This morning we have St. John's accounting of Easter morning with Mary Magdalene at the tomb of Christ – weeping – talking with the supposed gardener who was actually Jesus. It was when Jesus called Mary by name that she recognized him and began to cling to him. She then took the news of the Jesus Risen to the disciples: "I have seen the Lord!" she proclaimed to them: and then reported to them what had happened.
Sometimes it is more or less easy for us to see the Risen Jesus. But one thing is guaranteed: he is always calling us by name, so that we might recognize him and cling to him who is our one true hope and source of charity. Then it is up to us to take this "good news that the Risen Christ is" in our midst to our brothers and sisters, to all who need to have hope and encouragement; to all who need to experience Easter peace and joy!
In the first reading today we hear Peter speaking to the Jewish people telling them that the joy and peace of Easter is most certainly for them too – even though they were instrumental in killing Jesus by crucifixion! But it was because this happened that the historical Jesus was turned into Jesus Lord and Christ – and this is a very good thing indeed. These Jews then needed to know what to do now – and Peter told them: Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins. Three thousand were called by name and baptized into the life of the Risen Christ that very day. And numbers have been added every year down to this very year. The Easter Vigil last Saturday saw hundreds of thousands of new Catholics initiated into the Church on that solemn and glorious night!
This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it. Let us rejoice that God has called us by name, and has baptized us into his life and now feeds us with his Risen Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist we are about to receive! The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord: ALLELUIA!
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