God raised this Jesus; of this we are all
witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of
God, he poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit that he received from
the Father, as you both see and hear.” Acts 2:32-33
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted
them. They approached, embraced his
feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus
said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell
my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” Matthew 28:9-10
Piety
Let us celebrate Easter
with all our senses: hearing the message
that He is risen, seeing His works carried out, embracing those who need
embracing, tasting the goodness of the Lord, and smelling the aroma of life
around us. As we come to know the hope that is the Easter story, let us
proclaim that to our sisters in brothers in the Galilee of our life. Amen.
Study
Is now the time to let go
of Lent? Or is now the time to make our
Lenten offerings part of our everyday living?
Whether or not we let go
of Lent or maintain an attitude of giving, the lesson that Easter brings to
that disposition is that Jesus will meet us along the way we are going. During
Lent, our fasting, almsgiving and sacrifice were intended to bring us closer to
Christ and the mission He has for us.
Now that we are into the Easter season, we will reflect on that mission
through the Acts of the Apostles – stories filled with acts of fasting,
almsgiving and sacrifice, stories filled with acts that we are to continue to
emulate.
The notes to the readings
today point out that in both John and Matthew’s accounts of the Easter
encounter, there is a physical touch between the women and Jesus. In Matthew, they embraced his feet and did
him homage, an act that helps us to recall the anointing of his feet by Mary
the week before the Passion and contrasts with the nails that pierced his feet
on Good Friday.
Rather than letting go,
perhaps now is the time to embrace those acts even more.
Action
Easter is the time for us
to come out of our shell and follow the Risen Christ. Has your shell been
cracked and peeled away so that there are no obstacles as you approach Jesus
today? Where will He meet you
today? Will you recognize Him? Will you embrace Him and what He asks of you?
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