Our first reading tells of the apostles in the early days of the Church. It was a time of togetherness, sincerity, and joyful praise. They met in their homes to worship, pray, and eat together. They shared all that they had, and Love—yes Love with a capital “L”—united them. The Holy Spirit had come upon them just before this at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). It was this Spirit of peace and unity that gave them the…
The first disciples did not have the gift of hindsight, as we do: “For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead” (John 20:9). Jesus said that He would rise again (Mark 9:31), but His disciples had to live through His crucifixion and those deathly quiet hours afterward without knowing what would happen next and armed with only their faith. We can use our Gospel imagination to suppose…
Alleluia! He is risen! Pope St. John Paul II said, “Do not abandon yourself to despair. We are Easter people and Alleluia is our song.” We are Easter people; hope is our Christian identity. We are not people of fear. We are courageous, hopeful, beloved sons and daughters of God. Our very identity is tied to the Resurrection. We are called to believe that Christ is truly risen, to feel it deep in our bones,…