SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER –   2016

• The Church celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus   during 7 days  as if it were Easter Sunday itself.
• And each Sunday of the Easter Season is called FIRST SUNDAY OF EASTER, SECOND….. 
•  
  ¡ALLELUIA,  JESUS, THE LORD IS RISEN!!!!
   
  FIRST READING . Acts of the Apostles 5, 12-16    

As we have said last week, during the liurgical season of Easter the first Reading is taken from the book ofthe Acts.  

Today’s reading describes what the apostles were doing and how the people looked at them:   

• They did wonderful things,  they healed the people. This is what all of us seek, we are vulnerable, limited, and we do not like to suffer.  
• The reading says that they were all together under one of the porticoes of the Temple
• That nobody  wanted to join them,  probably the author means while they were at the temple. 
• Because a little bit further it says that everyday more followers were joining them.  
• People put their sick on the street wishing that at least the shadow of Peter may cover them and so be healed.  
• What a wonderful description of Peter, like his Master and Lord, his shadow does good to people.  
• As it happened when Jesus lived among us, people brought from everywhere their sick ones to be cured, now they do the same with the vicar of Christ, Peter to whom Jesus has given the keys of the  Church.  
   
  RESPONSORIAL PSALM   Ps. 118 2-4; 13-15; 22-24

• We continue the Reading of Psalm 118. 
• It is a thanksgiving hymn to the God of Israel, we sing it in the liturgy to give thanks and praise Jesus victor over death and hell.  
   
  R. Alleluia.
  Let the house of Israel say,
  “His mercy endures forever.”
  Let the house of Aaron say,
  “His mercy endures forever.”
  Let those who fear the LORD say,
  “His mercy endures forever.”
   R. Alleluia.
  I was hard pressed and was falling,
  but the LORD helped me.
  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. Alleluia.
  The stone which the builders rejected
  has become the cornerstone.
  By the LORD has this been done;
  it is wonderful in our eyes.
  This is the day the LORD has made;
  let us be glad and rejoice in it.
  R. Alleluia.
   SECOND READING  Rv  l,9-11a. 12-13. 17-19

• The book of the Apocalypse is called also Book of Revelation. Revelation of the glorified  Christ, Lord and King of Kings    
• The Gospels are books that tell us about Jesus of Nazareth the Christ, he Messiah during the days of his earthly life among us.  
• The book of Revelation tells us about the risen Lord Jesus, the glorified Christ, who is God, the Second Person of the Trinity.  
• This book does not speak of the future as the seers do, but using symbols and images the author wants to help us understand the meaning of today’s  history. 
• Thus it is called Revelation , which means to lift up the courtain.  Through the different chapters our brother John inspired by God removes Little by Little the courtain so that we may be able to see what is behind it. Thus we may be able to undserstand the meaning of  history.   
• I read once an author who said that this book was written to give hope to the people who suffer.  
• That one of its messages, probably the most important one is that we find God in the events of history, not beyond them. Let us thing a little bit on this sentence and it will probably help us to deepen  faith as Jesus asked Thomas to do “doubt no more, believe”.  
  LET US SEE THE MESSAGE FROM THIS SUNDAY’S READING

1. The author introduces himself as John, our brother, who shares with us the events of life and the persecution because of his fidelity to Jesus.  
2. Because he has chosen to be faithful he is exiled in the isle of Patmos. (see the map at the end of this commentary)   
3. There he has a revelation of the heavenly Christ. Jesus risen and glorified presents himself and speaks to him to give a message for him and for all his brothers.   
4. This happens on a Sunday, the day of the Lord, from the latin   dominum= Lord. I is the first time that this Word is used in the New Testament.   
5. Jesus presents himself as a “son of man” name that Jesus used many times during his earthly life among us.This Word comes from the book of Daniel, where the son of man is someone with  authority. 
6. This son of man dresses priestly vestments, and is among seven golden chandeliers, symbol of trhe Church.   
7. John is terrified on seeing this majestic being, but Jesus touches him and says “do not be afraid.” 
8. And continues saying:  
   • I am the First and the Last   
   • The Living one, I was dead, but now I live forever.  
   • He has the keys of death and life. Paul will tell us that the Father has given him a name above every other name, thus at the name of Jesus every knee shall bend on eatth and under the earth and in the netherworld.   
   • Christ orders John to write what he sees now and in the future.   
      
