Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

Today's Mass Readings

Today is the first Tuesday in the Octave of Easter, which means that we arecontinuing to celebrate not only the liturgical season of Easter, but the very day of Easter itself which we extend over an entire eight days. During these days, the first reading will focus on the Acts of the Apostles because it is an account of the early Christian community immediately after the death and resurrection of Jesus. The gospel reading will focus on the resurrection appearences of Jesus in the various gospels. Thus, in today's Gospel reading, we find Jesus exhorting Mary Magdalene to preach the Gospel to the Apostles. In a very male dominated society, it does seem refreshing that it was a woman who was the first to receive news of the resurrection and be sent as a messenger of the Good News. For this reason, tradition has called Mary Magdalene the Apostle to the Apostles.

One of the apostles who received the message from Jesus was Peter. This Peter is a changed, converted, and repentant Peter. He had once betrayed Jesus in fear and uncertainty. But now all fear is gone. To the very people that killed Jesus he says, "Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." (Acts 2:36). And there is no uncertainty in his message: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins... " (Acts 2: 38).

As a result, Luke reports in Acts 2: 41, those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.


The question I raise is this: If Mary did not do her part, and if Peter did not do his part, what would the church be like today?

By virtue of our baptism, our dying with Christ and rising with Him to new life, we too are called to be apostles in the sense of those who are sent out on a mission. Like Mary Magdalene, we are called to spread the Easter joy, the joy the Gospel brings, to each other and to the whole world. One thing is sure, that if we do not become witnesses to the gospel, the church will begin to decline and finally die.

Let's take some time this Easter to really think about ways in which we can better bring the Gospel of Jesus to those we encounter on a regular basis. Perhaps the best place for this to start is at home and at the work place. In our attitude of hope and faith in adversity, in our caring interactions with the difficult ones at work, in our relationships at home, in our concern for the poor, in our standing for the truthis an increasingly secularistic society, in our life of deep prayer and spirituality, let the joy of be evident.

Jeff Morrow & Fr. Satish Joseph