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Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord
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We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. . .
–Romans 6:3-11
Happy Easter! The resurrection of Jesus Christ is such a pivotal event in the liturgical year (in human history!) that we do not celebrate it on one day only. The Church gives us the Easter Season, roughly 50 days between Easter Sunday and Pentecost, to ponder and put into action the transformation that the Risen Christ brings into our lives.
Easter Homily 2023: Video | Podcast
Reflections for Easter 2023 from Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers
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The Easter Season
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The Easter season is also known as the period of mystagogia, a time for the mysteries of our faith to deepen in the hearts and lives of the new members of our Church who were baptized or received in full communion at the Easter Vigil.
The early Church understood that these sacred mysteries needed time to “sink in” and mature. This is why parish RCIA programs continue during the Easter season, to support the newly initiated into the full life of their parish community.
There are seven Sundays in the Easter season, more than Lent. That should tell us how much credence the Church gives to the importance of this season. The First Readings of mystagogia are generally from the Acts of the Apostles, and that helps us to understand how the early Church took their experience of the Risen Christ to transform the world.
The Gospels of this season tell the stories of the various resurrection appearances of Jesus. Later in the season, we hear almost exclusively from Jesus’ Last Discourse in John’s gospel to prepare us for the Ascension, and for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
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Pentecost
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The Easter Season concludes on Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost is the 50th day of Easter, and the climax of the Easter Season. It is sometimes called the Birthday of the Church, and for good reason. On this day, fresh from the Ascension event, the disciples of Jesus received the Holy Spirit and were sent on their mission to bring Christ to the world.
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Scriptural Commentary by Ken Canedo
The expression “Holy Spirit” appears four times in Mark, five times in Matthew, 13 times in Luke, and 41 times in Acts. Because of this, Luke is sometimes called the Evangelist of the Holy Spirit and, in Acts, he highlights the Spirit’s impact on the life of the Church. Here is some line-by-line commentary on the First Reading.
“When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled. . .”
We are accustomed to thinking of the word “Pentecost” within a Christian context, but Pentecost was originally a Jewish harvest festival to celebrate the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai, traditionally rendered as fifty days after the Exodus. Recall that in the Book of Exodus, Moses’ climb up Sinai was accompanied by thunder, lightning, loud trumpet blasts, and smoke. The Lord appeared in the form of fire and presented Moses with the Ten Commandments that would define the Israelites as a unique people. This is a pre-figuration of how the Holy Spirit would define the identity of the Church.
“They were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind. . .”
Thus, there was a physical manifestation of the Holy Spirit, much like the physical manifestation of God at Sinai.
“Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. . .”
To Moses alone on Mt. Sinai, the Lord appeared as fire, and so too does the Holy Spirit at the house where the apostles were gathered. But the Spirit’s fire is divided and shared with ALL present, who represent the new Israel.
“All were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. . .”
There is an immediate change in those touched by the Spirit. Those gathered there on Pentecost were given the gift to speak in new languages that would immediately impact their ministry.
"Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. . .”
Because of the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, the city was filled with people “from every nation.” Thus, the Good News of Jesus Christ is revealed to be a message of hope that would go beyond the borders of Israel and Judah. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, this message goes out to the whole world.
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