Daily Readings - Tue Apr 14 2020

³⁶"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."³⁷When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"³⁸Peter replied, "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.³⁹The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."⁴⁰With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."⁴¹Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

John

Chapter 20

¹¹but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb¹²and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.¹³They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"¹⁴"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.¹⁵"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."¹⁶Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).¹⁷Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"¹⁸Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two profound moments of faith and response to the risen Christ. In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter's sermon at Pentecost leads to a transformative moment for the crowd. They are moved to repentance upon realizing Jesus' true identity, leading them to seek baptism and join the growing community of believers. This passage highlights the early church's dynamic growth and the power of proclamation. In the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene's encounter with Jesus at the tomb is deeply personal. Her grief turns to joy as she recognizes Jesus, who then commissions her to spread the news of his resurrection. This moment underscores the personal and transformative nature of encountering Christ, emphasizing the call to share this Good News with others. Both readings invite us to reflect on our own encounters with Christ. Like the crowd at Pentecost, we are called to repentance and a deeper commitment to our faith. Like Mary, we are called to recognize Christ in our lives and to share this gift with others. May we respond with faith, allowing the risen Christ to transform us and inspire us to share His love with the world.