Jesus Is Risen

Weekly Missionary Reflection
Sunday, 09 April 2023
EASTER – THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST
Acts 10:34a,37-43; Ps. 118:1-2,16ab-17,22-23; Col. 3:1-4 or 1Cor. 5:6b-8; Yoh. 20:1-9

 Resurrection is the Act of God

“Jesus is risen” and “we are the witness”, are the cores of all Easter messages. In his specific way, St. John, the author of the Gospel, wrote that resurrection was first an act of God. The disciples had witnessed how evil triumphed over good, and death over life. Jesus’ death on the cross proved this statement. Jesus, whom they knew had done all virtues, died at the hand of the sinners. Then a question arose: “What did God do to someone like Him?” The removed stone from the tomb turned out to be the definite answer that God acted. He had raised the man He loved.

Mary of Magdala was the witness of the Resurrection

The first witness of this resurrection was a woman, named Mary of Magdala. She came from Magdala, a city at the shore of the Sea of Galilee. We will be astonished knowing her background. She had a miserable background, not as beautiful as her hometown. Just like a dark morning, so she was known as a sinner and a person possessed by seven evil spirits. Yet after being cured of the evil spirit, she became a very faithful disciple of Jesus. Starting from Galilee she had been serving Jesus and His disciples in the faith. She had followed Jesus from the beginning of His agony till His burial. The Church regards her as a person with a new life in Christ. She is a legendary witness. She had gone through Easter before Easter Day.

We Need Silence in Knowing the Risen Jesus!

The news of the resurrection was indeed hard to believe. When Mary of Magdala ran to Peter and said that Jesus had risen, he also ran to the tomb. However, he returned home in doubt. All the authors of the Gospel say that despite Jesus showing Himself repeatedly, they did not believe. Why? It is clearly because: “They did not yet understand the scripture that He had to rise from the dead”.

Let us say the words we  repeatedly recite in the mass with sincere gratitude and with more confidence than ever: “We proclaim Your death, O Lord, and profess Your resurrection until You come again.”

(RP. Anton Rosari, SVD – Priest of The Diocese of Bogor)

DAILY DEDICATED PRAYER

Lord, our Father, I present my today prayer, thought, word, work, joy, and sorrow in unity with Your Son, Jesus Christ, who always presents Himself in the Eucharist for the salvation of the world. May the Holy Spirit animating Jesus, also be my guidance and strength today so that I am ready to be the witness of Your love.

Together with St. Mary, Mother of Jesus, and the Church, in particular, I present my prayer for our Pope and apostle prayer of the Indonesian Church of this month:

For a culture of peace and non-violence
We pray for the spread of peace and non-violence, by decreasing the use of weapons by States and citizens.

For the self-confidence of the youth
We pray that the youth may realize that their addiction to the digital world and the online facility is isolating them in their own world, and may they are encouraged to be confident and willing to extend relationships in their real life.

Amen