Easter Sunday The Resurrection of the Lord
The Mass of Easter Day
“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)
SUNDAY, April 17th Jn. 20:1-9 Psalm: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.”
PART 1 OF 2: EASTER GIVES TRUE MEANING TO LIFE by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
The winter snows melt and spring flowers blossom and emanate their beautiful fragrance. The sharp thorns fade as the red rose opens to crown spring’s colorful array and perfume.
These are merely analogies in nature of the greatest of all events: the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
A hardened sinner moved by grace, renouncing sin, reforming his life, and falling in love with the Person of Jesus the Lord becomes a great saint. This is only possible through the power of grace communicated through the Paschal mystery—the Passion, death and Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The saints knew that Jesus indeed died but He rose from the dead on the third day. He rose never to die again. This reality of the Resurrection has a huge impact on the whole of humanity, and on each and every one of us in particular.
We shall look at ten of the graces that flow from the Resurrection of Christ.
1. LIFE IN ABUNDANCE… Death is not the last word; beyond the grave there is life and life in abundance. The atheist, or agnostic lives a life of hopeless despair. Not the believer—Eternal life, life to the fullest awaits the true followers of Christ.
2. HOPE… Despite all the trials, afflictions, tribulations, contradictions in life, the belief in Jesus’ Risen to new life fills us with hope!
3. HEAVEN… The reason for our abounding hope is the firm belief in heaven that is right around the corner. Jesus promised heaven to all believers and doers of His word. “I go now to prepare a place for you so that where I am you might also be. In my Fathers’ home there are many mansions. If it were not so, I would not tell you so.” (Jn 14:2-3)
4. JOY… St. Ignatius, in the fourth week of the Spiritual Exercises, brings us into contact with the Risen Jesus and Ignatius insists that we beg not only for joy, but for the most intense joy! Joy is a powerful motivation to carry out great apostolic endeavors for the Lord!
5. A FAMILY REUNION… The Risen Lord promises His faithful followers heaven and that means that not only will we will be with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and Our Blessed Mother, but we will also be united with the saints and reunited with our loved ones who have preceded us. It will be an endless banquet of family and friends meeting and enjoying each other’s company for all eternity!
6. SUFFERING… Human nature recoils from suffering! However, in the light of the Risen Lord, not only does our suffering have meaning, it has eternal value inasmuch as it is united to the suffering, Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus.
When we unite our suffering to Christ’s suffering, our suffering purifies, humbles, exalts, sanctifies, and prepares us for eternal glory. As Christians we must follow Christ the whole way up the hill of Calvary to the cross, followed by the glory of the Risen Lord!
Jesus revealed to St. Faustina that the angels experience a holy envy of human persons for two reasons: 1) We can receive Holy Communion—the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and 2) We can suffer—meaning we can reap abundant fruit for the salvation of souls by uniting our suffering with the sufferings of Jesus.
7. LIFE AND ETERNAL LIFE… The impact of the Lord’s Resurrection shows us how ephemeral, transitory and fleeting our human condition and life truly is. It also shows us the eternity of Heaven and eternal life with Our Risen Lord. Even our greatest and longest sufferings cannot be compared to eternal bliss with Our Lord. St. Paul expresses this beautifully: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the mind of man the wonderful things that God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1Cor 2:9)
8. SELF-CONTROL IN DIGNITY… Life seen in the light of eternity challenges us to live a life of sobriety, self-restraint, and self-control. Why? Our bodies are destined to be united with the Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the angels and the saints forever in heaven. Therefore, we must live according to our dignity, our destiny, and our definition as persons — temples of the Holy Trinity by the grace of the Resurrection and our baptism.
9. THE EUCHARIST AND THE BREAD OF LIFE DISCOURSE (JOHN 6:22-71)… Never can we separate the meaning of the Risen Lord Jesus from the reality of Jesus truly and substantially present in every Holy Mass, in every Consecration, and in every Holy Communion. In this sacrifice we remember Jesus’ promise of heaven related to Holy Communion, the Bread of life. Listen and meditate upon Jesus’ sublime and awesome words and promise: “I am the Bread of Life, whoever eats my body and drinks my blood, will have eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day.”
