April 14, 2020 Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

2020년 4월 14일 부활 팔일 축제 내 화요일 

오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp 

제1독서

사도행전. 2,36-41
오순절에, 베드로가 유다인들에게 말하였다.
36 “이스라엘 온 집안은 분명히 알아 두십시오.
하느님께서는 여러분이 십자가에 못 박은 이 예수님을
주님과 메시아로 삼으셨습니다.”
37 사람들은 이 말을 듣고 마음이 꿰찔리듯 아파하며
베드로와 다른 사도들에게,
“형제 여러분, 우리는 어떻게 해야 합니까?” 하고 물었다.
38 베드로가 그들에게 말하였다.
“회개하십시오. 그리고 저마다 예수 그리스도의 이름으로 세례를 받아
여러분의 죄를 용서받으십시오. 그러면 성령을 선물로 받을 것입니다.
39 이 약속은 여러분과 여러분의 자손들과 또 멀리 있는 모든 이들,
곧 주 우리 하느님께서 부르시는 모든 이에게 해당됩니다.”
40 베드로는 이 밖에도 많은 증거를 들어 간곡히 이야기하며,
“여러분은 이 타락한 세대로부터 자신을 구원하십시오.” 하고 타일렀다.
41 베드로의 말을 받아들인 이들은 세례를 받았다.
그리하여 그날에 신자가 삼천 명가량 늘었다.

복음

요한. 20,11-18
그때에 11 마리아는 무덤 밖에 서서 울고 있었다.
그렇게 울면서 무덤 쪽으로 몸을 굽혀 12 들여다보니
하얀 옷을 입은 두 천사가 앉아 있었다.
한 천사는 예수님의 시신이 놓였던 자리 머리맡에, 다른 천사는 발치에 있었다.
13 그들이 마리아에게 “여인아, 왜 우느냐?” 하고 묻자,
마리아가 그들에게 대답하였다.
“누가 저의 주님을 꺼내 갔습니다. 어디에 모셨는지 모르겠습니다.”
14 이렇게 말하고 나서 뒤로 돌아선 마리아는 예수님께서 서 계신 것을 보았다.
그러나 예수님이신 줄은 몰랐다.
15 예수님께서 마리아에게 “여인아, 왜 우느냐? 누구를 찾느냐?” 하고 물으셨다.
마리아는 그분을 정원지기로 생각하고,
“선생님, 선생님께서 그분을 옮겨 가셨으면
어디에 모셨는지 저에게 말씀해 주십시오.
제가 모셔 가겠습니다.” 하고 말하였다.
16 예수님께서 “마리아야!” 하고 부르셨다.
마리아는 돌아서서 히브리 말로 “라뿌니!” 하고 불렀다.
이는 ‘스승님!’이라는 뜻이다.
17 예수님께서 마리아에게 말씀하셨다.
“내가 아직 아버지께 올라가지 않았으니 나를 더 이상 붙들지 마라.
내 형제들에게 가서, ‘나는 내 아버지시며 너희의 아버지신 분,
내 하느님이시며 너희의 하느님이신 분께 올라간다.’ 하고 전하여라.”
18 마리아 막달레나는 제자들에게 가서 “제가 주님을 뵈었습니다.” 하면서,
예수님께서 자기에게 하신 이 말씀을 전하였다.

 April 14, 2020

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter 

Daily Readings — Audio

Daily Reflections — Video

http://www.usccb.org/bible/ 

Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass 

Reading 1

Acts 2:36-41
On the day of 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.”

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?”
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.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call.”
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,
“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20 and 22

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

Gospel

Jn 20:11-18

Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
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.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
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.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” 
which means Teacher.
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.’”
Mary went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”

and then reported what he had told her.

http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow

 «Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord»

+ Fr. Antoni ORIOL i Tataret
(Vic, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, in the figure of Mary of Magdala we may contemplate two levels of acceptance of our Savior: the first one, imperfect; complete, the second one. According to the first one, Mary appears as the most sincere of Jesus' disciples. She follows him, unmatched Master; heroically, she sticks to Jesus, crucified because of his love; she looks for him, beyond death, buried and missing. How full of admirable and humble submission to her “Lord” are her two exclamations that, as two unique pearls, the evangelist John has kept for us: «They have taken my Lord and I don't know where they have put him» (Jn 20:13); «Lord, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him»! (Jn 20:15). History has seen few disciples as loyal and full of affection as Mary of Magdala.

