The kerygma—the truth of the Gospel—has the capacity to cut to the heart of those who are open to hear it. The power of God’s Word is not present in a secular story. Our duty as Christians is to simply live the truth of the Gospel and allow it to speak for itself.

Acts 2:36-41

36 On the day of the Pentecost, Peter said to the Jewish people, “Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other Apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.” 40 He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.

Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22

R: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

4 Upright is the word of the Lord, and all his works are trustworthy. 5 He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full. (R) 18 See, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, 19 to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. (R) 20 Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield. 22 May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us who have put our hope in you. (R)

GOSPEL

The line “I have seen the Lord!” captures the essence of the Gospel in such a way that it gives dynamism and power no matter who says them. The resurrection is at the root of these words. People have seen the Risen Jesus—this is the power of Mary Magdalene’s testimony and of all those to whom Jesus appeared. The Church upholds this truth to this day.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.

John 20:11-18

11 Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. 13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. 17 Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he told her.

think: Do you believe in Jesus’ resurrection? Why or why not?

I could still vividly remember the day, June 30, 1990, when my father died. He was only forty-nine years old. Our family, especially my mother, was devastated. Although we were preparing for that eventuality, we still found his death difficult to accept. Because of grief, it was hard for my mother and sibling to decide on practical things about my father’s wake and funeral. In the midst of my sadness, I tried to make the necessary decisions. But it was a very painful process. I was not even sure if I was doing the right things. Grief over the loss of my father blinded my family.

I believe it was Mary Magdalene who had the same experience. Because of her closeness to Jesus, losing Him to a violent death wounded her deeply. She grieved so much that her pain and tears overwhelmed her. She seemed to have forgotten His promise that He would rise from the dead. She was even unaware of Jesus, who was now in front of her. Grief and tears do blind us.

We experience various forms of sadness. Our humanity tells us to go through the process, which is necessary. But let us not be overwhelmed by grief to the point that we allow it to affect how we live. There is more to this life than being frozen by those that overwhelm us. Let us go beyond the pain and recognize God’s plan for us. Fr. Joel Victorino

------- REFLECTION QUESTION -------

What things blind you from the greater possibilities that God reveals to you?

Jesus, comfort me in my grief. Open my eyes to the joys that are hidden behind my tears. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _____________________________