A LIFE TRANSFORMED BY CHRIST'S RESURRECTION - 04/09/23 (The Resurrection of the Lord The Mass of Easter Day)

Gospel

Jn 20:1-9

On the first day of the week,

Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,

while it was still dark,

and saw the stone removed from the tomb.

So she ran and went to Simon Peter

and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,

“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,

and we don’t know where they put him.”

So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.

They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter

and arrived at the tomb first;

he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.

When Simon Peter arrived after him,

he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,

and the cloth that had covered his head,

not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.

Then the other disciple also went in,

the one who had arrived at the tomb first,

and he saw and believed.

For they did not yet understand the Scripture

that he had to rise from the dead.

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040823.cfm

Blessed Easter Sunday! Alleluia! Jesus is truly risen from the dead. Today, we celebrate the glorious event of Christ's resurrection. Hopefully, we had a good and fruitful preparation during the Holy Week for this important day. And yet, there may be times when we forgot the sacredness of the Easter Sunday. As we see in the gospel reading for today, St. Mary Magdalene came to visit tomb because they still thought that Jesus was still dead. When St. Mary Magdalene spoke to St. Peter and St. John the Beloved, they ran to the tomb and became surprised. Why is this the case? Its because they still did not understand the Scripture about the resurrection of Christ from the dead despite hearing this multiple times from the Lord. Many of us participated in the Holy Week. But, how many of us actually attended services in the Church, performed fasting, abstinence, other sacrifices and prayers? How many of us spend more time reflecting on our lives, our sins and on the Word of God by lessening the time for social media and entertainment in preparation for the Easter Sunday? Still, this Easter Sunday shows us the glory of God as reflected by His mercy for us. Despite our imperfections, Jesus Christ gives us hope of everlasting life in heaven and the happiness of our own resurrection by being victorious against death. 

Jesus knew the imperfections of His followers, but He humbled Himself by appearing to them to transform their lives. A sign that we truly celebrate the resurrection of Christ is when our words and actions become witness to the love of Christ because we express our love for Him in the every day of our lives. We become more patient and loving with our neighbors. We no longer see the purpose of food on the table merely for enjoyment, but we see it as blessings from God which is why we pray before and after the meals. Also, parents see these days as opportunities to teach their children about our faith and prayer life. Below this reflection, there is a YouTube video that gives a guide on how parents can teach their children about the faith. What's most important is that because of the resurrection of Jesus, we realize the importance of meditating on heavenly things and detaching ourselves more from worldly things. The Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus and our own Mother, is the perfect model of a follower of Christ. She remained vigilant and prayerful even during the Holy Saturday because she believed in the words of Christ that He would be raised from the dead. Let's pray the rosary and meditate specifically on the glorious mysteries, especially for Easter Season. Through this, we will receive the help from our Blessed Mother which will enable us to grow in our faith, hope and love for Jesus. Despite our lack of piety in the past, because of His resurrection, we are granted numerous opportunities to be better and to glorify Him. Let's celebrate this day with joy because the resurrection of Jesus is the sign of His love for us. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth