EASTER TUESDAY READINGS AND REFLECTION.
EASTER TUESDAY MASS READINGS
READING I
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
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Or: Alleluia.
Misericórdia Dómini plena est terra.
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: Alleluia.
Misericórdia Dómini plena est terra.
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: Alleluia.
Misericórdia Dómini plena est terra.
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: Alleluia.
Misericórdia Dómini plena est terra.
[–» Alleluia]
Optional: Sequence
Christians, to the Paschal Victim
Offer your thankful praises!
A Lamb the sheep redeems: Christ,
who only is sinless,
Reconciles sinners to the Father.
Death and life have contended in
that combat stupendous:
The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal.
Speak, Mary, declaring
What you saw, wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ, who is living,
The glory of Jesus’ resurrection;
Bright angels attesting,
The shroud and napkin resting.
Yes, Christ my hope is arisen:
To Galilee he goes before you.”
Christ indeed from death is risen,
our new life obtaining.
Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!
Amen. Alleluia.
ALLELUIA
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
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.
GOSPEL COMMENTARY FROM THE NAVARRE BIBLE, ST. JOHN (WITH PERMISSION)
- 11-18 Mary’s affection and sensitivity lead her to be concerned about what has become of the dead body of Jesus. This woman out of whom seven demons were cast (cf. Lk 8:2) stayed faithful during his Passion and even now her love is still ardent: our Lord had freed her from the Evil One and she responded to that grace humbly and generously.
- After consoling Mary Magdalene, Jesus gives her a message for the Apostles, whom he tenderly calls his “brethren”. This message implies that he and they have the same Father, though each in an essentially different way: “I am ascending to my Father” — my own father by nature — “and to your Father” — for he is your father through the adoption I have won for you by my death. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, shows his great mercy and understanding by gathering together all his disciples who had abandoned him during his Passion and were now in hiding for fear of the Jews (Jn 20:19).
- Mary Magdalene’s perseverance teaches us that anyone who sincerely keeps searching for Jesus Christ will eventually find him. Jesus’ gesture in calling his disciples his “brethren” despite their having run away should fill us with love in the midst of our own infidelities.
- 15 From Jesus’ dialogue with Mary Magdalene, we can see the frame of mind all his disciples must have been in: they were not expecting the Resurrection.
- 17 “Do not hold me”: the use of the negative imperative in the Greek, reflected in the New Vulgate (“noli me tenere”) indicates that our Lord is telling Mary to release her hold on him, to let him go, since she will have another chance to see him before his Ascension into heaven.
VIDEO REFLECTION
TOPIC: HAVE YOU SEEN WHOM YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IN YOUR LIFE?
In today’s gospel reading, Mary Magdalene seems to have stayed on after Peter and John have left an empty tomb. She is grieving for having lost her friend and master and asks the two angels who appear where Jesus has been taken away.As she turns around, she sees Jesus but does not recognize Him. The two men on their way to Emmaus, the disciples themselves – including Thomas – all of them also did not recognize the resurrected Jesus at first instance. Jesus asks Mary Magdalene, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” (verse 15)
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