“Go Tell”

Monday in the Octave of Easter

“You who are children of Israel, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death because it was impossible for him to be held by it.  (Acts 2:22-24)

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce the news to his disciples. 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 28:8-10)

Piety

"Easter" by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Break the box and shed the nard;

Stop not now to count the cost;

Hither bring pearl, opal, sard;

Reck not what the poor have lost;

Upon Christ throw all away:

Know ye, this is Easter Day.

 

Build His church and deck His shrine,

Empty though it be on earth;

Ye have kept your choicest wine—

Let it flow for heavenly mirth;

Pluck the harp and breathe the horn:

Know ye not 'tis Easter morn?

 

Gather gladness from the skies;

Take a lesson from the ground;

Flowers do ope their heavenward eyes

And a Spring-time joy have found;

Earth throws Winter's robes away,

Decks herself for Easter Day.

 

Beauty now for ashes wear,

Perfumes for the garb of woe,

Chaplets for dishevelled hair,

Dances for sad footsteps slow;

Open wide your hearts that they

Let in joy this Easter Day.

 

Seek God's house in happy throng;

Crowded let His table be;

Mingle praises, prayer, and song,

Singing to the Trinity.

Henceforth let your souls alway

Make each morn an Easter Day.

Study

When we are young(er/), our introduction to religion is through rules and rote. 

You know the rules. Go to Mass on Sunday.  Go to confession once a year.  Don’t eat meat on Fridays.

You probably still remember the rote.  After the Our Father and Hail Mary, who among those born in the 1950s cannot recite the answer to one or more questions in the infamous Baltimore Catechism?  Like this one:  Why did God make us?  To gain the happiness of heaven we must know, love, and serve God in this world.  (Sondes like the seeds for Piety Study and Action were planted in Charm City, no?)

The sense I get in today’s readings is that we don’t do these acts or believe these tenets because of any requirement.  They are part of our nature. May was already heading away from the tomb to announce the news to the disciples.  She did not need Jesus to tell her what to do.  It was impossible after all she had seen not to go tell it on the mountain.  Jesus did not need God to break the chains of death.  He couldn't be held by those chains.

Action

Hopkins reminds us that Flowers do not need to be taught to grow. 

Where will you bring the Good News this Easter Week?  How will you “make each morn an Easter Day”?