 | | | | | |  | | | James Martin Raves about New Book by Pope Francis! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | With heads bowed let us now worship a sacrament so great;
And let the old teaching give way to the new;
Let faith reinforce our belief where the senses cannot.
To the Father and the Son let there be praise and jubilation,
Salvation, honor, virtue, and also blessing;
To the Holy Spirit let there be equal praise.
Amen.
-- Saint Thomas Aquinas
Read more traditional Catholic prayers. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord
John 20:1-9
Mary of Magdala finds that the stone has been removed from Jesus' tomb. Today we begin the Easter Season, our 50-day meditation on the mystery of Christ's Resurrection. Our Gospel today tells us about the disciples' discovery of the empty tomb. It concludes by telling us that they did not yet understand that Jesus had risen from the dead. Thus, the details provided are not necessarily meant to offer proof of the Resurrection. The details invite us to reflect upon a most amazing gift, that is faith in Jesus and his Resurrection. Each of the four Gospels tells us that Jesus' empty tomb was first discovered by women. This is notable because in first-century Jewish society women could not serve as legal witnesses. In the case of John's Gospel, the only woman attending the tomb is Mary of Magdala. Unlike the Synoptic accounts, John's Gospel does not describe an appearance of angels at the tomb. Instead, Mary is simply said to have observed that the stone that had sealed the tomb had been moved, and she runs to alert Simon Peter and the beloved disciple. Her statement to them is telling. She assumes that Jesus' body has been removed, perhaps stolen. She does not consider that Jesus has been raised from the dead. Continued... Religious Educators:
Click here for free activity ideas to accompany today's gospel for grades 1-3, 4-6, 7-8, and for families. | | Explore the Gospel Readings Through Art
Titian, “Christ and the Good Thief,” circa 1566
Explore the Gospel with Arts & Faith: Lent, a series that explores the Gospel readings as depicted in great works of art. Previous segments in the series include:
For other Lenten resources, see:
From Ashes to Glory -- a retreat based on the works of Joseph Tetlow, SJ. Practicing Mercy is a Lenten retreat hosted by Vinita Hampton Wright and based on the ground-breaking book Mercy in the City by Kerry Weber. An Ignatian Prayer Adventure is an adapted version of the Spiritual Exercises based on the longer retreat in The Ignatian Adventure by Kevin O’Brien, SJ. Look for additional inspirational prayers and articles about Lent here as well. | | | | |
