Easter Saturday

Acts 4:13-21; Mark 16:9-15

It seems that it should be easy to accept something that we have actually experienced for ourselves. Yet all too often we're so wedded to our preconceived ideas of what should or should not be that we choose to not hear and not believe even that which we have heard and seen.

The disciples received the news of Jesus' resurrection not from strangers, but from Mary Magdalene and the two other disciples who had met Jesus on the road to Emmaus. People they knew, people they had celebrated and grieved with, people whose witness they should have trusted. Yet they chose to continue in their grief and not believe.

The man they knew to have been crippled from birth stood with Peter and John before the Sanhedrin - living proof of the power of the resurrected Christ. But to accept that proof would have meant not only having to accept that some of their beliefs were wrong, but also that Peter and John - those "uneducated, ordinary men" - spoke with an authority greater than that of the Sanhedrin. So they chose to continue in their unbelief.

To see and hear is not enough. Without a willingness to be open to where God is trying to lead us we remain deaf and blind despite the evidence before us.

Yet those who are willing to unharden their hearts; willing to let go of their preconceived ideas; willing to let the Spirit lead them, can find themselves transformed.

The crippled man didn't ask to be cured. At most he was hoping that Peter and John might give him a coin or two. He didn't know that being cured was an option. But he was open to the Spirit and received not what he asked for, but what he needed.

The world didn't ask for the Good News. It didn't know that it was an option. But those who were open to it received it anyway.

The disciples were uneducated, ordinary men. Yet it was these ordinary men that Jesus sent out to proclaim the Good News to the whole world. And those who had not seen and heard for themselves came to know and believe. Through the power of the Spirit these ordinary men were able to accomplish the extraordinary.

Are you ready to be extraordinary?

Natalie Borisovets

Easter Friday

Jn 21:1-14

After reading John's gospel - and knowing it is Jesus' 3rd appearance to them, he "feasts" with them perhaps showing the feast we will enjoy with him in eternity.

Cathy DiStefano

Easter Thursday

Continuing the Emmaus Gospel, Luke proceeds to tell us what follows. Cleopas and his companion returned to Jerusalem to Jesus' disciples and shared their amazing experience of being with and listening to Jesus, and how they recognized Him in the breaking of the bread.

While they were still speaking, Jesus appeared to them! Their immediate response was terror, which turned to joy and amazement as He reassured them that He was not a ghost, because He was Flesh and Bones.

How often we ourselves cower from Jesus and doubt Him. It is easy to give in to fear, when we do not include Him in our daily lives. We become spiritually dry, and distance ourselves from Him even further. Jesus" presence to His disciples and to us is awesome.

How can we keep Jesus present in our lives? We can frequently receive the sacraments. We can "break bread" with Him in the Eucharist, asking Him to stay close to us and protect us. We receive great graces from the sacrament of Penance. Adoring Him in the Blessed Sacrament keeps us mindful of our Resurrected Lord's Presence in our lives, helping us to lead better lives..

Continuing along this theme of trust, and as we listen to this Sunday's Gospel about St. Thomas, let us all reflect on and strengthen our own beliefs and TRUST in Our Savior's Mercy. As we pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet at this holy time of the year, let us ask Jesus to open our minds to the Scriptures, drawing close to the Resurrected Jesus and His Divine Mercy, which is so necessary in these times.

Jesus, I trust in You!

Jo Ann Gerling

Easter Wednesday

The readings for this day include two passages that remind me that we "walk by faith and not by sight." In the first reading from Acts, Peter and John heal a man crippled from birth in the name of Jesus Christ. They take a great leap of faith performing that miracle, trusting completely in the power of Jesus Christ. All miracles great and small start with faith and trust. When the world tells us that we can't, Jesus says we can. Think of Mother Teresa, who traveled to India with nothing more than the desire to care for the most "untouchable" people on earth with the same love and compassion that Jesus taught throughout his ministry. How the Sisters of Charity grew from that first leap of faith is a miracle. To perform miracles in our everyday lives, we have to make the leap, even when we can't see the road ahead, trusting that God has a way.

In the Gospel reading, we hear the famous story of two men who encountered the risen Lord on the road to Emmaus. What touches me most about this story is that they don't even realize that they are walking with Jesus. How often would we feel the presences of Jesus in our encounters with others if we would just open our hearts? How often could we be the presence of Jesus for someone else with just a compassionate word or deed at the right time? We have to have faith that Jesus is with us even when we feel most alone. We need to listen for the ways that Jesus speaks to us through others as we walk the road. I believe that Jesus walks with us always even if we don't always see him.

Patty Mancuso

Easter Tuesday

Reflection for April 6th

Today's gospel and readings remind us that Jesus is with us always. We only need to look for him and we will find him wherever we are. In our sorrows and in our joys we can find him, if only we see beyond our feelings. If we follow in his footsteps and show goodness and kindness to all who we encounter, we will be doing his will and, in turn, spreading the goodwill of Jesus to all.

Lenore Catalano

Easter Monday

Mt. 28:8-15

Mary and Mary Magdalene were ecstatic in hearing that Jesus had arisen from the tomb. As they rushed off to inform the disciples, Jesus appeared to them and told them to tell the men of Galilee that he was resurrected. Meanwhile, a Guard had made his way into the city and told the priests the news. The chief priest held a meeting and decided to give money to the soldiers, in order to get them to lie to the villagers. The soldiers told the people that the disciples had stolen Jesus’ body during the night.

Jesus rose three days after his death, just as the prophecy predicted. Mary and Mary Magdalene were excited to see Him, the Roman Chief Priests were not. Thus; they forced the soldiers to lie to the people. Sometimes people feel the need to lie in times of confusion, other times people are afraid. Jesus told the women not to fear Him. This teaches us that even though we may sometimes fear and doubt the powers of God, he will always be there to comfort and guide us. This gospel is very enlightening. It not only teaches us that God guides us, but that he keeps his promises to us and has the power to come back to everyone, even when we sometimes doubt him and are scared.

By: Brianne Talocka

EASTER VIGIL/SUNDAY April 3-4, 2010

On a journey, maybe we've had an eye-opening experience of something -- a different culture, landscape or even a realization -- where we say, "I'll never forget this," or "Things will never be the same." On our Christian journey, today we are reminded that the rising of Christ is that experience, not to be forgotten, and that because of the resurrection, things will never be the same.

We still have war, we still have suffering and death, we still have sin. But the New Testament accounts show how those who experienced the resurrection became empowered and transformed to deal with all sorts of sufferings and persecutions and unrest.

Jesus is risen, he lives! This makes all the difference.

Joseph Kerrigan