The Nexus

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“Yes, God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that
whoever believes in him may not die but may have eternal life.”

In this Sunday’s gospel, the gospel for Trinity Sunday, Year A, we read
a passage that tells about Jesus - teaching one of the Pharisees, whose
name was Nicodemus, about the love of the Father for mankind.  If we
read the beginning of chapter 3 from which this passage was taken, we
will find that Nicodemus went to Jesus by night (which bible scholars
interpret as a discrete move by Nicodemus so that he would not be seen
in a bad light by his fellow Pharisees) to learn more of Jesus and
His teaching.  And one of the teachings that Jesus emphasized to this
searching Pharisee is how God wanted the world to be saved through His
Son.  Whoever believes in the Son will be saved and merit eternal life,
while those who do not believe in the Son will be condemned by their
lack of belief.

From this passage in the gospel of John, we see the relationship between
the Father and Jesus - Jesus as the Son who was sent by His Father to
save the world from sin.  Last Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, we read about
the resurrection appearance of Jesus to His apostles and wherein He
“breathed on them and said: Receive the Holy Spirit”.  We can thus learn
from these passages how God redeems us through His Fatherhood, His
Sonship, and His Most Holy Spirit.  Just as the apostles received the
Holy Spirit, we who are members of the Church Jesus founded, receive the
same Spirit through them.  And when we are called to reflect who God is
for us, one of our responses is: “God is Father, Son and Spirit”. Thru
this triune relationship, we are saved from our sins and will be rewarded
with eternal life, if we continue to believe in God-in-Jesus, who sends
His Spirit among us, so that we can also participate and continue the
mission of redemption which Christ commissions us to do through our
baptismal consecration.

We believe in one God in three persons whenever we make the sign of the
cross on our forehead, shoulders, and chest.  We also profess this faith
whenever we recite the Apostles Creed in the Sunday Eucharist.  God in
three persons is a mystery that we are called to believe and live out
in our daily lives.  It is a relationship of love and community that
seeks to dwell in our heart and soul so that we too may share this spirit
with others.  We are lucky to profess this faith simply in our Christian
lives whereas in the early centuries, many saints have struggled so that
this truth of one God in three persons and three persons in one God may
be proclaimed in our Catholic Church.  As we now celebrate the mystery
of the Trinity this Sunday, let us pray to recognize the triune mystery
that pervades through the whole Eucharistic liturgy beginning with the
sign of the Cross at the start of the Mass and ending also with the sign
of the Cross when the priest dismisses the congregation for a mission of
peace.

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Readings http://www.pcentral-online.net/catholic/lectionary/pentecost.html

“Then He breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy
Spirit…’”

The solemnity of Pentecost reminds us of the birth of the Church.
In today’s lectionary readings, the vivid account of what transpired
on that day is given in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. The
passage tells us that in the place where Mary, the apostles, and
other disciples were gathered, “suddenly from up the sky there
came a noise like a strong, driving wind which was heard all
through the house where they were seated…tongues as of fire
appeared which parted and came to rest on each of them…all were
filled with the Holy Spirit.”  After this manifestation of the
presence of the Holy Spirit, the apostles then preached to the
people in different tongues and native languages about the
marvels God has accomplished.

In the gospel account, we are then given a passage of one of
the resurrection appearances of Jesus to His apostles.  In this
account for the feast of Pentecost, we read that “though the
disciples had locked the doors of the place where they were
for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood before them…[and
said] Peace be with you”. At the sight of Jesus, the disciples
rejoiced.  And then Jesus “breathed on them and said: ‘Receive
the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men’s sins, they are forgiven
them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound.’”

