Daily Readings - Tue Apr 11 2023

³⁶Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."³⁷Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"³⁸And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.³⁹For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."⁴⁰And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation."⁴¹So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

John

Chapter 20

¹¹But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb.¹²And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.¹³They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him."¹⁴Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.¹⁵Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."¹⁶Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).¹⁷Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"¹⁸Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"--and that he had said these things to her.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two profound moments of response to God's divine action. The first reading from Acts 2:36-41 captures Peter's impassioned speech to the crowd after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Moved by conviction, the people repent, leading to the baptism of three thousand, marking a significant expansion of the early Church. The Gospel, John 20:11-18, presents Mary Magdalene's encounter with the risen Jesus. Mistaking him for a gardener, she is overcome with emotion until Jesus reveals himself, commissioning her to spread the news to the disciples. Both readings highlight the context of pivotal moments in Christian history. Peter's speech occurs in the immediate aftermath of Pentecost, a time of spiritual awakening and communal formation. Mary's encounter is set in the aftermath of the resurrection, a moment of profound revelation. These events underscore the transformative power of God's presence and the call to action that follows. These passages connect through the theme of response to divine intervention. Peter's call to repentance and Mary's mission to announce the resurrection illustrate how individuals and communities are moved to act in faith. They remind us that our faith is not passive but active, requiring us to respond with openness and courage. In our daily lives, we are called to emulate this responsiveness. Like Peter, we must be willing to repent and embrace God's grace. Like Mary, we must share the Good News with others, whether through words or actions. These readings encourage us to be attentive to God's presence and to take faith-inspired steps in our lives. As we reflect on these readings, may we be open to God's presence and promptings. Let us embrace the call to repentance and the mission to share the Good News, living out our faith with courage and joy.