Easter Day – The Resurrection of the Lord. Year C.
First Reading
Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Second Reading
Colossians 3:1-4
Gospel
John 20:1-9
THEME: A NEW DAWN
Alleluia! Obiligo, Jesu akpogburu n’ elu obe, onye mmeri.
Since after the fall of man in
Genesis 3, humanity have suffered the sorrow of not seeing the salvation God
planned for us before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20 and Ephesians
1:4). The world has been waiting for a time to be released from this sorrow but
it seemed it was not coming. Many prophets came to give humanity hope of this
salvation. During Christmas, the hope was fulfilled through the birth of Jesus
Christ. He came but the people he met did not recognize him. He did many works
which were not the primary purpose of his coming. He did that to clear the
ground for the main work though many did not notice it. Before the coming of
Christ, animals were the victims of sacrifice and that made it impossible to
gain that salvation prepared from of old. It was necessary for another thing greater
that animal to make way for the salvation of man. Going through the scriptures,
we can notice that there was a trace of human sacrifice as it appeared in the
gospel reading of 3rd Sunday of Lent (Luke 13:1-9). This human
sacrifice and animal sacrifice could not bring the salvation because all of
them are imperfect. A perfect being was needed and Jesus willingly submitted to
do it for us, not for his own salvation but for us. We took forty days to
journey with Christ in the wilderness and today we are back to the shore of the
river for it is a new dawn for humanity. The light that dispenses darkness has
come and we are happy. Continue Reading..............
The first reading, Peter was
heavily pointing out what happened when they were with Jesus and how he
commissioned them to continue with the work he started. We are the people that
are being commissioned to go out and extend the work of God which he did before
and after his resurrection. There are ways that the benefits of this Easter can
reach us and the second reading has the introduction.
Paul is telling us today to look
onto the things of heaven where our saviour came from and where our salvation
will come. We are to focus on God and things of God and not things of this
passing world. We have been saved through this new dawn of the resurrection of
our Lord. Since the second reading is the introduction of the things we are to
do, then the gospel should have the body.
Igbos will always say that ihe okuko bu mmiri achu di ya mkpa (what a
fowl is searching for in the rain is very important to it). This Igbo adage
brought out the drama of the gospel. Mary Magdalene could not rest when she
knew that her master was in the tomb. They did not expect him to be there but
they accepted it, waiting to know what will happen. She went to the tomb very
early in the morning without fear. This is the number two point. Peter and the
other apostle did not also rest, they were waiting to hear any news about the
master and when they heard, they did not fear and ran to the tomb where they
saw the effect of resurrection though they did not understand it that time.
From the gospel, we can see that
two important things are required in this new dawn. Ever ready to do the work
of God just (restlessness as Mary Magdalene and the other apostles). No wasting
of time. We have to be out to follow God in season and out of season. This has
to be done without fear. They were told that Jesus was not in the tomb, they
did not fear that what took him may take them, and they ran to the tomb and
entered into it. Following of Christ is not done with fear. Our faith should
eliminate fear in us and focus on the resurrected Lord who has brought new
living for us. We should be filled with joy today for our saviour has been
raised from the dead and our salvation is now assured. Alleluia! Alleluia!!
Alleluia!!! THANKS AND HAPPY EASTER.
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