Devotion to the Holy Spirit was not popular during much of
the history of the Catholic Church.  However, the devotion to
Him became more prominent as a charismatic renewal movement
swept the Catholic Church in the middle of the twentieth
century.  The second ecumenical Vatican Council, under the
leadership of Pope John XXIII had the Holy Spirit much in
mind in the renewal of the Church according to the “signs of
the times” - the present situation of the world.  But even
before this Council was convened, many Catholics around the
world were already participating in the charismatic renewal
movement - a movement inspired very much by the Holy Spirit.
Through this movement, those who formerly were lukewarm in
their practice of the faith, suddenly became ardent in their
Christian life and much inspired to prayer and community
worship because of the presence of the Holy Spirit in their
life and among their friends, family and loved ones. Many
were converted also because of this charismatic movements.

The feast of Pentecost can help us to reflect on the many
gifts the Holy Spirit gives us.  We receive these gifts
through the sacrament of baptism and confirmation and also
through our regular attendance of the Mass and practice of
the sacrament of reconciliation.  The gifts of wisdom,
knowledge, counsel, understanding, piety, courage or
fortitude, and fear of the Lord are given to us as
individuals so that we may do the Lord’s will and serve
our brothers and sisters in Christ. Through the Holy
Spirit, we are able to pray well and practice the virtues
of strength, justice, prudence and temperance.  Not only
this, by our docility to the Holy Spirit’s promptings and
our attentiveness to the Word of God and reception of
His Sacrament, we shall bear spiritual fruits: joy, peace,
faith, charity, goodness, kindness, patience, generosity,
chastity, modesty, gentleness, and self-control.  And as
a community, some of us may be gifted with the Holy Spirit
to teach, to preach, to heal, to give words of wisdom,
to counsel and to be instruments of God’s miracles to
others.

We receive so much from God through the Holy Spirit that
we are called to be really thankful and grateful for all
God’s goodness, mercy and kindness.  Pentecost is a time
for us to thank God for the gift of prayer, for the gift
of community through our loved ones and through our
co-workers, and most especially for the gift of the Church
- from whom we are nourished daily or every Sunday with
the Body and Blood of Christ - a sacrament that strengthens
us to do God’s will, obey the Church, and serve our brothers
and sisters in Christ.  Let us praise and thank God always
for the gift of Himself through His Most Holy Spirit.

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Readings http://www.pcentral-online.net/catholic/lectionary/ascension.html

“And know that I am with you always, until the end of the
world!”

The solemnity of the Ascension reminds us of the power of God
- how the Father glorified His Son Jesus and seated Him at
His right hand.  In the scriptures, we read of the Ascension
of Jesus in the Acts of the Apostles. In the passage, we find
Jesus promising them the power of the Holy Spirit so that they
can preach the Kingdom and be His witnesses in Jerusalem, in
all Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth. This
same message of Jesus is found also in the gospel of Matthew.
Matthew records the disciples making their way to Galilee, to
the mountain Jesus had summoned them.  It was here that Jesus
expressed that the Father had given Him full authority both
in heaven and on earth and thus commands His apostles to make
disciples of all nations: baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  And with the
promise of the Spirit at Pentecost, Jesus confirms also His
promise that He will be with the apostles always, [and with
the Church], until the end of the world!

After the feelings of discouragement, sadness, and fear which
the apostles and the disciples experienced with the death of
Jesus on the Cross on Good Friday, the experience of His
resurrection, ascension and the promise of the Spirit at
Pentecost gives them a renewed hope and an encouraging message.
With the Spirit not yet descending upon them, the apostles and
the disciples were still fearful for the Jewish authorities.
This is but a normal reaction since it was the Jewish religious
authorities and the Roman authorities that were responsible
for the execution and death of their Master.  However, there
was a turning point in their life as followers of Jesus when
they discovered their Master rise to life once more and then
ascend into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.
What before was darkness within their minds and hearts, has
turned into a flicker of strong hope by the Risen presence
of their Master amidst them.  By the time the Spirit descends
upon them in tongues of fire, they will be strong in their
witnessing to the great love of God personified in His Son,
Jesus.