10. MARY & THE RISEN CHRIST… The Blessed Virgin Mary, through her prayers and intercession illuminates the Mystery of Easter.
Crestfallen, crushed, overwhelmed by sorrow, forlorn and despairing— these words serve to express the interior attitude of the Apostles and disciples of Jesus when confronted with the reality of the Crucifixion on that first Good Friday. In other words, their hopes in Jesus were totally shattered!
In spite of all of this, there was one who did not give into despair: it was the Blessed Virgin Mary. Beyond doubt, hers was suffering incomparable to any others—save that of Jesus the Lord. However, hope reigned supreme in the sorrowful yet trusting Immaculate Heart of Mary. For this reason, St. Ignatius of Loyola in the Spiritual Exercises has Jesus after the Resurrection first appearing to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Indeed, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was the first to contemplate the Risen Lord Jesus!
Therefore, in our contemplation of the mystery of the Risen Lord Jesus, we must lift up our eyes to Mary and beg her for the grace to penetrate with greater depth the reality of this supreme and sublime mystery.
PART 2 OF 2: CONTEMPLATION OF JESUS APPEARING TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
BEG FOR THE GRACE. Let us now beg for the grace to imagine and contemplate that first early Easter morning and the first of Jesus’s apparitions—to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Let us beg most fervently that we will attain, through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, most intense joy, a joy that will overflow into our relations with others! Our joy is not meant to be kept to ourselves but to be shared with the whole world.
1. THE FAITH OF MARY. Though the others fell into confusion, sadness, and even doubt, Our Lady never doubted for an instant that Jesus would rise from the dead. Even in the midst of her most intense sorrow at the foot of the cross and at the tomb, there was always a glimmer of hope burning in the depths of her heart. So it should be with us. In the midst of our sorrows, there should always be flickering a glimmer of hope because we believe in the purpose and meaning of the Glorious Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Talk to Mary and beg her for a deep, dynamic, and vibrant faith and hope in the Risen Lord Jesus!
2. IMAGINE MARY DEEPLY ABSORBED IN PRAYER AND HOPEFUL WAITING. Our Lady is deeply absorbed in prayer, in contemplation, and in hopeful waiting for the coming and appearance of Jesus. Unite your prayer with the prayer of Mary. Accompany Mary in these moments preceding the Apparition of the Risen Lord Jesus. Contemplate the poise, the dignity, the humility, the purity, the nobility of Mary the Mother of the Risen Lord. Enter into her Heart and pray with her as she awaits the coming of the Risen Jesus.
3. THE SUN RISING AND JESUS THE SUN OF GOD APPEARS TO MARY. As the first streaks of the Sunday morning sun break through the windows, so Jesus appears to Mary. Strive to contemplate His appearance and the overflowing joy of Mary. As the sun rises so does Jesus the Sun of God rise and appear to Mary, who is also known as the Morning Star. Saint Ignatius highlights that one of the chief actions of the Risen Lord Jesus is that He comes to console. Now contemplate Jesus consoling Mary, the Sorrowful Mother who is now overflowing with joy as she contemplates her Risen Son. Be present with Mary and derive much fruit, great fruits of Joy at this Glorious Easter scene!
4. TEARS OF JOY. Contemplate the beautiful countenance of Mary, the Mother of Jesus and your Mother too. Her intense sorrow has been transformed into a superabundant joy. Jesus told the Apostles that nobody would be able to take this joy from them. Contemplate Mary as the tears well up in her eyes and trickle down her cheeks. These are tears of consolation; these are tears of joy! Mary turns and looks at you with great love as you share this moment with her. Now talk to Mary and offer her all that you are: your joys and sorrows, failures and successes, fears and doubts, plans and projects, your dreams, your past, your present, and your future. Mary is never too busy to listen to you, to speak to you, to advise you, to console you, to bring you closer to Jesus, the Risen Lord.
5. SHALOM!!! The word of greeting traditionally was SHALOM—which means Peace be to you! You can imagine this word issuing from the mouth and Heart of Jesus—Shalom, peace be with you. Jesus is the Prince of Peace and Mary, the Queen of Peace.