Notwithstanding, the good news of this Tuesday, octave of Easter, far exceeds all ethical uprightness and religious faith in an admirable Jesus, but in the last instance, death, to take us to an ambience of faith in Jesus Christ Resurrected. A Jesus Christ that, in the first moment, taking her from the level of imperfect faith, asks Mary of Magdala: «Woman, why are you weeping?» (Jn 20:15) To which, with myopic eyes, she replies to as a farmer only interested in her own anxiety would; a Jesus, now, that in a second and definitive moment, calls her by her name: «Mary»! to move and shake her up with resurrection and life, that is, with Himself, Resurrected and Alive Forever. Outcome? Mary of Magdala believer and Mary of Magdala, apostle: «So Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’» (Jn 20:18).

It is not infrequent today to find many Christians that cannot clearly see what will come after this life and who, therefore, have doubts about Jesus' resurrection. Am I among them? on the other hand, there are too those Christians who have enough faith to follow Jesus privately, but who are afraid of apostolically proclaiming it. Do I belong to these ones? If this were the case, let us tell him, as Mary of Magdala did: «Master!», let us cling to his feet and let us go to our brothers and tell them: —The Lord has risen and I have seen him!

http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

 

In today’s gospel reading on this Tuesday of the Octave of Easter, we hear the famous and beautiful story of Mary Magdalene, the ‘Apostle of the Apostles.’ 

Here in this scene, her crucial role is evident and there are beautiful lessons and invitations in this story for us.  She ends up experiencing Christ / experiencing resurrection / experiencing a transformation – during a time that was a deeply sad and low point for her, missing Jesus whom she had such a deep and meaningful relationship, and, unsure where his body was that she was planning to prepare for burial.

But, she shows persistence as she stays at the tomb, and therefore, staying present to difficult feelings of a difficult situation.  Jesus speaks directly and personally to her, but she didn’t recognize Jesus at first; rather she was set on her own understanding of how things should normally go.  once she does set aside her expectations about how things ‘should’ be, Mary Magdalene recognizes Jesus.  She has a crucial job to do, given by Jesus, to share the resurrection news!  She is an essential piece of the early and future Church as she bears witness that Christ is alive! 

There are so many beautiful lessons, questions and invitations for us in Mary Magdalene’s story at the tomb on that first Easter morning!  As I praying with the story of Mary Magdalene today, I found heart recalling a significant time of memory and grace for me.  I began to pray with the experience of a recent “cannonball moment” for me (cannonball moment  = a term used, in Ignatian reflection circles, to describe an event that completely shattered one’s plans and understandings and ended up leading one closer to God in an unpredictable way ….similar to how St. Ignatius experienced his conversation after a cannonball shattered his leg during the Battle of Pamplona, which necessitated a long and intense recovery for him). 

About six months ago, I found myself in what seemed like a foreign setting: a spacious room in the local hospital, in the neonatal intensive care unit, looking into an incubator-type of contraption that my newborn son was carefully laying in.  I was in disbelief, confusion and shock that my baby boy had needed to be delivered eight weeks before his due date, with no forewarning or clear explanation.  I spent many hours…then many days…. holding him up on my chest, learning the ins and outs of the monitors and the fluctuating numbers on the screens, and experiencing disappointment and impatience at his seemingly slow growth.   I was hurting and mourning the loss of what I imagined what the labor and delivery process would have been, two months later.  It was difficult to have hope after an experience of significant loss in which the present reality was a lot worse than I had hoped for.  I felt a bit like Mary who had been looking for Jesus and not finding him. 

The experience of grace, of recognizing God’s hand in all of this, didn’t come immediately, and didn’t come at one moment as it seems to have come to Mary Magdalene on that first Easter Sunday morning.  Mine came slowly over the course of the weeks, as my heart softened, my humility grew and my trust began to take root.  I listened to the familiar faces of the charge nurses, the lactation consultant, the speech therapist (feeding expert), the physical and occupational therapists, the neonatologists, who, through their daily conversations with me about newborn growth and development, bore witness to the miraculous mystery of premature infant development.  It was as if they were like Mary Magdalene, the ones who had witnessed, and were convinced of, God’s faithful promises.  And, they hopefully, positively, confidently conveyed that Good News to me in their daily conversations.  I was skeptical at first, until I began to see their prophetic predictions come true.  My son did figure out how to eat and the healthy growing baby boy was sent home from the hospital with joy, hope and jubilee (and he is continuing to grow and thrive several months later!).