Jesus as the Risen Lord and the Resurrected Master, is a
genuine inspiration for all of us who look to Him as the
source of hope and encouragement.  Knowing what He suffered:
the agony in the Garden, the scourging at the pillar, the
crowning with thorns, the carrying of the Cross, and the
Crucifixion - we feel a great awe at the fortitude, courage
and strength He showed by going through all these.  But
since Jesus had great faith in the Father, He suffered all
of these for love of us, so that we may learn to hope also
in the Father despite the sufferings and losses we have
experienced in life.  If we always focus on Christ, and
learn to place all our hope and trust in Him, despite all
the negative circumstances we may be faced with, and
even though discouraging news may swamp our family and
the places where we work, we will sense a peace and a
serenity that only God can give because we have placed
all our trust and confidence in Him.  Let us also pray
to the Holy Spirit, that He may come upon us and our loved
ones, so that we may be always encouraged to do the good
we are called to do, and never to give up, for we are
assured like Jesus, of the glory promised by the Father,
when we never give up our faith in Him.

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Readings http://www.pcentral-online.net/catholic/6th-sunday-easter-a.html

“I will not leave you orphaned; I will come back to you.”

The gospel for this 6th Sunday of Easter, Year A, is taken
from the gospel of John.  In the gospel, Jesus speaks about
His impending Ascension into heaven.  However, He assures
the apostles and his community of disciples that He will ask
the Father to send another Paraclete to be with them always:
the Spirit of truth.  He tells them that although the world
will not see Him no more, the apostles should not feel
orphaned by His departure.  This is because the Spirit whom
the Father will send will remain with them and will be within
them.  They will recognize that it is indeed the Spirit of
truth who will be with them, because the spirit of love shall
govern their minds and their hearts, and make them one family
in Christ.

This gospel prepares us for the Feast of the Ascension of
the Lord and for the Feast of Pentecost on May 11, 2008. In
some local churches, Ascension is celebrated on a Thursday
while the 7th Sunday of Easter is celebrated after it. In
other local churches, Ascension is celebrated on a Sunday
instead of the 7th Sunday of Easter.  The reason why some
local churches celebrate Ascension on a Sunday is because
their faithful often cannot go to Mass on a weekday.  And
so it is celebrated on a Sunday.  Whatever the local practice
of the church, what is really intended by these feasts is
the victory of Christ over sin, corruption, and death, and
the promise of God’s Holy Spirit to found His Church on
earth.

The season of Easter is a very important liturgical season
in the Church.  It teaches us the very essence of our
Christian faith: that Christ died for us and rose again so
that we may share in the victory of His resurrection. What
we hold in faith is that, as we learn to be faithful in
our following of Jesus and obey His commandment of love,
we too shall share in His glorious resurrection. But before
we do share in the glory of His victory, we must be aware
that we have to share in the pain of His suffering and
death on the Cross. 

As we go through life with all its troubles, sufferings,
pain and problems, we die to ourselves daily as we offer
everything that we do good to the Lord - despite the pain
and the struggles.  We may fall at times and err in certain
areas of what we are and do, but if we keep faith in the
victory of Christ, we shall share in His triumph over sin
and death.  So, what is important is to pray that we may
be given the strength to conquer our sinful selves and have
faith that even despite our failings, Christ will assure
us of His victory; and that He will never leave us.  He
will not leave us orphaned.  Rather, He promises the Spirit,
so that we will do His will and obey His commandment of
love for God, for our neighbor and for ourselves.

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Readings http://www.pcentral-online.net/catholic/5th-sunday-easter-a.html

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”

Last Sunday was Good Shepherd Sunday.  It spoke of the
truth of Jesus as the Good Shepherd.  This Sunday, the
gospel speaks of Jesus as the way, the truth, and the
life.  Jesus in the gospel takes the occasion to teach
this truth about Himself when Thomas asked Him how “we
can know the way” and when Philip wanted to know who
the Father was.  The response of Jesus was plain: “I
am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes
to the Father but through me.” “Whoever has seen me has
seen the Father”.

