Readings for Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010 The Resurrection of the Lord

The Resurrection of the Lord

Aleluya Aleluya Aleluya!

1st Reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, 10: 34a, 37-43

This reading is about Peter's speech, delivered at the house of Cornelius, a captain of the Roman Army.

Three days before, while Cornelius prayed an angel appeared and instructed him to send for Simon Peter. Cornelius obliged to the angel's request and sent his servants to bring Peter back to him.

As Peter delivers his speech, he explains to Cornelius and to the others who were present, that God has made clear that he loves all men equally. God's love is blind and makes no difference between Jews and Gentiles, servant or free. Peter words are a detailed testament of Jesus' life, his miracles, and his legacy. The speech calls, not just the one's present but all of us who believe in the Good News, to "preach the Gospel to all the people and to testify that Jesus Christ is the one whom God has appointed judge of the living and the dead."

So, let us begin today, on the most special day of all special days, to tell our friends, our family, our neighbors, everyone, about God's instructions to believe in Jesus and to consider him "the One" sent by God to be the director of our lives.

If we believe, then let us share these news with everyone willing to listen! Remember that the reward for this task is the forgiveness of our sins.

***** ***** ***** ***** A L E L U Y A ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

2nd Reading, from the 1st letter of Paul to the Corinthians, 5: 6b-8

As a result of the problems that his church in Corinth was experiencing, Peter writes his 1st letter. He hopes that confusion amongst families and that immorality within the Christians would be resolved and turn into a thing of the past.

Paul asks the people to remove whatever is causing them to sin, from within their midst. Like the proverbial rotten apple that will rot the other good apples in the basket, Paul asks the Corinthians to be done with the old.

At one point or another we all have been able to observe the phenomenon of the rotten element meddling and spoiling the good one, and how rotten ways can speed up deterioration to anything within close reach. The wicked student who will incite the rest of the class to disrespect their teacher; the one nervous sheep that will lead the flock astray; the man who yells fire causing panic and promoting a stamped of fearful citizens; all of these and many more examples can be quoted as a parable to the problems that Paul is trying to solve.

On this letter, Paul recommends to the get done with the old habits so that -the Corinthians and us as well- can start anew.

Let us listen carefully to this simple advice: God recommends exactly the same for us.


***** ***** ***** ***** A L E L U Y A ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

The Gospel according to John, 20: 1-9

"They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they put him."

So it happened that on the morning of the 1st day of the week, they went to get the body and found the rock moved and the tomb empty.

Mary Magdalene and the other women alerts the apostles of the situation. Everyone suspects thievery and yet find finely folded burial clothes, which does not match with suspicion of what a grave robber would leave behind, after trashing a tomb. Some CSI mystery for the apostles...

The Good News have not yet sunk in their minds and they are slow to understand that, what is happening in front of their very eyes, IS the prophecy turning real.

It has been over 2000 years after this faithful Sunday morning, and presently a great deal of people in our world agree with the fact that the miracle of Jesus Christ's resurrection occurred that day. And this fact is what is of great importance: that we have no doubts in our hearts about the forces that are behind the rolled stone.

Jesus Christ's resurrection is the cornerstone of our Christian faith. Believing that he raised from the dead should be enough to cast out any doubt of the veracity of the Good News.

We believe, and because of this, we follow Jesus' advices... In doing so we guarantee for ourselves, a seat on the table of the eternal banquet!

ALELUYA, HE HAS RISEN!