Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord April 1, 2018

FIRST READING
Acts of the Apostles 10:34a,37-43
Peter preaches about Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 118:1-2,16-17,22-23
Rejoice in this day of the Lord.

SECOND READING
Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8
Colossians: Having been raised by Christ, be concerned with what is
above.
1 Corinthians: Let us celebrate this feast with new yeast.

GOSPEL READINGMary of Magdala finds that the stone has been removed from Jesus' tomb.

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.

BACKGROUND ON THE GOSPEL READING

Today we begin the Easter Season, our 50-day meditation on the mystery
of Christ's Resurrection. Our Gospel today tells us about the disciples'
discovery of the empty tomb. It concludes by telling us that they did
not yet understand that Jesus had risen from the dead. Thus, the details
provided are not necessarily meant to offer proof of the Resurrection.
The details invite us to reflect upon a most amazing gift, that is faith
in Jesus and his Resurrection.

Each of the four Gospels tells us that Jesus' empty tomb was first
discovered by women. This is notable because in first-century Jewish
society women could not serve as legal witnesses. In the case of John's
Gospel, the only woman attending the tomb is Mary of Magdala. Unlike the
Synoptic accounts, John's Gospel does not describe an appearance of
angels at the tomb. Instead, Mary is simply said to have observed that
the stone that had sealed the tomb had been moved, and she runs to alert
Simon Peter and the beloved disciple. Her statement to them is telling.
She assumes that Jesus' body has been removed, perhaps stolen. She does
not consider that Jesus has been raised from the dead.

Simon Peter and the beloved disciple race to the tomb, presumably to
verify Mary's report. The beloved disciple arrives first but does not
enter the tomb until after Simon Peter. This detail paints a vivid
picture, as does the detail provided about the burial cloths. Some
scholars believe that the presence of the burial cloths in the tomb
offers evidence to the listener that Jesus' body had not been stolen (it
is understood that grave robbers would have taken the burial cloths
together with the body).

The Gospel passage concludes, however, that even having seen the empty
tomb and the burial cloths, the disciples do not yet understand about
the Resurrection. In the passage that follows, Mary of Magdala meets
Jesus but mistakes him for the gardener. In the weeks ahead, the Gospel
readings from our liturgy will show us how the disciples came to believe
in Jesus' Resurrection through his appearances to them. Our Easter faith
is based on their witness to both the empty tomb and their continuing
relationship with Jesus--in his appearances and in his gift of the Holy
Spirit.

FAMILY CONNECTION

In the Easter Gospel we hear about how the disciples found the tomb
empty three days after Jesus' death. We are also told that they do not
yet understand the Scriptures or that Jesus had been raised from the
dead. That understanding gradually unfolded for the disciples as they
began to experience the risen Lord. Similarly, our understanding of
Jesus' Resurrection unfolds for us throughout our lives. In the weeks
ahead, we will hear how the first disciples moved from confusion, doubt,
and skepticism to faith. Their experience can teach us how we too might
receive this gift of faith from God.

Gather your family members and ask them to share what they know about
the events that happened in the days after Jesus' crucifixion. Invite
your family to imagine that they are among Jesus' first disciples. Read
together today's Gospel, John 20:1-9. Reflect together on the Gospel
with questions such as these: If you had been among the first disciples
who heard that the stone had been removed from Jesus' tomb and that
Jesus' body was no longer there, what would you think? What did Mary of
Magdala, Simon Peter, and the disciple whom Jesus loved think had
happened? Recall that this experience is the first indication Jesus'
disciples have that he is risen. Throughout the Easter season, we will
learn more about how the disciples came to believe that Jesus had been
raised from the dead.

Pray together using today's psalm, Psalm 118: "This is the day the Lord
has made; let us rejoice and be glad."

Sources: Loyola Press; Sunday Readings