April 24, 2011



First Reading:
Acts of the Apostles 10:34a, 37-43

34a Then, Peter, opening his mouth
37 You know that the Word has been made known throughout all Judea. For beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached,
38 Jesus of Nazareth, whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, traveled around doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil. For God was with him.
39 And we are witnesses of all that he did in the region of Judea and in Jerusalem, he whom they killed by hanging him on a tree.
40 God raised him up on the third day and permitted him to be made manifest,
41 not to all the people, but to the witnesses preordained by God, to those of us who ate and drank with him after he rose again from the dead.
42 And he instructed us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the One who was appointed by God to be the judge of the living and of the dead.
43 To him all the Prophets offer testimony that through his name all who believe in him receive the remission of sins.”

Psalm:
Psalms 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

R.(24) This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or: R. Alleluia.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.”

R.This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or: R.Alleluia.

“The right hand of the LORD has struck with power; the right hand of the
LORD is exalted. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.”

R.This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or: R.Alleluia.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.

R.This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or: R. Alleluia.

Second Reading:
Colossians 3:1-4

1 Therefore, if you have risen together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
2 Consider the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth.
3 For you have died, and so your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Gospel:
John 20:1-9

1 Then on the first Sabbath, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark,
and she saw that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb.
2 Therefore, she ran and went to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and she said to them, “They have taken the Lord away from the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
3 Therefore, Peter departed with the other disciple, and they went to the tomb.
4 Now they both ran together, but the other disciple ran more quickly, ahead of Peter, and so he arrived at the tomb first.
5 And when he bowed down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not yet enter.
6 Then Simon Peter arrived, following him, and he entered the tomb, and he saw the linen cloths lying there,
7 and the separate cloth which had been over his head, not placed with the linen cloths, but in a separate place, wrapped up by itself.
8 Then the other disciple, who had arrived first at the tomb, also entered. And he saw and believed.
9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that it was necessary for him to rise again from the dead.

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Study Resource Page

Overview of the Gospel:

   * On the third day after Jesus’ death on the cross Mary Magdalene, accompanied by some other women (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1; Luke 23:55—24:1), come to the tomb fully expecting to find Jesus’ body. Imagine her reaction when she finds the heavy stone rolled back and the body gone! Her first thought was to run to tell Peter, the leader of the remaining apostles.

   * Although Peter at first doubted her story (Luke 24:11), he and “the other apostle” (by tradition, John), also run to the tomb. They find the burial cloths in such a state that made it clear that the body had not been stolen (verses 6-7). At this point, they still could not grasp that Jesus had risen, as he predicted he would. Later, however, they would have no doubt.

   * That Jesus rose from the dead is the most well-attested miracle in Scripture. The Old Testament foretold it; Jesus predicted it on more than one occasion; it was confirmed by his several appearances (John 20:19—21:1; Acts 1:3; Luke 24:13-35; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8). It was even verified by the Roman soldiers guarding his tomb (Matthew 28:11-15)! Let us rejoice today that Jesus has defeated sin and death—Alleluia! He is risen indeed!

Questions:

  * In the 1st Reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter is speaking to the first Gentile (non-Jewish) converts to Christianity. What was their response to his message that the Jesus they had heard something about had bee raised from the dead (see Acts 10:44-49)? What should our reaction be?

   * According to St. Paul in the 2nd Reading, what should we be preoccupied with (verse 2)? Why? What has happened to us (verse 1, 3)? What will happen to us (verse 4)?

   * Put yourself in the place of Mary. What is your emotional state in the days following the crucifixion? Why do you go to the tomb so early? How do you react to the empty tomb?

   * According to the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds, how long was Jesus dead and his body in the tomb (John 2:18-22; Acts 10:40; CCC 994)? What did Jesus do for that time while in the tomb (1 Peter 3:19, 4:6; CCC 631-33)?

   * What had the disciples been told in advance about Jesus rising from the dead (Matthew 16:21, 27:63)? How do the positions of the linen shroud and the napkin provide corroborating evidence of the Resurrection? What is your proof that Jesus rose from the dead?

   * How should we respond to the empty tomb? Why did John preach the message (John 19:35, 17:20; 1 John 5:13)? When a loved one dies or life seems cruel or a drudgery, how does the Resurrection of Jesus help you deal with your pain?

* What had the disciples been told in advance about Jesus rising from the dead (Matthew 16:21, 27:63)? How do the positions of the linen shroud and the napkin provide corroborating evidence of the Resurrection? What is your proof that Jesus rose from the dead?

Brothers and Sisters––THE most important event in the history of humanity unfolds before us: the resurrection and our redemption.

And what have the disciples been thinking about their Messiah, Jesus? Perhaps they thought of only the glory and triumph aspects of their Savior. All of the powerful and great worldly things that Jesus would conquer: lies, deceit, fraud, envy, selfishness, and sin and death itself.

But Jesus is quick to remind them that salvation involves suffering and death as foretold in Scripture. This gives his followers a corrective aspect; scripture says the messiah will be scorned, suffer and die ignominiously. Jesus dies the death of a condemned slave––the worst form of execution possible. Pliny the Younger reminded proper Romans not to even speak of "crucifixion," since it was such a terrible and hideous form of death. Nice people didn't even bring it up––it was that horrible, even for hard-boiled Romans. Jesus tell them of his future impending ordeal.

