Easter Sunday Cycle B

Sunday Readings
Commentary and Reflections
Easter Sunday B
April 5, 2015
In preparation for this Sunday’s Liturgy
As aid in focusing our homilies and sharing
Prepared by Fr. Cielo R. Almazan, OFM

1st reading: Acts 10:34.37-43
 34 Peter proceeded to speak and said, "In truth, I see that
God shows no partiality. 37 what has happened all over
Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John
preached, 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the
holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing
all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39
We are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the
Jews and (in) Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging
him on a tree. 40 This man God raised (on) the third day
and granted that he be visible, 41 not to all the people, but
to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and
drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He
commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he
is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the
dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone
who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through
his name." We focus on God raising Jesus.

God’s Impartiality
 34 Peter proceeded to speak and said, "In truth, I see that God
shows no partiality. 37 what has happened all over Judea, beginning
in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, 38 how God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy Spirit and power. He went
about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for
God was with him.
Witnesses
 39 We are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews
and (in) Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.
40 This man God raised (on) the third day and granted that he be
visible, 41 not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by
God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the
dead.
Commissioning
 42 He commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is
the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 To
him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him
will receive forgiveness of sins through his name."
A simple outline!

God’s impartiality
 34 Peter proceeded to
speak and said, "In truth, I
see that God shows no
partiality. 37 what has
happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after
the baptism that John
preached, 38 how God
anointed Jesus of
Nazareth with the holy
Spirit and power. He went
about doing good and
healing all those
oppressed by the devil, for
God was with him.
Commentary
 In v.34, Peter, in his preaching
(kerygma), declares that God
has no favorites.
 V.37 situates how God has
been fair to everyone, in Judea
(south) and Galilee (north), after
John’s preaching on baptism.
 V.38 continues how God has
anointed Jesus with the Holy
Spirit and power.
 V.38b shifts the subject to
Jesus, who does good, and
healing and exorcism.
 The same verse gives a
comment: God was with him.

Witnesses
 39 We are witnesses of
all that he did both in the
country of the Jews and
(in) Jerusalem. They put
him to death by hanging
him on a tree. 40 This
man God raised (on) the
third day and granted
that he be visible, 41 not
to all the people, but to
us, the witnesses chosen
by God in advance, who
ate and drank with him
after he rose from the
dead.
 In v.39, Peter attests that they,
the apostles, are witnesses to
Jesus’ activities both in Galilee
(country of the Jews) and in
Jerusalem.
 They attest that the Jews have
put Jesus to death.
 In vv. 40-41, the subject shifts to
God again. God raises Jesus
up on the third day and allows
him to appear to the apostles,
who are God’s chosen
witnesses.
 The witnesses ate and drank
with Jesus after his
resurrection.

Commissioning
 42 He commissioned
us to preach to the
people and testify that
he is the one
appointed by God as
judge of the living and
the dead. 43 To him
all the prophets bear
witness, that everyone
who believes in him
will receive
forgiveness of sins
through his name."
 In v.42, we presume that the “he”
is Christ. The subject is back to
Christ.
 Christ commissions the apostles
to preach and to testify (give
witness) that he is assigned by
God as a judge of all.
 V.43 includes all the prophets of
old as witnesses.
 V.43b indicates the benefit of
believing in Jesus:
 forgiveness of sins (salvation)

Reflections on the 1st reading
 What is the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus?
 For Jesus, it is new life. It is restoration to his original shape and
even more, now he is invincible, not subject anymore to torture and
death.
 For the apostles, new life is no longer just following Jesus or
learning his teachings, but taking responsibilities.
 The apostles have to preach and give witness to Jesus’ victory
over sin and death.
 As Christians of today, after all the learnings and formation, how do
we show to the world, to our families, to our officemates and to the
people around us that we are responsible Christians?
 Do we tell stories about God’s love for us or we just keep quiet
about it?

Resp. Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23.
 R. (24) This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be
glad.
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
2 Let the house of Israel say,
"His mercy endures forever."
 16 "The right hand of the LORD has struck with power;
the right hand of the LORD is exalted.
17 I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD."
 22 The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
23 By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.

Resp. Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23.
 R. (24) This is the day the Lord
has made; let us rejoice and be
glad.
 1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is
good,
for his mercy endures forever.
2 Let the house of Israel say,
"His mercy endures forever."
 16 "The right hand of the LORD has
struck with power;
the right hand of the LORD is
exalted.
17 I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD."
 22 The stone which the builders
rejected
has become the cornerstone.
23 By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
Commentary
 The psalm is very appropriate
for Easter Sunday.
 Vv.1-2 exhort us to praise the
Lord.
 V.16 recognizes God’s power
(over death).
 In v.17, the psalmist declares
that because of God’s power,
he shall live. He promises to
proclaim God’s wonderful
works.
 V.22 states the reality of Jesus:
The rejected stone becomes
the cornerstone.
 V.23 affirms God’s wonderful
works.

