Scripture of the Week
Daily Scriptures
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Gospel And Reflection
Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord Year A
First Reading – Acts of the Apostles 10:34. 37-43
A reading from the book of Acts of the Apostle
We have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead.
Peter addressed Cornelius and his household: ‘You must have heard about the recent happenings in Judaea; about Jesus of Nazareth and how he began in Galilee, after John had been preaching baptism. God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil. Now I, and those with me, can witness to everything he did throughout the countryside of Judaea and in Jerusalem itself: and also to the fact that they killed him by hanging him on a tree, yet three days afterwards God raised him to life and allowed him to be seen, not by the whole people but only by certain witnesses God had chosen beforehand. Now we are those witnesses – we have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead – and he has ordered us to proclaim this to his people and to tell them that God has appointed him to judge everyone, alive or dead. It is to him that all the prophets bear this witness: that all who believe in Jesus will have their sins forgiven through his name.’
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 117:1-2. 16-17. 22-23. R. v.24
(R.) This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad.
Second Reading – Colossians 3:1-4
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Colossians
Look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is.
Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.
Gospel Acclamation – 1 Corinthians 5:7-8
Alleluia, alleluia!
Christ has become our paschal sacrifice;
let us feast with joy in the Lord.
Alleluia!!
Gospel – Matthew 28:1-10
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
He has risen from the dead and now he is going before you to Galilee.
After the Sabbath, and towards dawn on the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala and the other Mary went to visit the sepulchre. And all at once there was a violent earthquake, for the angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled away the stone and sat on it. His face was like lightning, his robe white as snow. The guards were so shaken, so frightened of him, that they were like dead men. But the angel spoke; and he said to the women, ‘There is no need for you to be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said he would. Come and see the place where he lay, then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has risen from the dead and now he is going before you to Galilee; it is there you will see him.” Now I have told you.’ Filled with awe and great joy the women came quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell the disciples.
And there, coming to meet them, was Jesus. ‘Greetings,’ he said. And the women came up to him and, falling down before him, clasped his feet. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee; they will see me there.’.’’
Gospel Reflection
Reflection on the Gospel-Passion Sunday Year A
(Matthew 26:14-27:66)
Easter invites us to celebrate life in its fullest sense. It is anything but easy to celebrate life, however, when many are experiencing the effects of mindless wars and so much of the Earth community is affected by the climate crisis. Resurrection faith calls us to be fearless in facing the challenges that confront us.
A faith-filled man and two faith-filled women prepare Jesus for burial. These three people are fearless in the face of possible reprisals for their support of a “political criminal”. Joseph of Arimathea cares for Jesus out of his personal wealth, providing a clean linen cloth and his own newly rock-carved tomb. With his own hands, he performs the burial ritual, lays Jesus’ body in the tomb, and rolls the stone into place. The women disciples who witness the closing of the tomb are both named Mary. One is known as the Magdalene (the “Tower”) and the other is the mother of two male disciples. These women have been towers of strength and light, contributing their goods and ministering to Jesus on the journey from Galilee to Jerusalem.
The women set out at dawn “to see the tomb’” This seems strange until we realise that they are functioning as witnesses, this time to the dramatic opening of the tomb and the appearance of God’s interpretive messenger. “Seeing” is a metaphor for insight. In the earthquake phenomenon and the allusion to lightning, there are echoes of other great moments of God’s appearing to Israel, such as the encounter with Moses and the giving of the Law on Mt Sinai.
The two Marys are the first to learn the news of Jesus’ resurrection and the first commissioned to proclaim it. They are apostles to the apostles. The women “see” the place where he was laid. They obey the angel’s command not to be afraid but to go quickly to inform the scattered disciples that the resurrected Jesus has gone before them to Galilee, the place of mission, where they too will “see” him. Resurrection life energises these faith-filled women disciples/apostles and negates the death-dealing power of the Roman Empire. Ironically, the Roman tomb guards become “as though dead”.
As the women hurry away from the tomb, Jesus comes to meet them on the path or the road. He addresses them with a familiar greeting of joy, Chairete. This is the first appearance of the resurrected One and it draws from the women a profoundly reverential response: taking hold of him, they fall down in worship. Jesus reiterates the commission already delivered by the angel: not to be afraid and to let the men know what has happened. The male disciples will later be commissioned on the mountain top (Matthew 28:16-20). We sometimes fail to notice that all are commissioned, first the women, then the men. Those “on the mountain top” must not succumb to the temptation of remaining there. They must join those on the road in fearlessly bringing life to Earth’s afflicted, the human and the more-than-human.
Sr Veronica Lawson rsm
© The scriptural quotations are taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Co Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. The English translation of the Psalm Responses, the Alleluia and Gospel Verses, and the Lenten Gospel Acclamations, and the Titles, Summaries, and Conclusion of the Readings, from the Lectionary for Mass © 1997, 1981, 1968, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.