     
      

  GOSPEL OF JOHN 20:19-31

1. On this second Sunday of Easter the liturgy puts before the eyes of our faith the manifestation of the Risen Lord to the eleven.   
2. Jesus comes in their midst suddenly and all can see him.   
   • He says his usual greeting   “Shalom=Peace”  The Risen Christ is our peace, his presence fills us with an overwhelming joy and we experience a deep peace that nobody can take from us.  
   • Jesus tells them that they have to continue the work he began with the Incarnation, they are called to be his visible presence in the world.  
     • What is that work, that mission?: With the strength of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus they will receive the strength and also the mission to forgive, to bind and unbind with the same authority of Jesus, who will accept what they bind or unbind here on earth.  
   • One of them, Thomas, is not with the others. He left the community, why? Probably because he is disappointed and  sad.  He has left the community when he needed it most, when he needed to share with his friends their sadness, their fear, their disappointment.        
3. Jesus comes back 8 days later, he does not want to leave one his intímate friends without seeing him. 
   • Jesus who continues to love without limits is going to give to Thomas a wonderful gift which will be a gift for us also.   
   • Thomas, look at me, I am Jesus, the one you love, with whom you were ready to go to Jerusalem to die. 
   • Do not allow the temptation of sadness to overcome you, do not go away from the community of your friends, who suffer like you.   
   • Touch my hands, enter into my wounded side that will always be open for you. 
   • You know that now by the power of the resurrection we are brothers, non only friends, or disciple and teacher.  
   • “My Lord and my God.” I love you my Lord, forgive my unbelief, my lack of trust.
     • HAPPY THOSE WHO WILL BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING.  Thank you Lord for your words, because we belong to the group of those who struggle day by day   
       • To believe without seeing.   
       • To seek you in the midsts of our darkness.  
       • To allow you love to find us, your love who always forgets and forgives our lack of trust.   
       • WE BELIEVE LORD, BUT HELP OUR UNBELIEF, INCREASE OUR FAITH.   
         
         
         
         
          
          

EASTER SUNDAY – CYCLE C – 2016

INTRODUCTION

1. It is the Solemnity of the Resurrection, of the triumph over sin and death of our beloved Lord Jesus. 
2. Glory and praise to the victor, because he accepted the humiliation of the cross,  the Father has given him a name over every other name.  JESUS IS LORD.

THE BOOK OF THE ACTS

During the Easter season the first reading will be taken from the Acts of the Apostles. 

• The book of the Acts is found in our Bibles after the Gospels. 
• The Gospels are the proclamation of Jesus  
• The Actos narrate: 
  • The fulfillment of the promise of Jesus with the coming of the Holy Spirit who will guide the newly born Church and also the Church of all times. 
  • The birth of the Church in Pentecost    
  • The expansion of the Church until the ends of the earth. 
• The author is Luke as we can see on reading the beginning of the Gospel and the beginning of the Acts.   
•  It was written around the last third of the first century, after the composition of the Gospel by Luke. 
• It is addressed to the Christian communities established by Paul. 
• Luke uses all the information that existed in the Christian communities, but he does so in his own style. 
• The Acts were written in Greek    
• Although basing his narrative on historical events Luke offers us a theological reflection of these events. 
• The theology of the Work of Luke (Gospel and Acts) 
  • The theological presentation of the journey that the Father had programmed, that was accomplished by  Jesus, the Son of God, prophet and savior, in his earthly ministry.  
  • Is continued now by the glorified Christ   
    • Through his Spirit. 
    • By means of the prophetic testimony of the Church.  
       
      FIRST READING Acts 10: 34a.  37-43
      Peter speaks to Cornelius household about Jesus  

• The Baptism of John was the initial point of what Peter is about to recount. 
• Jesus was anointed, at his baptism with the Holy Spirit and power. 
• Jesus went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil  
• They (the apostles) are the witnesses of all of that. 
• But their leaders killed him hanging him on a tree.  
• God raised him, and he was seen by some witnesses, who ate and drank with him after his resurrection.  
• He commissioned them to preach in his name.  
• Everyone who believes in him will receive the forgiveness of sins through his name.  
  What a simple, synthetic, and beautiful description of Jesus, which describes our faith!  
   