Reflections on the Psalm
 We must praise God because he makes
our day.
 God is merciful.
 God is powerful.
 Everything changes when God works.
 God has the last word, not death.

2nd reading: Colossians 3,1-4
 1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek
what is above, where Christ is seated at
the right hand of God. 2 Think of what is
above, not of what is on earth. 3 For you
have died, and your life is hidden with
Christ in God. 4 When Christ your life
appears, then you too will appear with him
in glory.
The focus is on what is above.

2nd reading: Colossians 3,1-4
 1 If then you were
raised with Christ,
seek what is above,
where Christ is seated
at the right hand of
God. 2 Think of what
is above, not of what is
on earth. 3 For you
have died, and your
life is hidden with
Christ in God. 4 When
Christ your life
appears, then you too
will appear with him in
glory.
Commentary
 In v. 1, St. Paul enjoins baptized
Christians to set their hearts on what is
above (something spiritual).
 V.2 repeats the idea of v.1. Our
attention should move from what is
earthly (material) to what is heavenly
(spiritual).
 We must be keen on spiritual values.
 V.3 gives the reason why: we have died
in Christ (through baptism) and our life
is with Christ…
 V.4 states that at the end of time, the
faithful Christians will appear with Christ
in glory.

Reflections on the 2nd reading
 Christians who have grown deep in their faith must
already have higher values (spiritual values).
 They must set their priorities on the interests of God.
 The interests of God are none other than truth, justice,
charity, ethical life, and communion with his Son and on
the community he established (the Church).
 We Christians should not stay on a lower level in which
the priority is putting more money into our pockets,
more time and energy spent to satisfy our senses
(stomachs), satisfying our base instinct, no sense of the
above.
 We should not remain materialistic, consumeristic and
toxic in our lifestyle.

Gospel reading: John 20,1-9
 1 On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the
tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw
the stone removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went
to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved,
and told them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don't know where they put him.“ 3 So Peter and the
other disciple went out and came to the tomb. 4 They both
ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived
at the tomb first; 5 he bent down and saw the burial cloths
there, but did not go in. 6 When Simon Peter arrived after
him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
7 and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the
burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. 8 Then the
other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the
tomb first, and he saw and believed. 9 For they did not yet
understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead.
The focus is on the resurrection of Jesus.

Discovery
 1 On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early
in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from
the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other
disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, "They have taken the Lord
from the tomb, and we don't know where they put him.“
Verification
 3 So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. 4
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at
the tomb first; 5 he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did
not go in. 6 When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb
and saw the burial cloths there, 7 and the cloth that had covered his
head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Faith
 8 Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the
tomb first, and he saw and believed. 9 For they did not yet understand
the scripture that he had to rise from the dead.
A simple outline!

Discovery
 1 On the first day of
the week, Mary of
Magdala came to
the tomb early in the
morning, while it
was still dark, and
saw the stone
removed from the
tomb. 2 So she ran
and went to Simon
Peter and to the
other disciple whom
Jesus loved, and
told them, "They
have taken the Lord
from the tomb, and
we don't know
where they put him.“
Commentary
 V.1 begins the story of the
resurrection. The first character to
appear is Mary of Magdala.
 She goes to the tomb before
daybreak and sees the stone cover
removed from the tomb.
 In v.2, right away she reports to
Simon Peter and to John.
 She does not interpret well the
removal of the stone.
 She believes the body of Jesus
has been stolen overnight (or
perhaps it was transferred without
their permission), for she says, “we
don’t know where they put him.”

Verification
 3 So Peter and the
other disciple went out
and came to the tomb.
4 They both ran, but the
other disciple ran faster
than Peter and arrived
at the tomb first; 5 he
bent down and saw the
burial cloths there, but
did not go in. 6 When
Simon Peter arrived
after him, he went into
the tomb and saw the
burial cloths there, 7
and the cloth that had
covered his head, not
with the burial cloths
but rolled up in a
separate place.
 In v.3, Peter and John
immediately goes to verify.
 V.4 indicates the speed of the
two. John runs faster than
Peter (older kasi).
 In v.5, John bends down and
sees the burial cloths left
behind.
 In v.6, Peter goes straight to the
tomb and sees the same.
 V.7 describes where the cloth is
placed, etc.
 Why all these details? Do they
have meaning?

