{"id":1068,"date":"2020-04-08T08:34:16","date_gmt":"2020-04-08T08:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sundayscriptureonline.com\/?p=1068"},"modified":"2020-04-08T09:14:04","modified_gmt":"2020-04-08T09:14:04","slug":"12-april-16-2020-easter-sunday-b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sundayscriptureonline.com\/?p=1068","title":{"rendered":"12 April 16 2020 – EASTER SUNDAY (B)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A. The Bible as\nGuide in Life and Liturgy (Sunday Readings)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

B. Reflection & Dialogue: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A. The Bible as Guide in Life and Liturgy (Sunday Readings)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First Reading <\/em>(Acts 10:34, 37-43). We have eaten and drunk with\nhim after his resurrection. <\/em>This is Peter\u2019s address to the pagan centurion\nCornelius and his household at Caesarea, after Cornelius had sent for Peter at\nthe Lord\u2019s suggestion. Cornelius\u2019s \nhousehold were obviously interested in becoming followers of Christ. The\nsermon was probably typical of an early Christian presentation of the Gospel\nmessage. It began with the baptism by John the Baptist, the+ anointing by the\nHoly Spirit, and gave the central events of Christ\u2019s ministry, his miracles\nthrough the power of the Spirit, his crucifixion, resurrection and\npost-resurrection appearances to show that he had truly risen in his bodily\nexistence. It also gave Christ\u2019s mandate to his apostles to preach that he was\nGod\u2019s appointed messenger and the saviour of the world. Early sermons such as\nthese gave the framework of the Gospel tradition that would later be consigned\nto writing in all four gospels: from the preaching of John to the resurrection.\nThe call at the end to believe in Christ and repent of sins is valid for all\ntimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responsorial Psalm <\/em>(Psalm 117). The stone that the builders rejected\nhas become the corner stone.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second Reading <\/em>(Colossians 3:1-4). You must look for the things\nthat are in heaven, where Christ is. <\/em>This section of the epistle to the\nColossians is chosen as appropriate for Easter Sunday when we commemorate the\nresurrection of Christ and his return in glory to the Father, where he\nconstantly prays that his work on earth through his Church be successful.\nChristians are united to him in baptism, and by God\u2019s grace are united with him\nin heaven. The passage calls on us to think of these consoling truths. It is\nall in keeping with Christ\u2019s own words: Store up treasure for yourselves in\nheaven; where your treasure in, there will your hearts be also (see Matthew\n6:19-21). No one can serve two masters. Today\u2019s reading is no generic statement\nwithout substance. In its context in the Epistle it is preceded by the\nexhortation: \u201cAs you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to\nlive your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the\nfaith, just as your were taught, abounding in thanksgiving\u201d (Colossians 2:6-7).\nAnd in the same letter, today\u2019s passage continues with the consequences of\nbelief in this new life in Christ, namely, on the negative side putting to\ndeath everything that is earthly, listing first four sexual practices, then\nother minor offences, ending with a list of works indicated by belief in\nChrist: kindness, humility, forgiveness and such like. The Easter invitation to\nhave minds and hearts set on Christ does not foster withdrawal from social\ncommitments. Rather does it imply this.The Risen Christ, enthroned at the right\nhand of he Father, continues to address his faithful followers on earth,\nreminding them of the mission he gave them at the Sermon on the Mount: \u201cYou are\nthe salt of the earth; you are light of the world. So let your light shine\nbefore others that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father\nin heaven\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alternative Second Reading\n<\/em>(1 Corinthians 5:6-8). In the\nimmediate preceding context Paul had condemned the abuse in the Christian\ncommunity at Corinth where a man was living with his step-mother, something\ncondoned by the community. Paul alerts to the danger of the bad example. He is thinking\nagainst the background of the Jewish Passover when all bread with yeast\n(leavened) had to be removed for the festival, and the sacrifice of the paschal\nlamb performed. Leaven (yeast) is here taken as a symbol of corruption. Easter\nshould be celebrated in holiness, symbolically with the unleavened bread of\nsincerity and truth. For our own day this can be a call for the traditional\nEaster confession, the sacrament of reconciliation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Gospel <\/em>(John 29:1-9). He must rise from the dead. <\/em>There\nare different accounts in the New Testament of the resurrection of Christ and\nhis appearances to chosen followers. Paul (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) lists five\nappearances, first to Peter and last of all to Paul himself. Today\u2019s account by\nJohn in the Fourth Gospel is but part of a series of episodes: first the empty\ntomb, without any appearance of the risen Lord (John 20:1-10); then an\nappearance to Mary Magdalene (11-18), then to the disciples without Thomas\n(19-23), and then with Thomas (24-29). Today\u2019s reading is about the visit to a\ntomb found empty. Mary Magdalene suspects robbery. The \u201cother disciple\u201d\n(probably the beloved disciple) recognized Peter\u2019s special privileged position.\nThe tidy situation with regard to the items of clothes rules out robbery. The\n\u201cother disciple\u201d has an insight into the resurrection, and he and the Church\nwill later see in this the fulfilment of Scripture. A certain unevenness can be\nperceived in the narrative (for instance Mary Magdalene, although alone, says\n\u201cwe\u201d do not know), due to the use of earlier traditions in which a number of\nwomen go to the tomb. In this section of his longer narrative the evangelist\nrearranges earlier traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

