Easter Sunday

Reflection

In the Easter Gospel, Mary of Magdala discovers the empty tomb, setting a scene of initial darkness that reflects uncertainty and sorrow. Her urgency to inform Peter and the beloved disciple triggers a race, illustrating diverse responses to faith's mysteries.

As they approach the tomb, the disciples' distinct reactions – one hesitating, the other boldly entering and believing – mirror the varied ways we at times grapple with divine truths. The passage ends with the acknowledgment that, at that moment, the disciples did not fully comprehend Jesus' resurrection. This mirrors the ongoing human struggle to grasp divine mysteries, celebrating Easter as a transformative light dispelling doubt.

In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter boldly proclaims Jesus' anointing, ministry, and resurrection. This proclamation bridges the uncertainty of the empty tomb to the conviction of a risen Christ. Peter emphasizes their role as witnesses, having shared meals with the risen Christ, underscoring the reality of the resurrection.

The complete picture of Easter – from the darkness of Christ's death, the confusion at the empty tomb, to the radiant proclamation of His resurrection – emerge from these two readings.

Prayer

As we celebrate Christ’s resurrection today and every Sunday, we embrace the transformative power of faith in the risen Christ and fills us with hope, charity, and love. Amen.

Richard Plumb, PhD
President, Saint Michael’s College

Scripture

First Reading: Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23
Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8
Gospel: John 20:1-9

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil)

Reflection

The liturgy of the Word for the Easter Vigil is proclaimed during the most solemn Eucharistic celebration in our Church calendar. Beginning with the ritual blessing of fire and proclaiming Christ our light, the darkness of sin is replaced by the brightness of Christ’s light represented by the paschal candle being carried to the altar. Through the liturgy of the Word salvation history is recounted as we remember God’s loving act of creation and his liberating relationship with his chosen people. All of this culminates in the waters of baptism as new members of our Church community are ritually welcomed into our communion through the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation the Eucharist.

As we enter into this multifaceted celebration, perhaps we can pray with the ritual symbols of fire, water, oil, bread and wine in which the ordinary become extraordinary within our celebration of faith. In the waters of baptism, we are freed from the bondage of sin and share not only in Christ’s death, but we are also promised a share in his resurrection. For on this holy night that is what we especially celebrate in a glorious way that the one who was crucified is now raised as we journey again with Mary Magdalene and the other disciples encountering our risen Lord.

Prayer

Lord God, as we enter the Easter season help us to encounter with joy your risen Son so that we might become bold proclaimers of his teachings in our daily lives. Amen.

Rev. Brian J. Cummings, SSE ’86
Director of Campus Ministry

Scripture

First Reading: Genesis 1:1-2:2 or 1:1, 26-31a

Psalm 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12-14, 24, 35 or Psalm 33:4-7, 12-13, 20, 22
Second Reading: Genesis 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
Psalm 16:5, 8-11
Third Reading: Exodus 14:15—15:1
(Psalm) Exodus 15:1-6, 17-18
Fourth Reading: Isaiah 54:5-14
Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13
Fifth Reading: Isaiah 55:1-11
(Psalm) Isaiah 12:2-6
Sixth Reading: Baruch 3:9-15, 32—4:4
Psalm 19:8-11
Seventh Reading: Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28
Psalm 42:3, 5; 43:3-4
Eighth Reading: Romans 6:3-11
Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23
Gospel: Mark 16:1-7

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

Good Friday

Reflection

Superficially, the name “Good Friday” can seem wildly inappropriate for the day on which we commemorate the brutal murder and death of the One who came so that we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). But then, the very Scriptures that we are given for our liturgical celebration are weighted with paradox and contradictions.

In John’s Passion, Jesus is presented as a king – “You say I am a king!”—fully in command of his own destiny in the midst of the injustices and cruelties brought against him: “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above.”

But in Isaiah 52:13-53:12, we experience a kind of whiplash effect: See my servant shall prosper… because of him kings shall stand speechless.” And yet, “There was in him no stately bearing,… one of those from whom people hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem.”

Jesus’ power is precisely the power of the second person of the Holy Trinity: “if he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.” (Isaiah 53:10).

God so loves the world that in the person of Jesus he willing took – and still takes – the very worst that his fellow human beings could dish out to him, and he showed – and still shows – the triumphant and saving power of love.

Prayer

Jesus, thank you for giving me a share in your life through your sharing in mine. Paradoxically I see myself also in all who contributed to your passion and death. Forgive whatever suffering I may cause for your sisters and brothers – members of your body – in my own day, and grant that by your love all my suffering may be transformed into “good” suffering in union with yours, offered for the salvation of the world. Amen.

Fr. David Cray, SSE
Superior General, Society of St. Edmund

Scripture

First Reading: Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Psalm 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25
Second Reading: Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
Gospel: John 18:1—19:42

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

Holy Thursday

Reflection

This is my body; this is my blood; do this in memory of me. The gift and the mandate. "Our celebration on Holy Thursday shows us how to proclaim the meaning of the Lord’s gift to us. The Last Supper event in the gospel of John does not include the narrative that St. Paul gives us. In John’s narrative Jesus washes his disciples’ feet. By his action Jesus says, here I am as servant for you, do this in memory of me. In the ritual of Holy Thursday we need to enter into the experience Jesus washing our feet. We each need to feel the resistance of Peter. We need to taste our resistance, our independence, our rationalizing that we don’t need healing or saving. We have to let Jesus give himself to us, let him be our servant. In receiving this grace from Jesus we become more open to his mandate to Love one another as I have loved you. In receiving the very gift of himself, broken and poured out, we become empowered to give our very selves, to be broken and poured out in love for others. Holy Thursday teaches us that it is not enough to hear the gospel. We must allow it to change us.

