Easter Sunday - The Resurrection of the Lord – Year A
April 16, 2017
Gospel: Jn 20:1-9
On the first
day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb (1) early in the morning, while
it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the
other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from
the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” So Peter and the other
disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple
ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths (2)
there, but did not go in.
When Simon
Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled
up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had
arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet
understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.
The difficult words
(1) A tomb is a large vault for
burying the dead.
(2) A burial cloth is a piece of
material used to wrap a dead body in myrrh and other spices for burial.
This week’s spotlight
Alleluia, alleluia
Alleluia means "praise God” in Hebrew, the language of the Old
Testament. It is a cry of joy and praise that is often found in the psalms.The
Church has borrowed it to proclaim the joyful reading of the Gospel. The
alleluia is not used during Lent, because Lent is a time of penance and longing
for new life. On Easter Sunday, the return of the alleluia expresses the great
joy of the Resurrection.
The paschal (Easter) candle is a large candle engraved with the present
year and two Greek letters. The letters are called Alpha and Omega, the first
and last letters of the Greek alphabet. This symbolizes that everything begins
and ends with Christ, that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The
light of the paschal candle is a sign of the Resurrection. It is lit during the
Easter Vigil and continues to burn in the church throughout the Easter season,
and during baptisms and funerals throughout the year.
Reflection
Even though Sunday is on the weekend, it’s actually
the beginning of the week for Christians. It’s the first day of the new
creation, the day that Jesus rose from the dead. That’s why we go to Mass on
Sunday. Just as Mary Magdalene, Peter, and other disciples gathered around the
tomb early on Easter morning, we gather today to hear the Good News of the
Resurrection. Even though we don’t see Jesus or the empty tomb with our human
eyes, we celebrate Easter with the eyes of faith. We believe that Jesus is
risen, that he has triumphed over death! The joy we celebrate every Sunday is
even greater on this Easter Sunday. Open your heart to this joy throughout the
week. Share this joy with others who believe in Jesus. God promises us eternal
life! Alleluia!
Discussion questions
1.Who goes to Jesus’ tomb?
2.What do Peter and the other disciple discover when
they go to the tomb?
3.Who is the first to believe in Jesus’ resurrection?
4.Why is the resurrection of Jesus good news?
5.How can you spread the joy of Easter to others?
Praying after Communion
After receiving Holy Communion, you can say this prayer
silently to yourself. If you have not yet received your First Communion, you
can still
say this prayer
because of your desire to receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in communion with the whole
Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. Thank you for the great joy of
your Resurrection and for the hope of rising with you to new life. Help me to spread that hope and joy to everyone I
meet Amen.
This week...
"Alleluia!" is a cry of joy. On this day
of Resurrection, let out your joy by singing or saying an Alleluia - continue
to sing your Alleluias throughout the week.
There are many ways you can spread the good news of
Easter. At dinner time, read the story of Jesus' Resurrection from the Gospel
of John, pray the Glorious Mysteries of the rosary, or help arrange flowers
throughout the house to symbolize new life in Christ!
Maze Puzzle
- http://usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm