“Alleluia! He is risen! This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad! Alleluia!”
It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, she said, and we don't know where they have put him."
So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in. Simon Peter following him, also came up, went into the tomb, saw the linen cloths lying on the ground and also the cloth that had been over his head, this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed. Till this moment they had still not understood the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. The disciples then went back home.
But Mary was standing outside near the tomb, weeping. Then as she wept, she stooped to look inside and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, "Woman, why are you weeping?" "They have taken my Lord away, she replied, and I don't know where they have put him." As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him and I will go and remove him." Jesus said, "Mary!" She turned round then and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" which means Master. Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and find my brothers and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." So Mary of Magdala told the disciples, I have seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her.
Now that very same day, two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem and they were talking together about all that had happened. As they were talking together and discussing it, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He said to them, "What are all these things that you are discussing as you walk along?" They stopped, their faces downcast. Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, "You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days." He asked, "What things?" They answered, "All about Jesus of Nazareth, who showed himself a prophet powerful in action and speech before God and the whole people;;and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death and had him crucified." And this is not all: two whole days have now gone by since it all happened; and some women from our group have astounded us: they went to the tomb in the early morning and when they could not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive."and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death and had him crucified." And this is not all: two whole days have now gone by since it all happened; and some women from our group have astounded us: they went to the tomb in the early morning and when they could not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive." Then he said to them, "You foolish men! So slow to believe all that the prophets have said! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer before entering into his glory?" Then starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.
When they drew near the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them saying, "It is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?" They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, "The Lord has indeed risen and has appeared to Simon." Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognized him at the breaking of bread..
In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, "Peace be with you!""and after saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord and he said to them again,and after saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord and he said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so am I sending you." After saying this he breathed on them and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone's sins, they are retained. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you."
Things to Do:
Rejoice! Alleluia!
Sing as many Alleluias as possible.
Dye Easter Eggs. Feast. Be merry. Alleluia!
Read Mother Catherine Marie’s reflection on the Easter Vigil.
Pray the ......Liturgy of the Hours