EASTER SATURDAY - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

This day was made by the Lord:
we rejoice and are glad. PS 117:24

ACTS 4:13-21 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

The Truth cannot be suppressed for long - no matter how hard evil tries to deny Truth it can never succeed for Truth has a Name - Truth bears Your Name - Jesus - Eternal Word of God.

This is why, we can take heart - today's First Reading assures us that when we are faithful in living the Truth, allowing the Truth to make a home in us, when we speak the Truth, when we proclaim it by witnessing to it in our lives and standing up to it boldly and unafraid of the consequences - we have the power of God on our side and evil cannot prevail. 

The proof of the power of God and Your Name was visible in the healing of the man who was crippled from birth. The people had seen him as they went in and out of the Temple and the enemies of Truth knew they were powerless in the face of the evidence before them. All they could do was warn Peter and John but they, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit,  retorted, boldly and fearlessly  ‘You must judge whether in God’s eyes it is right to listen to you and not to God. We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard.’ 

When we stand on the side of Truth, my Lord, and my God - we too need fear nothing for we have heaven on our side and no power will prevail when we stand boldly and unflinchingly on the side of Truth. 

PSALM 117(118):1,14-21 ©

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
for his love has no end.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
he was my saviour.
There are shouts of joy and victory
in the tents of the just.

The Lord’s right hand has triumphed;
his right hand raised me up.
I shall not die, I shall live
and recount his deeds.
I was punished, I was punished by the Lord,
but not doomed to die.

Open to me the gates of holiness:
I will enter and give thanks.
This is the Lord’s own gate
where the just may enter.
I will thank you for you have answered
and you are my saviour.

I will thank you, Lord, for you have given answer.

MARK 16:9-15 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Some things are so incredibly wonderful, so breathtaking, so awesome it is hard to wrap our heads and our minds that they are actually true. So it was when Mary of Magdala, and the disciples who were on the way to Emmaus but returned to Jerusalem, announced the Good News of Your resurrection from the dead and testified to having seen You. They would have wanted with all their hearts to believe it was true but they had seen You crushed, bruised, and brutally put to death on the Cross and they only saw Your perceived defeat in the face of evil. Satan seemingly had won. They had clean forgotten that You had repeatedly told them all that would take place but that You would rise again on the third day. This phenomenon was way, way outside the realm of possibility that it would never occur to them that it could be true.

When the Eleven were all gathered together at table You appeared to them. You gently reproached them for their incredulity and obstinacy in not believing that Mary and the two disciples had, in fact, seen You.  The two disciples recognized You at the breaking of bread.

Now, once again, they are gathered around the table when they meet You and see for themselves that You had risen just as You said You would. Thank You, Lord, that to this day and until time shall cease, we will meet You at every Holy Mass. Every day and especially on Sundays we gather as one body, to celebrate You. Your life, passion, death, resurrection, and glorious ascension into heaven. You invite us to eat and drink of Your Body and Blood so we have strength for our own pilgrim journey from this life to the next. And finally, Lord, at the end of every Holy Mass we are given the same mission You gave the Apostles - ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation.’