracle had saved him, some people said that he called for Elijah but not many heard the words he spoke as he hung there barely conscious. There would have been a sense of sadness. The words he had spoken and the deeds he had done would have been remembered by many.
Then rumors would have started. The tomb where they had buried him had been found empty. The Chief Priest was telling everyone his disciples had taken his body away, but there had been guards there – Roman guards, and given that his so called friends had run away in fear when he was arrested, it was ridiculous to believe that they had challenged professional soldiers, rolled a huge stone away from the tomb, and spirited his body away.
Those who had spent any time with Jesus would have been very concerned and afraid. What if the Chief Priests decided to go after those who had followed him? They had their spies walking along with the crowd that had followed him. Names would have been known.
Yet just a short while later, more words would have come; the young prophet had been seen, alive! How was this possible? The Romans were very good at many things and making things dead was one of them. When they said a person was dead – you could bet that person was dead. Still, the friends of Jesus were saying they had seen him. The women in his entourage saw the tomb – empty! They told others that Jesus had actually spoken with them; he came back from the dead!
Can you believe it?
He is Risen!
Please remember Esther, may she rest in the peace of Christ.
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Christ appears to Mary Magdalen” by Juan De Flandes, 1500
[3] [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 used is “Christ appears to Mary Magdalen” by Juan De Flandes, 1500
[3] [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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