Word-smiths, or "etymologists" here say that the Greek participle translated in this passage here seems to indicate that the burial wrappings were flattened, deflated, as if they were emptied when the body of Jesus rose vertically and disappeared – as if it had come out of the wrappings without their being undone, passing right through them.  (Remember: Jesus later entered the Upper Room when the doors were shut in a similar fashion.) Imagine how this would amaze a witness, how unforgettable the scene would be! Astounding! Beyond all your comprehension! You would literally be speechless.

Jesus' burial head cloth would have been tied, rolled like a triangular bandage, under the chin and over the top of the head to secure the mouth in a closed position. This was placed to one side. The second, even more surprising thing is that, unlike the burial clothes, the head cloth still has a certain volume, like a container. Some believe this was due to the large amount of aloe and the myrr ointment applied to Jesus that Nicodemus had brought and applied to the cloth around Jesus' head. These burial spices added rigidity and stiffness to the cloth.  This is what the Greek here translated is "rolled", seems to indicate. The Greek word is "entulisso," which is from words that may mean to twist or to entwine. These details concerning the empty tomb and the burial clothes would indicate that Jesus' body must have arisen in a heavenly manner, that is, in a way which transcended thephysical laws of nature.

This was not only a matter of the body being reanimated as happened, for example, in the case of Lazarus, who had to be unbound before he could walk, but a supernatural event transcending our physical universe.

My own proof that Jesus rose from the dead is three-fold: sacred Tradition, as taught by the Magisterium, and told so clearly in the Gospels. The Apostles were there; they saw Jesus after he rose; they heard him; they saw him ask for food. Real-live people ask for and need food! Ghosts do not. This proof has been handed down to us without by eye-witnesses. I believe!

Thank you for the posting!

* According to the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds, how long was Jesus dead and his body in the tomb (John 2:18-22; Acts 10:40; CCC 994)? What did Jesus do for that time while in the tomb (1 Peter 3:19, 4:6; CCC 631-33)?

Both the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds and the Scriptures talk about Jesus being raised on the "third day" or in three days.  We know that the crucifixion occurred on a Friday because it was the day before the Sabbath.  Friday was the first day, Saturday the second day, and Sunday - the Lord's Day - was the third day.  

Peter tells us that Jesus preached to the dead, "in prison" so "they might live in the spirit like God."  This blog post on the topic by Msgr. Charles Pope of the Archdiocese of Washington has a beautiful ancient sermon in which Jesus addresses Adam: “I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. . . I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead.”

I also found this answer from the Pope Benedict:

Q. Holy Father, the next question is on the theme of Jesus' death and resurrection and comes from Italy. I will read it to you: "Your Holiness, what is Jesus doing in the time between His death and resurrection? Seeing that in reciting the Creed it says that Jesus, after His death, descended into Hell, should we think that that will also happen to us, after death, before going to heaven?"

A. First of all, this descent of Jesus' soul should not be imagined as a geographical or a spatial trip, from one continent to another. It is the soul's journey. We have to remember that Jesus' soul always touches the Father, it is always in contact with the Father but, at the same time, this human soul extends to the very borders of the human being. In this sense it goes into the depths, into the lost places, to where all who do not arrive at their life's goal go, thus transcending the continents of the past.

This word about the Lord's descent into Hell mainly means that Jesus reaches even the past, that the effectiveness of the Redemption does not begin in the year 0 or 30, but also goes to the past, embraces the past, all men and women of all time. The Church Fathers say, with a very beautiful image, that Jesus takes Adam and Eve, that is, humanity, by the hand and guides them forward, guides them on high. He thus creates access to God because humanity, on its own cannot arrive at God's level. He himself, being man, can take humanity by the hand and open the access. To what? To the reality we call Heaven. So this descent into Hell, that is, into the depth of the human being, into humanity's past, is an essential part of Jesus' mission, of His mission as Redeemer, and does not apply to us. Our lives are different. We are already redeemed by the Lord and we arrive before the Judge, after our death, under Jesus' gaze. On one had, this gaze will be purifying: I think that all of us, in greater or lesser measure, are in need of purification. Jesus’ gaze purifies us, thus making us capable of living with God, of living with the Saints, and above all of living in communion with those dear to us who have preceded us.

I also want to say thanks for posting.  My wife and I were just confirmed tonight at Easter Vigil.  We've really enjoyed RCIA.

I'm a fire fighter and work 24 hour shifts.  On the Sundays I'm at the station I always read the Sunday Scripture posted here on the forum.

Thanks again,

Michael

Welcome Home!!!

Praise the Lord!!

Thank you so much to the OP.  I don't think we thank each other enough for providing so much incredibly helpful information.

You are all very welcome - glad to see that this service is helpful to others in their faith journey.


And I have to give a big "thank you" to the kind soul who renewed by team membership which expired last week.  Whoever you are (and you don't have to tell if you don't want to), you brought tears to my eyes and I am grateful.

A link to a transcript of Pope Benedict's Easter Vigil Homily.

Yep! Welcome Home!