On many occasions in the gospels, we read about Jesus
having compassion over the people because He found them
like sheep without a shepherd.  We know that sheep who
are not led by a shepherd often go in different directions
and some may even stray very far away from the direction
of the flock.  Jesus sees this in the people of His time.
They lack a good leader to lead them to the fullness of
life.  That is why He was sent by the Father in order
that people may believe; and that all people will be led
to the right way, to the full truth and the fullness
of life.  He presented Himself as the Good Shepherd, who
was willing to lay down His very life so that His followers
may find their way to the Father.  But when His detractors
struck Him down, all of His followers have scattered.
After three days, the Father raised Him back to life so
that He can regroup His followers and tell them to wait
for the Spirit of Truth, who will lead them to the fullness
of life and the truth about Himself.

Knowledge of who Jesus is in our life becomes more
relevant when we discover Him in all our daily routines
and responsibilities. We are often tempted to seek for
signs of His presence - signs that are beyond the ordinary.
But it is in the very flow of daily life that we are called
to discover who Christ is for us. Even in our busy schedules,
we can experience the presence of God just by being aware
- having a reflective and contemplative outlook towards
events, people and things.  The key to knowledge of Christ
is awareness of His presence in the daily grind of life
where we immerse ourselves in family life and work.
And when we do keep to this contemplative outlook on
life, we shall indeed affirm Christ’s identification of
Himself as “the way, and the truth, and the life”. We
shall discover Him as the very source of the fullness
of life we often seek for.

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Readings http://www.pcentral-online.net/catholic/4th-sunday-easter-a.html

“I came that they might have life and have it to the
full.”

This Sunday is Good Shepherd Sunday.  And the gospel
for this Sunday is taken from the gospel of John. In
John, Jesus speaks of Himself as the “sheepgate”, the
“gate”, and as the “shepherd of the sheep”. He contrasts
Himself to the thief and the marauder - to the stranger
whom the sheep do not recognize.  These the sheep will
flee from as they do not know him and his voice. They
know that these come only to steal and slaughter and
destroy.  But the sheep will follow only the voice of
the shepherd who calls each of the sheep by their names.
The shepherd will lead them as they follow him and
recognize his voice.  Since the sheep recognize the
voice of the shepherd, they will be safe and find
pasture.  Through the shepherd, the sheep are able to
have life as they follow the shepherd and his voice.

With this teaching, Jesus teaches a leadership that
is different from other styles of leadership.  What
He teaches is a leadership that leads its followers
to life and to have it to its fullness.  As we just
celebrated the Easter Triduum several weeks ago, we
can have a glimpse of what this leadership entails:
self-sacrifice to the point of giving one’s very life
for one’s followers.  That is why Jesus is a Good
Shepherd.  By his very word and life, He has taught
many to believe and trust in the Father - who will
reward all who follow His Son with the fullness of
life, eternal life.  And the more we follow in the
steps of the Son, the more the fullness of God’s very
own life will be ours to inherit.

Many of us would probably shirk at the idea of
leadership, saying to ourselves, that is only for
those in politics.  But in our pursuit of Christian
holiness, we exercise a form of Christian leadership
in our ordinary life.  By our simple words and deeds,
we can witness to the truth that there is hope for
all of us - even those who have committed grave
sins or errors or those who have lossed something
very valuable in life.  By making Christ as the
source of our Christian leadership, we make His
light shine through us so that it may also shine
to others.  The more we are rooted in Christ as
our Good Shepherd, the more our Christian leadership
will truly lead others to the very life that Christ
has promised for all of us - eternal life.