Prayer

O God, help us make our lives the daily sacrament of love, the Eucharist. In him we meet each other anew and start over again. May our lives become always a return to and a sending forth from this sacrament. Amen.

Fr. Stanley Deresienski, SSE
Senior Priest / Society of St. Edmund
Assisting at St. Leo the Great Parish, Bonita Springs, FL

Scripture

First Reading: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Gospel: John 13:1-15

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

Wednesday of Holy Week

Reflection

The Bible is a story of constant human failure. As such we are constantly prompted to see ourselves in the antagonists. We can relate to those who succumb to the pressure of the mob, or like the people referred to in the first reading, become angry in the face of truth. 

This approach fails us however when we are confronted with Judas’ betrayal. Unlike Peter’s failure which can be understood in the context of human weakness, Judas’s actions seem to defy all logic. How could someone who knew Jesus intimately, who witnessed his miracles firsthand, betray him for something as insignificant as money? 

Such a decision could only be made in the complete absence of a moral framework. We cannot relate to Judas because he recognizes no reality but the material, and no authority but his own. Jesus’ final remarks to his disciples remind us that Judas’ betrayal, although successful, is not the story of man’s victory over Christ, but Satan’s victory over the individual. 

In a way, Judas was ahead of his time given how thoroughly atheism has saturated our current culture. In a time when materialism is the accepted moral lens, and religion has been relegated to the realm of the uneducated, we have a greater responsibility to proclaim the existence of spiritual truths outside of just the religious setting. Christ will conquer death every time, but the story reminds us that some of us will choose death.

Prayer

We pray for all those battling against materialism and nihilism. Give us the strength to defend the spiritual in every domain of life. Amen.

Finn McGillivray '24

Scripture

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34
Gospel: Matthew 26:14-25

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

Tuesday of Holy Week

Reflection

I cannot imagine that too many people get up in the morning and explicitly think to themselves, “I think I will betray someone today… I think I will hurt someone I love.” Few people would ever admit to doing such things on purpose, and yet, we are painfully aware that such hurt happens, and happens often. Jesus was aware of the pain of betrayal that was soon to come his way, even though the apostles denied that such a thing would ever be possible. In these hours Jesus had to bear alone the knowledge of what was soon to befall him, Jesus had to reflect on the nature of his ministry and mission, foretold from of old as the passage from Isaiah reminds us.

For our own selves, it is true that we often betray the Lord in the sense that we frequently sin in our lives and turn away from God. Sadly, we know that this is also true in our human relationships: we may not set out to intentionally do so, but the cliché often comes true that we always hurt the ones we love. Be this as it may, we are not doomed only to an existence of broken and fractured relationships. As Christ forgave Peter who denied him, Christ forgives all of us who seek him with a sincere heart. In turn, we are called to forgive – and seek forgiveness – in our human relationships, to keep lines of communication open, and to recognize the salvific power of connection and healing that we can absorb from the Lord’s example.

Prayer

Almighty ever-living God, grant us so to celebrate the mysteries of the Lord’s Passion that we may merit to receive your pardon, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fr. Michael Carter, SSE ’12
Lecturer of Religious Studies.

Scripture

First Reading: Isaiah 49:1-6
Psalm 71:1-6ab, 15, 17
Gospel: John 13:21-33, 36-38

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

Monday of Holy Week

Reflection

In John’s gospel we meet Jesus who has come from his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Jesus knows that the praise and adulation of Palm Sunday will soon turn into the daunting shouts of Good Friday: Crucify Him! Crucify Him!

It’s no wonder then that Jesus seeks the comfort of his beloved friends at their home in Bethany. He comes once again to be with Lazarus whom he has raised from the dead, and Martha who has the gift of hospitality. And notably, he comes also to be with their sister Mary. We learn that Mary has listened at the feet of Jesus and been deeply transformed by his teachings.

In an abundance of love and grace, Mary pours out the gift of precious oil to anoint her beloved savior. In her action we see the prefiguring of the unmeasured love of Jesus which will be poured out upon the cross. Like Jesus, Mary of Bethany will not stop to count the cost of the love she gives.

Judas Iscariot is also present and calls Mary to task for not measuring the cost of what she has given. Jesus comes to Mary’s defense. He affirms the goodness of Mary’s outpouring and anticipates his own death and anointing. Mary has again chosen the better way.

In this household in Bethany we meet a full spectrum of those whom Jesus has called to himself. They offer models for us to reflect upon in our own spiritual journeys. They invite us to examine our own level of conversion to the teachings and will of Jesus. Is our conversion fulfilled as it is with Lazarus who has been called back to life? Do we struggle with conditions we create like Martha? Are we trapped by our selfishness and greed like Judas? Are we like the anxious crowd that wants to silence Jesus? Or like Mary of Bethany are we able to open our hearts to love Jesus without weighing the cost?

Prayer

Jesus, be a frequent guest in our homes. Open our hearts to be transformed by your words and your love. Prepare us in this holy week that we may stay awake with you in the garden at Gethsemane. Amen.

Jackie Lawson, MA ’89
Worshipping Community

Scripture

First Reading: Isaiah 42:1-7
Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14
Gospel: John 12:1-11

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website