Here are some questions that I invite us to reflect on as we enter this Easter season, this season of transformation, where we see with new eyes, where we broaden our understanding of what God is capable of…

• When do have we heard our names being called, like Mary Magdalene, in the midst of desolation, confusion and despair? 
• When have we noticed grace, even in small ways, and then been tempted to dismiss it or downplay it as something else?
• When have we been tempted to run away? 
• When have we been invited to witness God’s amazing work in our lives?
• How do I share the ways God is present to me, with others?

Let us pray for each other, for our loved ones and community members, for our world.  Be our inspiration, Mary Magdalene, as we seek to know Jesus more intimately, as we search for Jesus, and as we continue to be invited to love and accompany others in our suffering world, particularly in this pandemic crisis.

 http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp

MY SWEET JESUS!

"I have seen the Lord!" �John 20:18

At a college "Encounter with Christ" retreat many years ago, I had a "Mary Magdalene" moment. The retreat director asked everyone to find a quiet location and spend an hour reading letters written to us by fellow students. I walked through the snow-covered woods to a secluded hilltop overlooking a frozen lake and sat atop a tree stump to read and pray. Each letter radiated encouragement, hopes, and prayers. The final letter ended with a Bible verse: "No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a bushel basket" (see Lk 8:16). When I read that verse, it was as though Jesus Himself jumped off the page, sat next to me, and spoke my name (Jn 20:16). Though the winter air was freezing cold, I felt nothing but warmth and the love of Jesus during that hour. In that moment, Jesus' love changed me profoundly and permanently. I was transformed from self-conscious to God-confident, from fearful to joyful. The Scriptures came alive and I was filled with the desire and resolve to attend daily Mass. With Mary Magdalene, I proclaimed: "I have seen the Lord!" (Jn 20:18) A life-changing, personal encounter with the risen Jesus is absolutely critical. The risen Jesus is not bound by the laws of the natural world. He walks through locked doors (Jn 20:26), vanishes from human sight (Lk 24:31), and rises into the clouds (Acts 1:9). You might encounter the risen Jesus in the Eucharist, while reading the Bible, at a retreat, during prayer, in a traffic jam, while cooking, in the dark (Acts 18:9), or while traumatized by tragedy (Jn 20:15). Be constantly ready to encounter the risen Jesus. Let Him transform your life.

Prayer: "Jesus, my Lord, my God, my All..."

Promise: "You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." —Acts 2:38

Praise: Praise You, risen Jesus! You are "the Alpha and the Omega" (Rv 22:13). Alleluia!

 http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/

 "I have seen the Lord!"

Do you recognize the Lord's presence when you hear his word? How easy it is to miss the Lord Jesus when our focus is on ourselves! Mary did not at first recognize the Lord because her focus was on the empty tomb and on her own grief. It took only one word from the Master, when he called her by name, for Mary to recognize him.

The Risen Lord Jesus reveals himself to us as we listen to his word
Mary's message to the disciples, I have seen the Lord, is the very essence of Christianity. It is not enough that a Christian know about the Lord, but that we know him personally. It is not enough to argue about him, but to meet him. In the resurrection we encounter the living Lord Jesus who loves us personally and shares his glory with us. The Lord Jesus gives us "eyes of faith" to see the truth of his resurrection and his victory over sin and death (Ephesians 1:18). And he opens our ears to recognize his voice as we listen to the "good news" proclaimed in the Gospel message today.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the foundation of our hope - the hope that we, too, who believe in him will see the living God face to face and share in his everlasting glory and joy. "Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy.  As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:8-9). Do you recognize the Lord's presence with you, in his word, in the "breaking of the bread," and in his church, the body of Christ?

"Lord Jesus, may I never fail to recognize your voice nor lose sight of your presence as you open the Scriptures for me and speak your life-giving word."

Psalm 33:4-5, 18-22

4 For the word of the LORD is upright; and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death, and keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and shield.
21 Yes, our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.

A Daily Quote for Easter season: The Easter Alleluia, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Because there are these two periods of time - the one that now is, beset with the trials and troubles of this life, and the other yet to come, a life of everlasting serenity and joy - we are given two liturgical seasons, one before Easter and the other after. The season before Easter signifies the troubles in which we live here and now, while the time after Easter which we are celebrating at present signifies the happiness that will be ours in the future. What we commemorate before Easter is what we experience in this life; what we celebrate after Easter points to something we do not yet possess. This is why we keep the first season with fasting and prayer; but now the fast is over and we devote the present season to praise. Such is the meaning of the Alleluia we sing." (excerpt from commentary on Psalm 148, 1-2)

  

More Homilies

April 3, 2018 Tuesday in the Octave of Easter