First Reading: Acts 10:34A, 37-43

Reflection:

During the Easter season, which we celebrate for 50 days in the Catholic Church (until Pentecost), we hear from the Acts of the Apostles in the First Readings, rather than the Old Testament. The book of Acts, written by St. Luke as a sequel to his gospel, records the events in the early Church, after the resurrection of Jesus. In essence, it conveys how the apostles, most especially St. Peter and St. Paul, gave witness to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection “in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). In the reading for Easter Sunday, we hear Peter, who had denied Jesus three times during Holy Week, boldly proclaim the Good News (i.e. Gospel) of Jesus Christ to a group of Gentiles (i.e. non-Jews). We see in Acts, after the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, that the Apostles were emboldened and equipped to confidently give witness to the Gospel to all peoples (both Jews and Gentiles), even in the face of severe persecution.

In this Sunday’s reading, we hear Peter preaching the Gospel to Gentiles gathered in the home of Cornelius, a Roman centurion living in Caesarea. Cornelius had received a vision from an angel telling him to send for Peter, who was in Joppa (south of Caesarea along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea). Cornelius sent men to Joppa to invite Peter to his home. While these men were traveling, Peter also had a vision in which God revealed to him that all foods were declared clean. In other words, the Jewish ceremonial laws, including the kosher food laws, were no longer necessary for Christians, the vast majority of whom were Jewish believers in Christ up until this point. This revelation was a precursor to the encounter with Cornelius and the other Gentiles who would become believers in Christ. While Peter was preaching and witnessing about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus to them, the Holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles in Cornelius’ home and, as a result, Peter commanded that they be baptized (see Acts 10:44-48). The conversion of these Gentiles resulted in opening the doors for missionary efforts to the Gentiles and the welcoming of many more Gentile converts into the Church.

Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-4

In this reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we hear that we “have died” and have been “raised with Christ.” Our new life in Christ came initially at our baptism. In the sacrament of baptism, we die to sin and rise to the life of grace. This imagery is especially present in a baptism by immersion. When we go under the water it represents going into the tomb, and when we come back up it represents the resurrection. But baptism is not merely a symbol in the Catholic faith. As a sacrament, baptism enacts what it signifies. Truly we are washed clean of our sins (most especially original sin in the case of infants) and become “a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17). Thankfully, our own resurrection from the death of sin is possible because of Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection on the third day, which we celebrate this most glorious of Sundays. 

This new life in Christ calls for a different way of living, a distinct way of looking at life. In particular, St. Paul here exhorts us to “seek what is above … [and] … think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” We are not home yet. This earth is just a temporary dwelling place. If we get too caught up in the things of this world (e.g. money, success, possessions, fame, etc.), we miss the point of our lives. The purpose of our lives is “to know, love, and serve God in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next,” as the Baltimore Catechism puts it. Therefore, we must stay focused on heavenly matters (i.e. “what is above”). Certainly this does not mean we ignore our responsibilities here on earth, but we should always keep those within the perspective of heaven. For, if we are faithful, we “will appear with him in glory.” And that is all that ultimately matters, for as the poet Leon Bloy once quipped, “The only real sadness, the only real failure, the only great tragedy in life, is not to become a saint.”

Gospel Reading: John 20:1-9

Reflection:

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Those statements, often exchanged by Christians on Easter Sunday, are not just nice sentiments. Jesus’ resurrection is a real event that took place nearly 2,000 years ago and forever changed the course of human history. Our Christian faith rises or falls on this event, for as St. Paul says, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). In fact, he goes on to say that if there is no resurrection, then “we [Christians] are the most pitiable people of all” (1 Cor. 15:18). Jesus either was raised bodily from the dead and salvation from sins is thus possible, or he didn’t rise and we are stuck in our sins. This is why the resurrection of Jesus is the pivotal teaching of Christianity. Without it, our faith makes no sense.

The empty tomb changes everything. Interestingly, this Sunday’s gospel reading mentions the word “tomb” seven times in these few verses alone, emphasizing the importance of the empty tomb and those who first witnessed it. We hear that Mary Magdalene first discovered the empty tomb early on the first Easter Sunday morning. She then told Peter, the head of the Apostles, and the beloved disciple, namely John. Mary at first assumed that the body had been stolen. But evidence is present in the description of Peter and John’s visit to the tomb that this was not the case. The passage explicitly mentions the presence of the burial cloths and describes in detail how both Peter and John 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.” Why mention these details? Because no thief would have unwrapped the body, neatly folded the burial cloths, and left them in the tomb. In fact, ancient grave robbers typically stole the expensive linens (and other items in the tomb), leaving the body behind. So these details are there as eye witness accounts of the way the tomb was found in order to dispel the notion that the body had merely been stolen. 

Furthermore, we hear in other parts of the gospels that Mary, Peter, and John, amongst many others, encountered the risen Lord in the flesh after the resurrection. They were eyewitnesses not just of the empty tomb but of the resurrected Jesus Himself (and, remember, that Mary Magdalene and the Apostle John were also eye witnesses of the crucifixion, so they knew for sure Jesus was dead). These followers of Jesus believed in the resurrection not simply with blind faith, but because they saw the resurrected Lord with their own eyes. In fact, they walked and talked with Him. And they clung to their founded belief in the resurrection unto their deaths, even gruesome martyrdoms for many of them. Even though denying the resurrection would have been their ticket to freedom, they did not deny it because they knew it was true. The resurrection was and is no fantasy. Rather, it was and is a historical reality that remains the centerpiece of our Christian faith. Do you believe it?

Application:

  • Like the early Christians in the book of Acts, we are called to continue the mission of the Church by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all peoples. How have you been a witness of the Good News in your life? What can you do this Easter season to share Jesus with others?
  • St. Paul challenges us to “think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” How are you doing with focusing on eternal, heavenly matters, rather than being concerned about the things of this earth? Try looking at life with more of an eternal perspective, in light of our belief in the resurrection. Focusing on “what is above” can help provide peace and joy in the midst of whatever trials we face here on earth.
  • Prayerfully reflect on the reality of the resurrection. Place yourself in the scene of the gospel reading. How would you respond if you were one of those first disciples? What difference has the resurrection of Jesus made in your life?