  RESPONSORIAL PSALM  Ps  118
  THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE LET US REJOICE IN IT AND BE GLAD.  
  Give thanks to the Lord, who is good,
  whose love endures forever! 
  Let the House of Israel say 
  God’s love endures forever.  
   
  The Lord’s right hand strikes with power  
  The Lord’s right hand is raised
  I shall not die but live
  And declare the deeds of the Lord.
   
  The stone the builders rejected  
  Has become the cornerstone. 
  By the Lord has this been done
  It is wonderful in our eyes.   
   
  SECOND READING   Colossians  3:1-4
• Christ has died to redeem us, to liberate us, to save us from our sins.  

• On the cross he has destroyed the power of evil and together with him we have died to sin.  
• Thus if we have died to sin, and have been born to a new life through baptism 
• Let us not seek the things that separate us from Him. 
• Because he has taken us with him to the Father.  
• Our life is hidden with Christ in God.    
• What a wonderful text in which the author describes what baptism does in us. 
   
  GOSPEL   LUKE 24:1-12
  Luke like the other evangelists explains to us how the followers of Jesus, men and women, had the experience of the risen Lord.   

• The first day of the week    
  • The day after the Sabbath or day of repose…  
  • With Jesus everything is new.   
  • The first day brings to our memory the freshness, and newness of creation. That first day when God said “let it be…”     
  • We are looking now to a “new creation”   
• The tomb  
  • They go to the tomb, they had seen where the men put the body of Jesus. They go to give him the honor and love which women know how to give.  
  • Although they see that the stone had been removed, they enter. It seems that they do not remember the words of Jesus explaining to them that he would come to life again.  
  • They do not understand, they do not know what to think or to do. The dead body of Jesus is not there.  
  • The empty tomb… the only physical witness of the resurrection. All of us have to accept with joy and faith the truth of the resurrection.   Trusting in the truth of his words, the words of Jesus, and in the words  of the first witnesses of our faith.  
• Two men in dazzling garments, in another Gospel they are called angels, messengers of God.   
  • They ask the women, why do you seek among the dead the one who is alive? Probably they could ask us the same question today. 
  • We feel more comfortable with what we have always heard and done  than with the darkness, and also de light, of faith in the Risen Lord. 
  • Faith that calls us to accept in our life the challenges Christ is inviting us to.    
  • They also felt more secure if they could have found the dead body of the Master.  
  • The men remind them the words of Jesus when he was living among them: The Son of man has to be handed over by the sinners and be crucified, but he will rise on the third day. 
• The women and the eleven
  • On hearing the men they remember the words  Jesus had told them before his death.
  • So  they go in haste to tell the eleven. 
  • The men listen to them, but they think that those are stories caused by their feelings, their sorrow because they could not find the body of the Teacher.  
  • Only Peter goes to the tomb, in case what the women said was true. He sees everything as the women said but he could not see Jesus, and he returns puzzled. 
    It has been very good for all of us, disciples who have lived after them, that the eleven and the others doubted so much about the truth of the resurrection.    
     
    After 200 years we continue to experience the difficulty in truly believing in the resurrection and in its consequences.  The Lord is truly risen and has made of us new creatures, he has given us the possibility of reconciliation, and has open for us the way to return to the Father.  
    
    
    
     

Let the missionary pray with Christ, praying; travel with Christ travelling; eat with Christ eating; drink, with Christ drinking; sleep with Christ sleeping; suffer with Christ suffering; preach with Christ preaching; rest with Christ tired and live with Christ dying, if he wants to enter into life with Christ reigning. Venerable Maria Antonia Paris, Foundress of the Claretian Missionary Sisters, The Apostolic Missionary, 31.

 

I tell myself: A Son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a man on fire with love, who spreads its flames wherever he goes. He desires mightily and strives by all means possible to set the whole world on fire with God's love. Nothing daunts him; he delights in privations, welcomes work, embraces sacrifices, smiles at slander, and rejoices in suffering. His only concern is how he can best follow Jesus Christ and imitate Him in working, suffering, and striving constantly and single-mindedly for the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls. Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Founder of the Claretian Missionary Sisters, Autobiography 494.