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Readings http://www.pcentral-online.net/catholic/lectionary/3rd-sunday-easter-a.html

“With that their eyes were opened and they recognized
him…”

From the gospel of Luke, we find two disciples making
their way to Emmaus, seven miles distant from Jerusalem.
On the way, they were recounting what had happened to
Jesus in Jerusalem.  Their hopes were dashed when Jesus
was crucified and put to death, because they had hoped
He was the One to set Israel free.  So, as they went
along in their lively exchange, Jesus suddenly approached
them and went along with them. They did not recognize
that it was Jesus. Jesus asked them what they were
discussing and the two disciples were surprised and
said: “Are you the only resident of Jerusalem who does
not know what had transpired there these past few days?”
As the three went along, Jesus began to explain to the
two that the Scripture reveals that the Messiah was to
suffer and die and then rise again. Because of this
knowledge of Jesus, the two disciples pressed Jesus to
stay with them since it is nearly evening. As they all
seated for a meal and Jesus took the bread, pronounced
a blessing, broke the bread and distributed it, the
two disciples suddenly recognized that it was Jesus
who was with them. But Jesus suddenly vanished from
their sight afterwards.

The gospel of Luke tells us that one of these two
disciples of Jesus was Cleopas.  The other’s name was
not mentioned.  When the two recognized Jesus in the
breaking of the bread, then these two disciples may
have also been present on the many occasions that
Jesus blessed, broke and gave the bread to people.
These occasions were the multiplication of the loaves
and the event of the Last Supper.  There must have
been something distinctive in the way that Jesus took
the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to all
who would consume it.  So even if Jesus now appears
in His glorified form as the Risen Saviour, they
still recognize His very style of taking, blessing,
breaking, and giving the bread.  The disciples also
said “Were not our hearts burning inside us as he
talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures
to us?” The very Spirit of Jesus, in His word, and
in His actions, made such a great impact on His
apostles and disciples, that they can never forget
how His words and actions in the breaking of the
bread was so life-giving - imparting a Spirit that
inspires, enkindles charity, encourages, consoles,
and strengthens.

As we go on in our Easter journey, let us make more
precious our moments in prayer as we celebrate the
Eucharist.  If before, we were not as attentive to
the liturgical actions that are performed during the
whole celebration, let us this time channel our sight
to focus on the Word and the Eucharistic actions
during the consecration of the bread and wine. Let
us be more attentive to the presence of Christ in
those Eucharistic actions so that as we come into
communion with Him in consuming the bread, we shall
receive His life-giving Word and Sacrament.  We can
receive His life more and more, if we are faithful
to the very spirit that He has shown us by example:
a spirit of self-sacrifice, self-gift, life-giving
actions of service and charity, and a humble attitude
that truly pleases God as Father.

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Readings http://www.pcentral-online.net/catholic/lectionary/2nd-sunday-easter-a.html

“Do not persist in your unbelief, but
believe!”

The gospel passage for the second Sunday of Easter
Easter Sunday is taken from the gospel of John. It
recounts the story of Jesus appearing first to the
group of apostles without Thomas with them. And so,
when Thomas came back to the group and the group
narrated to Thomas that the Lord had appeared to
them, Thomas did not believe.  He said, “I’ll never
believe it without probing the nail-prints in his
hands, without putting my finger in the nail-marks
and my hand into his side.”  A week later, the
group of disciples were gathered, and Thomas was
with them this time.  Jesus again appeared in His
resurrected body to the apostles and said to Thomas,
“Take your finger and examine My hands. Put your
hands into My side. Do not persist in your unbelief,
but believe!” Thomas said in response, “My Lord
and my God!”

For many of us Catholics and Christians, we take
for granted our belief in Christ the Risen Lord.
But during the time of the apostles, not all may
have believed that Jesus has really risen from the
dead.  And Thomas was one of these disciples. The
apostle Thomas was lucky that the Lord made His
appearance again to the disciples with him present
amongst the group.  But Jesus exclaimed something
even greater than what transpired in the sudden
faith of Thomas:

“You became a believer because you saw Me, blest
are they who have not seen and have believed.”