B. Reflection\nand Dialogue: <\/strong>The Risen Christ\nCentre of Christian life. Christian witness <\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the first reading Peter stresses that the apostles are attested witnesses to Jesus\u2019 resurrection, with the task of proclaiming to all what Jesus\u2019 saving mission meant. The message of the second reading is that all followers of Christ should be witnesses to the new life in Christ in a world that often has a contrary message. There is fruit for reflection in this for us today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Belief in the resurrection of Christ and of Christ at God\u2019s right hand is, in a sense, revolutionary. It calls for Christian living and Christian witness in an indifferent or unbelieving world. By union with Christ in baptism Christians in a sense have died to one form of living, and now have a new life, in the words of today\u2019s reading \u201chidden with Christ in God\u201d. This is not a life of detachment from the world or human society, no more than Christ\u2019s life in God is. As Pope Francis reminded us early in is pontificate, the centre of the Church is Christ, not the Pope. Without awareness of Christ as head and centre of the Church, Christian life is disoriented.  The risen Christ, now in glory, is the same Christ who has given us the Beatitudes, and other teaching. He is the Christ who has sent his Spirit on the Church and has directed it confidently in the mission to pagans beyond Judaism, countering unacceptable pagan beliefs and practices.  Hence it is that in this same letter, immediately after today\u2019s reading, the implications of belief in the Easter Jesus are spelt out. Paul\u2019s words merit citation in full. He first spells out five prevailing practices, unacceptable to believers in Christ, common in the society in which Colossian Christians found themselves. Paul\u2019s words are (Colossians 3:5-8): \u201cPut to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which are idolatry).  On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient.  These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life.  But now you must get rid of all such things\u201d. He then adds other qualities which should characterize Christian society. They should put away anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from their mouth, and many other failings  besides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            The Church in Ireland is now at a turning point. There have been the clerical, and other, sex scandals, and independent of this a falling away from Church attendance, not necessarily a lack of faith. There is also a growing, and vocal, secularism and anti-clericalism. Believers need to put faith in the Risen Christ, as presented in today\u2019s reading from Colossians, at the very centre of their religion. Presence at Easter ceremonies could be a call and a reminder from Christ that all who believe in him are his witnesses, witnesses to his passion and resurrection.  We can compare the present situation in Ireland (and also elsewhere) somewhat to that of the disciples during and after the terrible events of the Passion and death of Jesus. The hopes expressed in him on the entry over the Mount of Olives seemed dashed. In his hour of trouble his disciples had abandoned him; Peter had even denied him three times. The situation changed with the resurrection belief, and the words of Jesus that his death was really a victory. Believers in him could take courage. Through his death and resurrection Christ had conquered \u201cthe world\u201d, that is, all forces trying to take believers away from him. And his followers would be witnesses to this new age. As Jesus said (John 15:26-27): \u201cWhen the Advocate (Paraclete, Comforter) comes, whom I send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A. The Bible as Guide in Life and Liturgy (Sunday Readings) B. Reflection & Dialogue: A. The Bible as Guide in Life and Liturgy (Sunday Readings) First Reading (Acts 10:34, … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1084,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sunday-readings"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sundayscriptureonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1068","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sundayscriptureonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sundayscriptureonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sundayscriptureonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sundayscriptureonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1068"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sundayscriptureonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1068\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1085,"href":"https:\/\/sundayscriptureonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1068\/revisions\/1085"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sundayscriptureonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sundayscriptureonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sundayscriptureonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sundayscriptureonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}