DAILY- HOMILY

MARCH 31, 2013
EASTER SUNDAY: THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD

Acts 10:34,37-43 / Ps 118: 1-2. 16-17. 22-23 / Col 3:1-4 / Jn 20:1-9

ACTS 10:34,37-43
Peter then spoke to them, "Truly, I realize that God does not show partiality. No doubt you have heard of the event that occurred throughout the whole country of the Jews, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism John preached. You know how God anointed Jesus the Nazarean with Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all who were under the devil's power, because God was with him; we are witnesses of all that he did throughout the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem itself. Yet they put him to death by hanging him on a wood en cross. But God raised him to life on the third day and let him manifest himself, not to all the people, but to the witnesses that were chosen beforehand by God—to us who ate and drank with him after his resurrection from death. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to bear witness that he is the one appointed by God to judge the living and the dead. All the prophets say of him, that everyone who believes in him has forgiveness of sins through his Name."

COLOSSIANS 3:1-4
So then, if you are risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on earthly things. For you have died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, reveals himself, you also will be revealed with him in Glory.

JOHN 20:1-9
Now, on the first day after the Sabbath, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning while it was still dark, and she saw that the stone blocking the tomb had been moved away. She ran to Peter, and the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and she said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don't know where they have laid him." Peter then set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down and saw the linen cloths lying flat, but he did not enter. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered the tomb; he, too, saw the linen cloths lying flat. The napkin, which had been around his head, was not lying flat like the other linen cloths, but lay rolled up in its place. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in; he saw and believed. Scripture clearly said that he must rise from the dead, but they had not yet understood that.

REFLECTION
Of all of the Christian feasts, the feast celebrated today is the greatest! Today is a day for great rejoicing and it is a day for joyful hope. Today we rejoice with Jesus who has been raised from the dead and today we are assured of the life that we all hope for, the life that will never end.

Yes, we ask for the grace to rejoice with Jesus. As St. Ignatius puts it in his Spiritual Exercises we ask for the grace "to rejoice and be glad intensely at so great glory and joy of Christ our Lord," or to put it in other words, we beg for the gift of being able to enter into the joy and consolation of Jesus in the victory of his risen life. For the days of Holy Week we have accompanied Jesus in his suffering and finally at his death on the cross. The mood of those days has been a somber mood. True, the events of Holy Week are events that took place in the past, but just as we can recall many past events with the emotions those past events continue to stir up in us, we can recall the events of Holy Week in the same way. But today is different! The rejoicing of today at the raising of Jesus from the dead is not just rejoicing of something past. Christ who has been raised from the dead is alive today! The tomb of Jesus is empty not because a body has been stolen but because Jesus is alive, fully alive!

We rejoice therefore with Jesus, but not only that. We joyfully celebrate our own hope that just as Jesus rose from the dead and now lives forever, we too will one day rise and we too will live forever. That is a promise the Lord gives us and the resurrection of Jesus is God's pledge that the promise will be fulfilled. That is why we can pray as we do in our Eucharistic celebrations that we can "wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ."

Today, Easter Sunday, we renew the promises of our baptism and we renew the faith we have received. With rejoicing and hope we profess that we believe in Jesus Christ who rose from the dead and we believe in the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting! Easter Sunday! What a great day for rejoicing and what a great day for strengthening our hope! Alleluia!

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Lorraine Raffinan Perez
- Elizabeth Lim
… for the personal intentions of Donna
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Milton Villafuerte
- Thanksgiving: Jeff, Gloria, Justin & Quennie Real
- In Memoriam (+): Miguel L. Quiros & Cesar L. Lopez
- In Memoriam (+): Leticia A. Tung
… for families who are in need of healing
… for world peace and reconciliation.

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.

Have a good day!

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