Faith is a gift and is not given to all people.
Sometimes it is obtained through an intense
conversion experience.  At other occasions, it may
be the result of a great hope that God will make
things better; He shall make all things well.
But we usually project our faith from our present
situation into the future where our hope lies in
God.  This is the challenge for most of us -
especially when the times of testing and trial
arrive into our family circle or our social network
of friends and acquaintances. The attitude we can
take is to be open to God in prayer and be humble
to accept that we need the help of others. Like
Thomas, we are called to go back to those whom
we have shared our faith, and believe together
with them, so that we too may see the Lord as
they did.

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Readings http://www.pcentral-online.net/catholic/lectionary/easter-sunday.html

“He saw and believed.”

The gospel passage for Easter Sunday is taken
from the 20th chapter of John and begins with
Mary Magdalene going to the tomb of Jesus and
suddenly finding that the stone had been moved
away.  Mary then ran off to tell Simon Peter and
the disciple whom Jesus loved and told them
about it.  So Simon Peter and the disciple went
on their way to the tomb.  When they came to
the tomb Peter observed the wrappings on the
ground and saw the piece of cloth which had
covered the head of Jesus rolled up in a place
by itself.  Though in this gospel passage there
was no mention of anything else but the stone
moved away, the wrappings of Jesus on the ground,
and the tomb empty, we are told that the disciple
whom Jesus loved went in the tomb and “believed”.

Bible scholars help us understand this passage
through the very text of the gospel itself. In
tradition, Mary Magdalene is designated as the
“apostle to the Apostles”. And this passage helps
us see how she obtained that title. It was she
who first noticed that the stone had been moved
away.  Also, in another part of the Scriptures,
the Lord appeared to her, and it was she who
announced to the apostles that she had seen the
Lord alive! But after her role as the “announcer”,
the focus is now on Simon Peter and the beloved
disciple. The text tells us that the beloved
disciple “outran” Peter to the tomb - thus
confirming the younger age of the beloved
disciple. Although he reached the tomb first,
he did not enter; it was Simon Peter who entered
and saw the tomb empty. This action belies the
seniority of Peter over the beloved disciple
(and the rest of the apostles). But when the
beloved disciple entered the empty, “he saw
and believed”.

It is easy for us to take for granted our faith
in the Risen Jesus. For we have inherited a
tradition of faith from our parents and from
those whom our parents have inherited theirs.
But in that context of the time of Jesus and
the apostles, everything was still as it were,
“happening for the first time”. And since they
have not received the Holy Spirit yet at Pentecost,
they as yet did not understand the Scripture that
Jesus had to rise from the dead.  So their faith
was still a “mustard seed”, planted in them by
the very words of their Master and Savior. What
is surprising though is that even though they
have not yet received the Spirit of Truth in His
fullness at Pentecost, some of them already
exercised their faith in Jesus. And we are told
in this gospel passage that the beloved disciple
“saw and believed” as he went in the empty tomb.

In our Christian life, we often look for signs
so that we may believe in the action or message
of God.  But the signs we look for are often
the miraculous, the extraordinary, and those
that defy the laws of nature.  Although these
are in themselves helpful for others in their
spiritual journey and in their conversion, these
are not the signs that are really essential.
When we study the gospel passage, we are told
of “ordinary” signs: the stone had been moved
away and the wrappings are left on the ground. 
No angels. No sudden burst of light.  No
earthquake. Just an empty tomb.  But the
beloved disciple “saw” the ordinary “signs”
and “believed”.

Like the beloved disciple in the passage, we
are called to “see and believe” in the Risen
Christ.  But to “see and believe” in the Risen
Jesus very simply.  By our simple faith in God’s
resurrecting power, we can receive new life from
Him.  Everytime we celebrate the Eucharist, we
are to remember that Jesus died for us on the
cross and rose again after three days to tell
us that God can conquer death itself. Everytime
we see the bread and wine consecrated in the
Mass, let us see these as the signs that will
call forth our faith in Jesus and believe in
Him as our Risen Lord.

