RESURRECTION, THE TRANSFORMATION OF EARTHLY BODIES - 04/08/23 (Holy Saturday At the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter)

Gospel

Mt 28:1-10

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was white as snow. The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men. Then the angel said to the women in reply, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.” Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this 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.”

For the full readings, click here: 

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

Happy Easter! Let's rejoice because Jesus is truly risen. The Easter Vigil is the last day of the Paschal Triduum, and it is the greatest and most noble of solemnities. On this holy night, the Church keeps watch, celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus in the sacraments and awaiting His glorious second coming. Because of the importance of this celebration, we also read seven passages from the Old Testament which speak of the wonderful deeds of God, starting with the Creation account in Genesis. On the first day, God created the light and separated it from darkness. How fitting it is that Jesus Christ, the light of the world, rose on the first day of the week, Sunday, during the night of darkness. The Creation account also speaks of the earth, and the earth also symbolizes our earthly bodies. The resurrection of Jesus also showed us how His earthly body which suffered on the Cross was transformed to become a glorified body where the human nature of Jesus was perfectly united to His Divine glory. If we are united with Jesus in our sufferings, we will also be united with Him in our glorious resurrection. The purpose of the Cross is not just to grant us forgiveness of our sins. It's also meant for us to be perfectly conformed to the image of our Resurrected Lord. As such, we should recognize that our purpose in life is to be with God in heaven and to be raised from the dead. 

Although it's difficult, but with the help of our Resurrected Savior, it's possible. How can we do this? Just as how Jesus rose during the night of darkness, we should also rise above the darkness of our sins. We should be separated from this darkness by remaining in the state of grace, not a state of mortal sin. Obedience to God and to the teachings of the Catholic Church is necessary for us to remain in the light of Christ. For some people, this is difficult because of attachment to self-will. Instead of doing God's will, we may be attached to our self-will, to our own wants even if these things may go contrary to the will of God. This is why other people consider their own wills as the most precious thing in their lives. When Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, his beloved son, God also showed to us the importance of our willingness to sacrifice even our own desires. When we learn to submit ourselves to the holy will of God that we will begin to understand how serving God will bring us the greatest happiness and how we will receive incomprehensible joys in our resurrection . Despite seeing our imperfections, may we remember the words of Jesus, "Do not be afraid." We have no reasons to be afraid because God is with us, and the mercy of God is even more glorified when we are transformed from our worse sins. Let's be watchful for the glorious coming of Jesus Christ, and let's remember that only God can fulfill the longing of our hearts. 

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

The Roman Missal and the Easter Vigil:

https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/triduum/roman-missal-and-the-easter-vigil

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