The Convincing Answer

The Resurrection of the Lord

April 16, 2017

First Reading: Acts 10:34a, 37-43

Peter proceeded to speak and said: "You know what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his  name."

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

Second Reading: Col 3:1-4

Brothers and sisters:

If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.

Gospel: Jn 20:1-9

On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they put him." So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.

Reflection 
by Pietro Albano

Many years ago, I attended a pastoral planning event of the parish. During the group dynamics, I was  chosen to be the leader of our group. We were working on a draft vision and mission statements when an old lady in our group posed me several questions which all started with the words "Paano ka makakahikayat sa ating parokya kung...?" (How will you convince people to be active in the parish if...?).

At first, I was a bit annoyed and tried to dismiss her questions. But they lingered. Eventually, we came up with the draft statements and presented them to the whole assembly. I couldn't remember the full text of the statements, but the first few words of the vision statement goes like this: "a Christ-centered community". These were then agreed by everyone. I never heard anymore questions from our elderly colleague.

That question "Paano ka makakahikayat?" rings a bell especially during this Year of the Parish. How do we convince people to actively participate in our parish community? There are many answers we could choose from: lay empowerment, a more lively liturgy, more activities, more outreach programs, simple lifestyle, etc.

But one and only one answer should not be overlooked. Amidst all the challenges the Church faces nowadays, let's not forget that the Risen Jesus is the best answer, the best experience we can share to encourage the "unchurched" to be involved in the life of the parish. We may have empowered the laity, have a lively liturgy or a thriving outreach programs, but if Christ is not the center of it all, if His message is silenced by intrigues, if His healing is counteracted by our pride and "pagpapasikat", if His power and mercy are still buried by our stubbornness, we will be like Peter and John in today's Gospel: staring at the tomb, but failing to understand that Jesus must rise again from the dead.

A blessed Easter to all!

Prayer

Loving Father, thank You for sending Jesus Your Son to save us by His Death and Resurrection. With faith renewed, guide us to proclaim with our lives His triumph over sin so as to affirm the faith of others. In Jesus' Name. Amen.