🙏 SUNDAY INSIGHTS - EASTER MORNING 🙏

First Reading - Acts 10:34,37-43

Second Reading - Colossians 3:1-4

Gospel - John 20:1-9

A Sunday school teacher had just finished telling her third graders about how Jesus was crucified and placed in a tomb with a great stone sealing the opening. Then, wanting to share the excitement of the Resurrection, she asked: “And what do you think were Jesus’ first words when He came bursting out of that tomb alive?” A hand shot up into the air from the rear of the classroom. Attached to it was the arm of a little girl. Leaping out of her chair she shouted out excitedly “I know, I know!” “Good” said the teacher, “Tell us, what were Jesus first words?” And extending her arms high into the air she said: “TA-DA!” Another little boy offered, “Please stop staring and pass me the fish sandwiches — it’s been three days and I’m starving!” The teacher asked a second question: “Why did Jesus appear to women first after the Resurrection?” A girl answered, “He wanted to be sure the news spread quickly!” 

Today, we celebrate the great feast of Easter. We are all bearers of the message of the resurrection of Jesus. The women were the privileged ones to become the first witnesses of the good news of the resurrection of Jesus. However, now we are all entrusted with this task. The readings of today invite us to make faith and our transformed life as the fruits of Easter, thence, our witnessing will be effective.

The gospel from St. John gives us fitting lessons for the day. Traditionally, the beloved disciple, in the gospel of John, is believed to be John the apostle. Basing on this belief, we can deduce fitting message for the day. A transformation in the character of John summaries the readings of today. The first transformation that we see in John, as narrated in the gospel, is meekness. John, as mentioned in other gospels, went through a great transformation from aspiring to be an important person in the kingdom of Jesus, and from feeling jealous of those casting out demons in the name of Jesus, and from showing hatred for those rejected Jesus to the extent of desiring to call fire from heaven to consume them, to the meek acceptance of the primacy of Peter to wait for him to enter the tomb first to examine and verify the truth of the statement of the women who reported about the resurrection of Jesus. How did it happen? Once who wanted to be the first, now accepted the primacy of Peter. This is really a paschal transformation. This is why Paul in the second reading mentions that those who are brought back to the true light with Christ are preoccupied with the things of heaven or above rather than the things of the world. The things of the world could mean power, prestige, money, pleasure etc. at the cost of any means, fair or unfair. John was greatly transformed from worldliness to Christ-centeredness of humility. This is what we are also called to live in our lives; a transformed life in Christ.

The second lesson that we can draw from John is that of faith. The gospel says:"He saw and believed." He didn't not verify anything but just saw and believed. We see Jesus everytime in the blessed sacrament but do we believe him? Do we believe that what we receive is the risen Christ who died for us and has so humbled himself that he hindes himself in this small bread? Do we believe that the same risen Christ who was with his disciples, after he rose from the dead, continues to be with us in our every situation of life? Peter in the first reading testifies about the resurrection of Jesus. He strongly affirms that it's the risen Christ who is the judge of all and those who believe in him will be forgiven of their sins. This is to say, they will receive salvation in Jesus. Faith can't be taught rather we receive it as a gift at our baptism. We need to nurture it everyday by our spiritual life.

Dear friends, the time of Lent was a given period for us to revive our drooping faith by the exercises of our religious pieties. We also took many resolutions in order to observe this season of Lent; some by giving up drinks, some others by giving up bad habits, others by taking up auster life, and some others by taking up charitable works. They are very good! The question arises now, have they changed us anyway? If so, we are really in the celebration of Easter, if not, we need to re-evaluate ourselves. If we continue to walk the same path of worldliness, perhaps there will not be any transformation in us. The Easter demands a transformation in us from worldliness to seeking things of above; it means Christian virtues and values.

We need to also nurture the seed of faith given to us. The seed of faith is sown in us but it's our responsibility to nurture and mature it by our spiritual exercises, like; prayer, participation in the Eucharist and other prayer services, daily reading and meditation on the Word of God etc. Faith has to grow or else it will disappear. Let's never become lax in our faith lest we lose it all.

May God help us transform ourselves daily from our undue attachment to worldliness and increase in us a deep and sincere faith.