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Readings http://www.pcentral-online.net/blog7/2007/04/07/easter-vigil-year-c/

[note: all the readings for the Easter Vigil
of Year A are the same as that of Years B and C,
with the exception of the gospel given below]

“A Reading From the Holy Gospel According
to Matthew [Matthew 28:1-10]”

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week
was dawning, Mary Magdalene came with the other
Mary to inspect the tomb. Suddenly there was a
mighty earthquake, as the angel of the Lord
descended from heaven. He came to the stone,
rolled it back, and sat on it. In appearance
he resembled a flash of lightning while his
garments were as dazzling as snow. The guards
grew paralyzed with fear of him and fell down
like dead men. Then the angel spoke, addressing
the women: “Do not be frightened. I know you
are looking for Jesus the crucified, but he is
not here. He has been raised, exactly as he
promised. Come and see the spot where he was
laid. Then go quickly and tell his disciples:
‘He has been raised from the dead and now goes
ahead of you to Galilee, where you will see
him.’ That is the message I have for you.”

They hurried away from the tomb half-overjoyed,
half-fearful, and ran to carry the good news
to his disciples. Suddenly, without warning,
Jesus stood before them and said, “Peace!”
The women came up and embraced his feet and
did him homage. At this Jesus said to them,
“Do not be afraid! Go and carry the news to my
brothers that they are to go to Galilee, where
they will see me.”

“…Jesus stood before them and said,
‘Peace!’”

The story of the resurrection of Jesus has
several versions, depending on the gospel that
narrates it.  Here in the gospel of Matthew,
we find dramatic events that herald the rising
from the dead of Jesus: a mighty earthquake,
the appearance of an angel of the Lord - who
looked like a flash of lightning and his
garments as dazzling as that of snow, and the
guards who became paralyzed with fear at all
these which they saw.  And then, the first to
hear the news of Jesus rising from the dead
were two women: Mary Magdalene with another
‘Mary’. When the angel told the two women to
announce to the others of the rising from the
dead of Jesus, they immediately bolted -
hurrying in both joy and fear. And as they
were on their way, Jesus appeared to them and
said, “Peace!”. Now, it is Jesus Himself who
enjoins them to go and carry the good news of
His resurrection.

Easter is a very special season in the Church.
It tells us of the great hope we can inherit
from Catholic tradition when we enter into the
very mysteries of the Holy Week, the Easter
Triduum and the whole fifty days of the Easter
season. As we see in this resurrection narrative
from Matthew, Jesus says to the women, “Peace!”.
And in the many other resurrection narratives
wherein He would appear to His disciples, He
says “Peace” many times over.  From this message
of the Risen Christ, we can see that the message
of peace is a message very important for faith
in Christ Jesus as the Risen Lord and the One
who has conquered death and sin. From our human
perspective and context, we can say that the
message of “Peace” that the Risen Lord gives is
a message that conquers the spirit of violence
that put Him to death on the Cross. The gift of
the Resurrection thus is a gift of peace to all
the apostles and disciples of Jesus who lost
their sense of peace when they experienced the
violence of the Cross.

As we celebrate the Easter Vigil tonight and
discover anew the gift of life that we receive
from God, let us thank Him for the gift of His
Son, the Prince of Peace.  Jesus has taught us
a very great lesson in life: faith and obedience
to the Father, who has the power to conquer all
evil - even death and sin.  Through the power of
the Holy Spirit, God has raised Jesus from the
dead and sent Him to share the gift of the Holy
Spirit so that we may receive the peace that
only God can give.  As we thank the Lord for
all His goodness and His mercy, let us also
renew our commitment to serve Him and all our
brothers and sisters by the renewal of our
baptismal promises.  Our renewal of our vows
at baptism is a union with the whole family of
God, a people of peace - a people of hope -
a people of Easter joy!