Wednesday, April 8, 2026

 

Wednesday in the Octave of Easter

(Acts 3:1-10; Luke 24:13-35)

In the depths of sorrow and in the heights of satisfaction, people tend to forget God’s mercy.  In today’s gospel the two disciples are so dejected they do not notice that the risen Jesus has come to is accompany them.  He must remind them of all that he foretold about his passion, death, and resurrection.

He comes in the Eucharist as well. He tells the story of liberation from both tyranny and sin.  More than that, he invites his listeners to a supper of bread turned into his body and wine converted to his blood.  He does not want anyone to despair that their prayers are not heard or their deeds are worthless. 

Right now, wars wage in the Ukraine and Gulf region, nations are at a loss to deal justly with immigrants, and men are losing their souls to pornography.  We must both pray and act, act and pray.  We pray that the Holy Spirit, which raised Jesus to new life, may charge the minds and hearts of world leaders to establish peace with justice for all.  We perform voluntary acts of kindness and goodwill as tiny steps toward the universal common good.

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

 

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter

(Acts 4:32-37; John 3:7b-15)

“’How can this happen?’” Nicodemus asks Jesus in the gospel.  It’s the same question many would ask of the first reading.  How can people sell their houses and property and donate all the proceeds to the community? 

The Acts of the Apostles tells of Joseph’s generosity to illustrate the power of the Holy Spirit.  Under the Spirit’s guidance people put aside self-interest for the good of all.  It must be noted that the wholesale mutuality of the primitive Christian community is not perfect and does not prevail for long.  The story of Joseph’s selflessness is followed by the sober tale of a believer’s deception out of self-concern.  In the next chapter of Acts, the altercation between Greek-speaking and Hebrew-speaking disciples is related.  It may be concluded that the innocence of human nature is not restored by the Holy Spirit without an inclination to sin.

Christian shortcomings cause scandal both in the world and within the community.  At the end of the Middle Ages the selling of indulgences by clerics gave rise to the Protestant Reformation.  Today many are reserved about receiving the sacraments because of the revelations of child abuse by clergy.  And certainly Christians have been guilty of racial and religious bigotry over the centuries.  There is need for investigating these matters lest too severe judgments are made.  Yet repentance and penance are also in order.  It is not that the Spirit has abandoned the Church but that Church members have failed to follow its lead.  We must regularly turn back to the Spirit with sincere hearts.

Tuesday, April 7, 2026

 

Tuesday of the Octave of Easter

(Acts 2:36-41; John 20:11-18)

Invoking the Christmas song “White Christmas” now may be the jarring necessary to appreciate Jesus’ resurrection.  “White Christmas” became a hit during World War II when G.I.’s longed to be back home with their loved ones.  A white Christmas also represented Christian social values of faith, family, and community.  Going home for Christmas resembled what Jesus refers to in today’s gospel as ascending to “’my Father and your Father … my God and your God.’”

In Sunday morning’s second reading, the Letter to the Colossians exhorts Christians to “seek what is above, where Christ is seated …” and not what is on earth.  “What is above” is, of course, “’My Father and your Father.’”  It might be also expressed as the virtues which God engenders.  The heavenly virtues can also explain why Jesus tells Mary, “’stop holding on to me,.”  Mary and all Christians are no longer to seek earthly goals but heavenly ones.  Rather than pleasure, power, and prestige, they are to strive for peace, joy, and evangelical love.

The campus of our striving is where we live, work, and meet one another.  We endeavor not just to get to heaven but to make a heaven of  these habitats.  Such effort in the end will bring us to the place that has prepared for us.

Monday, April 6, 2026

 

Monday in the Octave of Easter

(Acts 2:14.22-33; Matthew 28:8-15)

The first Christians had various kinds of evidence for Jesus’ resurrection. There was the testimony of the apostles to Jesus’ empty tomb and to his appearances.  As conclusive as these types of confirmation seem today, there was another, equally important source of belief.  Fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy gave gravity to the Christians’ argument.  This is seen in Peter’s initial sermon after receiving the Holy Spirit in today’s first reading.

Peter addresses Jews from around the Mediterranean world in Jerusalem for their Feast of Booths.  He makes his case for Jesus as the Messiah based on Jesus’ fulfillment of Psalm 16, quoted in the reading.  The psalmist, considered to be David, speaks of being saved from the throes of death. Because David’s tomb was known, Peter refers the passage to Jesus, David’s descendant and heir, whom God raised from the dead.

Peter is appealing to Jews to believe in Jesus as the Messiah.  We should hear him urging us to believe in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and something more.  He wants us to adhere to Jesus’ teachings in a world agnostic to the claims of faith and traditional morals.

Sunday, April 5, 2026

 

Easter Sunday: The Resurrection of the Lord, Mass of the Day
(Acts 10:37–43; Colossians 3:1–4; John 20:1–9)

Who is “the other disciple” who believes in Jesus’ resurrection before anyone else? Biblical scholars do not agree on his identity. For centuries, the common opinion was that “the beloved disciple,” as he is called, is John, the son of Zebedee. But now some scholars ask why his name is not given, since he is one of the most prominent disciples in the other Gospels.

Some experts today have proposed an interesting answer to this question. They say that he is Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. We recall that the Gospel says Jesus loved Lazarus along with his sisters. However, it seems strange that the evangelist would call him by name in the story of his resurrection and then refer to him only as “the other disciple” or “the disciple whom Jesus loved” throughout the rest of the Gospel.

One of the most perceptive biblical commentators of the last century offered another solution. He said that “the disciple whom Jesus loved” is indeed a disciple, but not one of the Twelve Apostles. This scholar wrote that the Beloved Disciple did not have the prominence in the early Church that Peter and John had. Nevertheless, he left his testimony to the Christian community that produced the Gospel according to John.

We tend to think that the Beloved Disciple reaches Jesus’ tomb before Peter because he is younger. But the Gospel never describes him as young. Is it not possible that he arrives first because of his great love for Jesus? This love is shown in his closeness to the Lord at the Last Supper.

It is said that love is blind. This may be true of romantic love. Romantic lovers often overlook one another’s faults to satisfy their burning desire. However, the love that matters most—the love that seeks the good of the other without expecting anything in return—is not blind. On the contrary, this love, with which God loves us, sees in the beloved virtues that not everyone can see.

Robert and Priscilla Colby had been married for nearly fifty years when Priscila developed Alzheimer’s disease. Roberto had to care for her, a task he carried out with dedication. He said that he loved Priscila even more than on their wedding day. He credited her with the good upbringing of their three children. He recalled that when their youngest daughter began getting into trouble, Priscila recognized that the root of her difficulties was the company she kept. She then forbade her from going out with that group of friends. Naturally, the girl resented her mother, but in time she earned a doctorate and worked at a leading research university.

The Beloved Disciple values Jesus with this same kind of love. He recognizes Jesus as the best of all men and, indeed, as the Son of God. He is willing to sacrifice himself for the Lord by being the only male disciple present with the women at the foot of the cross. Because of this great love, he does not hesitate when he sees the empty tomb and the folded cloths to  believe that Jesus has risen as He said He would. He does not need to see the risen Lord to believe as Mary Magdalene and Peter do.

This love has been poured into our hearts through Baptism. We believe that the Lord Jesus has risen without having seen Him. Let us not allow our love for Jesus to remain only at the level of belief. Rather, let us sacrifice ourselves for others, so that they too may believe and have eternal life.