6. HIS WOUNDS. Jesus shows Mary His wounds—in His hands, His feet, and His open side revealing His Sacred Heart. This was the Heart that Mary, His Mother, formed within her most pure womb for nine months. Mary heard the Sacred Heart of Jesus beating within her inmost being. With Mary, you are invited to contemplate these wounds of Jesus. These wounds caused by the hammer blows in His hands and feet, and the lance piercing His side and Sacred Heart, are clear signs of Jesus’ infinite love for all of humanity and His love for you and me. Both the Prophet Isaiah and Saint Peter refer to the wounds of Jesus: “He was wounded for our offenses… like a lamb led to the slaughter He opened not His mouth… and by His wounds we are healed.” (Is 53:5,7) Have no fears nor inhibitions; bring your wounds to Mary and Jesus. Beg both Jesus and Mary to heal your wounds. Either we will be wounded wounders or we will be wounded healers. Let us bring our wounds to Jesus and Mary so that we will be wounded healers in the midst of a wounded and broken world.
7. REDEEMER AND CO-REDEMPTRIX. Jesus is the Redeemer of all of humanity. His Incarnation, life, suffering and death on the cross and Resurrection were precisely for this purpose: to save as many as want to be saved. That being said, Jesus purposely chose Mary His Mother to collaborate with Him in the redemption of the world. Contemplate your Redeemer, now risen in Glory bearing the wounds of our Redemption and next to Him is Mary, the Co-Redemptrix. Beg both Jesus and Mary for the grace of your own salvation and to work with them for the salvation of a multitude of souls. Pray for the grace to love what Jesus and Mary love most in the whole created universe—the conversion and salvation of souls.
8. LISTEN ATTENTIVELY TO THEIR CONVERSATION. Imagine now that you are seated at table next to Jesus and Mary. What do you think the Risen Lord and His Mother are talking about? What might Jesus say to His Mother? What might Mary say to her Son? Imagine their conversation. Listen to the tone of their voices. Contemplate their faces. Behold the two best communicators the world has ever known! Enter into their hearts. Draw close to them as your Best Friends.
9. WHAT ABOUT YOU? The Risen Lord Jesus looks kindly and attentively at His Mother, whose eyes are overflowing with joy, and now they both turn to you and ask you to open up your heart to them. These are three questions they might ask you and you can respond to them now. Never forget, they are the best of listeners. 1) Do you love God with all of your heart, mind, and soul? If not, would you like to? 2) Jesus and Mary look at you with love and comment: “We both suffered much for the salvation of souls, as this was the will of the Heavenly Father. Tell us about your sufferings… 3) Tell us what is most heavy on your heart right now… “Come to us all you who are weary and heavy of heart and we will give you rest. We are meek and humble of heart. You will find rest for your soul… our yoke is easy and our burden is light.” Contemplate the Risen Lord Jesus and Mary, Mother of Jesus, Mother of the Church, and your Mother—talk to them in your own words. Fear nothing! Speak to them with trust and confidence!
10. JESUS’ MESSAGE TO MARY AND TO US. In a relatively short time Jesus will ascend to be seated at the right hand of God the Father. He will not leave the Apostles nor the nascent Church alone as orphans. He promises that He will be with us until the end of time. He promises to send the Paraclete—the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, the Sweet Guest of our soul. However, Mary will also have an essential role in the Church. Among the many titles of Mary are the following in her relationship to the Church: Mother of the Church; First disciple of Christ; Queen of the Apostles; Mother of Consolation; Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! We can imagine Jesus talking to Mary and encouraging her in her role as Mother, as Consoler, as Teacher, as Contemplative, as an anchor of hope for the early nascent Church. As you listen to the words of comfort, light, and instruction that Jesus gives to His Mother, beg both Jesus and Mary to enlighten you as to how you can be a source of light, energy, and strength to build up the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ.
Beg for the fruit of this most-consoling contemplation of the Risen Lord Jesus appearing to Mary the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, and your Mother. The fruit of this contemplation is that of JOY! Not a simple joy, rather a most intense joy! Never forget that true joy can only be attained in an authentic relationship of Friendship with Jesus, Mary, the angels and the saints. A joy that no one can take from us. Saint Paul warmly exhorts us: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: Rejoice in the Lord!” (Phil 4:4) Mary teaches us: “My soul rejoices in God my Savior.”
