Gospel Reflection For The 30th day of March in the year of Our Lord, 2024
Easter Saturday Vigil Mass
Gospel
Mark 16:1-7
1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices, that coming, they might anoint Jesus. 2 And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen. 3 And they said one to another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre? 4 And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. For it was very great. 5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe: and they were astonished.
6 Who saith to them: Be not affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: he is risen, he is not here, behold the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee; there you shall see him, as he told you.
The Mass Readings for today are more than on any other Sunday. They go back and forth between Old Testament and New. They show the promises of God and their fulfillment in Christ. Between each is a Psalm exalting the grace and mercy of God. It is the most beautiful liturgy of the year because it is the most important day of the year. As Saint Augustine said, “We are Easter people and alleluia is our song!”
Two of today’s readings that proceed the Gospel make this very clear:
Epistle
Romans 6:3-11
3 Know you not that all we, who are baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in his death? 4 For we are buried together with him by baptism into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin may be destroyed, to the end that we may serve sin no longer. 7 For he that is dead is justified from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live also together with Christ: 9 Knowing that Christ rising again from the dead, dieth now no more, death shall no more have dominion over him. 10 For in that he died to sin, he died once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God:
11 So do you also reckon, that you are dead to sin, but alive unto God, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23
1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are they who search his testimonies: that seek him with their whole heart.
16 I will think of thy justifications: I will not forget thy words. 17 Give bountifully to thy servant, enliven me: and I shall keep thy words.
22 Remove from me reproach and contempt: because I have sought after thy testimonies. 23 For princes sat, and spoke against me: but thy servant was employed in thy justifications.
In the old Jewish calendar, the day began at sunset, not midnight or even sunrise as most now consider it. So, the Catholic tradition having its roots in Jewish tradition, we begin to celebrate Sunday on Saturday evening. The Saturday vigil Mass is really the first Sunday Mass.
It is such a shame and a heresy that some Protestant denominations oppose Sunday worship. They claim that Christians must still worship on the Jewish Sabbath and are still bound by Torah Law. Some like the Jehovah’s Witnesses go even further in denying the divinity of Christ. While this is sad, it is even more shameful that so few Catholics attend Mass regularly. Many just go to Church on Easter and Christmas, remaining “culturally Catholic” but losing the truth of our religion.
Through the resurrection of Christ, a new religion was born which is Christianity. Each Baptized Christian becomes part of the Body of Christ. On Easter, we celebrate not only the resurrection of our Lord, but our own birthday as the new man in Christ. The world, the universe itself, was born anew on Easter Sunday, no longer being subject to death which was the penalty conferred on all creation by the sin of our first parents. All that came before ended. The Law of Moses and all religions, both pagan and Jewish, were crucified with our Lord, died and were buried. The new, revealed and true religion of Christianity rose with Jesus on the third day, Sunday.
For this reason, Christians worship on Sunday. Sunday is the new day of the new religion, the new world and the new man. Had our Protestant brothers and sisters not cut themselves off from the tradition and history of the Church, they would know that Sunday is the Christian Sabbath and has always been observed as such, from the time of the Apostles to this day. Were they aware of such documents as the Didache, which is “The Teaching of The Twelve”, that was written before the books of the New Testament were completed and the Bible compiled, and the writings of the Early Church Fathers, they would know why Christians go to church on Sunday and observe Sunday in purposeful contrast to the Jewish Sabbath.
The ignorance of Protestants may be somewhat forgiven, as they have little knowledge of Christian history. They believe heresies and myths, and do not know the truth… although, it would not take much effort to learn the truth should they lay aside their prejudices and make even the slightest effort to read the writings of the earliest Christians. God will weigh and measure them and it is not my place to judge.
What I would like to do is to encourage all Catholics to embrace regular Sunday worship. Go to mass and join in the celebration of the “Wedding Feast” of the Lamb of God. The resurrection of our Lord was the greatest event in all of history and the greatest that will ever be. So many fret about “End Times” and the apocalypse when Jesus will come again… do they not realize that Jesus comes again at every Mass, truly present, body, blood, soul and divinity? If we could see even once the intersection of heaven and earth in the re-presentation of our Lord’s crucifixion in the sacrifice of the Holy Mass… the angels and saints and Jesus, Himself present before us, singing, celebrating… never again would we miss Mass or take it for granted. But what is more and truly miraculous is that when we receive the Eucharist in a state of grace God, Himself, comes to dwell within us and makes us holy. He is the holy that makes us holy. We come to share in His eternal life!
Every Sunday is Easter Sunday, and we are Sunday people! Alleluia, Christ is risen! As Sunday begins on Saturday evening in our tradition, we get even more time to celebrate this greatest of all Holy Days and Christian Feasts!
A Daily Catholic Devotional Reflections on the Daily Mass readings January-June, 2024. may be purchased as a .pdf directly from me using this link https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-daily-catholic-devotional-reflections.html or in paperback on Amazon amazon.com/dp/B0CPD1DC7Q
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Gospel passages are taken from the Douay Rheims Bible.