St. Augustine of Canterbury Parish

Theme:

“Jesus said to her,

“Do not hold on to me,

because I have not yet ascended to the Father.

But go to my brothers and say to them,

‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father,

to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17)

Easter Sunday is all about how God raised Jesus from death, from the tomb, from the

tears, from the linen wrappings and from things that hold on to him: “Jesus said to her,

‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my

brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and

your God’” (John 20:17).

God raised his Son from the dead so that he might raise us from darkness, from the

burdens, from the stones of life, from misunderstanding, and from emptiness in life:

“Early on the first day of the week,

while it was still dark,

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb

and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.

So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple,

the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them,

“They have taken the Lord out of the tomb,

and we do not know where they have laid him.”

Then Peter and the other disciple set out

and went toward the tomb.

The two were running together,

but the other disciple outran Peter

and reached the tomb first.

He bent down to look in

and saw the linen wrappings lying there,

but he did not go in.

Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb.

He saw the linen wrappings lying there,

and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head,

not lying with the linen wrappings

but rolled up in a place by itself.

Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in,

and he saw and believed;

for as yet they did not understand the scripture,

that he must rise from the dead.” (John 20:1-9)

 

God raised Jesus from the dead so that like Mary Magdalene all that blur our vision will

be removed, so that all our misunderstanding of the identity of Jesus will be removed,

and so that all our wrong expectation about Jesus will be removed:

“Then the disciples returned to their homes.

But Mary Magdalene stood weeping outside the tomb.

As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb;

and she saw two angels in white,

sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying,

one at the head and the other at the feet.

They said to her,

‘Woman, why are you weeping?’

She said to them,

‘They have taken away my Lord,

and I do not know where they have laid him.’

When she had said this,

she turned around and saw Jesus standing there,

but she did not know that it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her,

‘Woman, why are you weeping?

Whom are you looking for?’

Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him,

‘Sir, if you have carried him away,

tell me where you have laid him,

and I will take him away.’

Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’

She turned and said to him in Hebrew,

‘Rabbouni!’ which means Teacher.” (John 20:10-16)

God raised Jesus Christ so that those who believe in him might receive forgiveness of

sins. Jesus therefore summons us to proclaim his resurrection throughout the world so

that all might come to believe in him:

“Peter began to speak to those assembled in the house of Cornelius.

‘You know the message God sent to the people of Israel,

preaching peace by Jesus Christ—

he is Lord of all.

That message spread throughout Judea,

beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced:

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth

with the Holy Spirit and with power;

how he went about doing good

and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,

for God was with him.

We are witnesses to all that he did

both in Judea and in Jerusalem.

 

They put him to death by hanging him on a tree;

but God raised him on the third day

and allowed him to appear,

not to all the people

but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses,

and who ate and drank with him after

he rose from the dead.

He commanded us to preach to the people

and to testify that he is the one ordained by God

as judge of the living and the dead.

All the prophets testify about him

that everyone who believes in him

receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’” (Acts 10.34a, 36-43)

The resurrection of Christ resets our minds on things that are above so that our life might

be hidden with Christ in God:

“If you have been raised with Christ,

seek the things that are above,

where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on things that are above,

not on things that are on earth,

for you have died,

and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ who is your life is revealed,

then you also will be revealed with him in glory.” (Colossians 3.1-4)

Let the resurrection of Jesus Christ remove all that blur our vision of the plans of God.

Let the resurrection of Jesus set our minds on things that are above. Let us be concrete

witnesses of the powerful interventions of God during 2021.