Daily Readings - Tue Apr 19 2022

³⁶Therefore, may the entire house of Israel know most certainly that God has made this same Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.³⁷Now when they had heard these things, they were contrite in heart, and they said to Peter and to the other Apostles: "What should we do, noble brothers?³⁸Yet truly, Peter said to them: "Do penance; and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit³⁹For the Promise is for you and for your sons, and for all who are far away: for whomever the Lord our God will have called.⁴⁰And then, with very many other words, he testified and he exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this depraved generation.⁴¹Therefore, those who accepted his discourse were baptized. And about three thousand souls were added on that day

John

Chapter 20

¹¹But Mary was standing outside the tomb, weeping. Then, while she was weeping, she bowed down and gazed into the tomb¹²And she saw two Angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been placed, one at the head, and one at the feet¹³They say to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have placed him.¹⁴When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus¹⁵Jesus said to her: "Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you seeking?" Considering that it was the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have moved him, tell me where you have placed him, and I will take him away.¹⁶Jesus said to her, "Mary!" And turning, she said to him, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher)¹⁷Jesus said to her: "Do not touch me. For I have not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brothers and tell them: ‘I am ascending to my Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God.’ ¹⁸Mary Magdalene went, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord, and these are the things that he said to me.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the transformative power of encountering God and the call to live as witnesses of His love. In the first reading from Acts, Peter addresses the crowd after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. His words pierce the hearts of the people, leading them to repentance and baptism. This moment marks the birth of the Church, as three thousand souls are added to the community of believers. The passage emphasizes the urgency of responding to God’s grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to live as children of God. In the Gospel, we find Mary Magdalene at the tomb, overcome with grief and confusion. Her encounter with the risen Jesus is deeply personal and transformative. When Jesus calls her name, she recognizes Him and is filled with joy. Yet, He tells her not to cling to Him but to go and share the news with the disciples. This moment highlights Mary’s role as the first witness to the resurrection and the importance of sharing the Good News with others. Both readings remind us that our faith is not just a personal experience but a call to mission. As we reflect on these passages, let us ask ourselves: How am I responding to God’s grace in my life? Am I open to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit? Like Mary Magdalene, are we willing to trust in God’s plan, even when it challenges our expectations? And like the early Church, are we living as witnesses of God’s love in the world? May we embrace the call to repentance, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and share the joy of the Gospel with others, just as Mary and the early disciples did.