Bible Diary

Daily Reading

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

LECTIONARY
262

FIRST READING

ACTS 2:36-41

On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jewish people,
“Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made him both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other Apostles,
“What are we to do, my brothers?”
Peter said to them,
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call.”
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,
“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.

PSALM

PS 33:4-5, 18-19, 20 AND 22

Response: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.

See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.

Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.

GOSPEL

JN 20:11-18

Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,
and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
“Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,”
which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.’”
Mary went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he had told her.

Daily Reflection

The Gospel paints a picture of Mary Magdalene filled with grief at Jesus’ tomb. Not even the sight of two angels can wipe away this grief. She weeps because “they have taken the body away”. Even the sight of the risen Jesus doesn’t shatter her grieving stupor. It is only when Jesus calls her by name that her grief turns to amazement and she recognises him. Jesus invites her to stop “holding on” to him - to an image of the past – but to go out in mission, thus recognising him for who he really is: the Lord of Life, for mission brings new life.

Peter’s speech also embraces the same sentiment of Jesus’ command to mission. He invites his listeners to repent and be baptised. Why baptism? Because baptism enables us to die to our own selves and be immersed into Christ!

The Easter mysteries are a constant invitation to introspect and to challenge ourselves to be more Christ-like.

When you look into the mirror, can you also catch a glimpse of Christ within?