Faith
 8 Then the other
disciple also
went in, the one
who had arrived
at the tomb first,
and he saw and
believed. 9 For
they did not yet
understand the
scripture that he
had to rise from
the dead.
 V.8 indicates the entrance of
John.
 Now, the two are in the tomb.
 John sees and believes (in the
resurrection).
 How about Peter? Does he
now believe?
 V.9 indicates that later on Peter
and others will come to believe
when they begin to understand
the scriptures.
 The scriptures (OT) is very
important to develop one’s faith
in the resurrection.

Reflections on the gospel reading
 Diligence helps us to develop our faith.
 First, we must have the diligence to respond to
facts or reports and verify them.
 Second, we must be diligent enough to read
and interpret the scriptures correctly.
 We put our personal discoveries and our
learning from the bible and make proper
conclusions.
 We can develop our faith in the Risen Lord
even if Jesus does not appear to us in person.
 We must be able to make proper conclusions
based on the signs of his resurrection.

Tying the 3 readings and the Psalm
 The first reading speaks of the resurrection of
Jesus.
 The psalm exhorts us to thank God for his
wonderful works.
 The second reading speaks of our own
resurrection in our baptism as Christians.
 The gospel reading speaks of Jesus’
resurrection without describing how Jesus rose
from the dead.

How to develop your homily / sharing
 In this Easter Sunday, we talk nothing else than
the resurrection of Jesus.
 We do not allow any speculations how he
exactly resurrected. Nobody knows.
 Instead, we must diligently seek the meaning of
Jesus’ resurrection, which is a matter of faith.
 If we have faith, we can have a lot of
meaningful conclusions that can change our
lives.

 The gospel reading simply describes the “Empty
Tomb.”
 The “Empty Tomb” (empty of Jesus’ body) is
subject to interpretations.
 Like Mary of Magdala, one would interpret it as a
case of theft and robbery.
 Like Peter and John, we would interpret it as not
really empty, for the linens still remain there.
 To go deeper, we must give ourselves time to
reflect upon and seek the meaning of Jesus’
resurrection.

 In the first reading, after many days of reflection
and appearances of Jesus, the apostles learn
the meaning of Jesus’ resurrection.
 It is an act of God.
 His resurrection is a call for the apostles to
preach and to give witness to Jesus, who is
victorious over death.
 We, believers, must continue in preaching and
giving witness to our faith in the Risen Lord.

 The second reading deepens the meaning of
the resurrection.
 It talks about change of mentality and priority.
 It talks about changing the value system.
 As believers, we should not have anymore the
appetite to what is earthly.
 We should set our hearts and minds to what is
spiritual.
 We should not give in to our base instinct.
 Instead, we should develop our taste for a
higher value, that is spiritual value.

 On Easter Sunday, we should truly celebrate
Christ’s resurrection with festive songs. Alleluia.
 Our liturgy should be reflective of this glorious
mystery.
 We should not allow this Sunday to be just one
of the ordinary dull Sundays.
 There should be no dull Sunday in the first
place.
 Liturgical ministers, choirs, mass presiders,
wake up!

 As Christian believers, we should participate in
the Church’s (Christ’s) mission, telling people
that we can rise from sin, suffering and death.
 We demonstrate to others that now we have
high aspirations.
 We have given up what is trivial and
superfluous and sinful.
 We now use our churches to promote spiritual
and liberating values, not anymore for other
purposes, like selling our wares, money making
or engaging in gossip or bloating our egos.

 The eucharist is the celebration par
excellence of the resurrection of Jesus
and ours too.
 The eucharist nourishes our faith in the
resurrection of Jesus and makes it more
meaningful.
 The eucharist strengthens us in our
mission, as we respond properly to the
demands of our faith in the resurrection.

Our Context of Sin and Grace
 Instruments of death
 Meaningless lives
 Too much data without
proper interpretation
 Information without
formation
 Laziness to discover, to
move from one’s comfort
 Inability to make
judgment to make one’s
faith grow
 Immature faith, faith
without responsibility
 Intelligent Christians
who can make proper
conclusions to the signs
of the times
 Responsive faith
 Happy Christians
 Empowered Christians
who are not ashamed to
proclaim their faith
 Christians who speak
the language of the
Church and of God

Suggested Songs
 This is the Day
 Wake Up Now My People
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSZW2x5u4No
 Where is this Jesus? (for reflection)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LecAQyAdhvs

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