Replies

The Resurrection of the Lord (Easter Sunday)

From: Acts 10:34a, 37-43

Peter's Address

[34] And Peter opened his mouth and said, "(You know the) [37] word
which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after
the baptism which John preached; [38] how God anointed Jesus of
Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how He went about doing
good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with
Him. [39] And we are witnesses to 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; [40] but God raised Him on the third day and made Him manifest;
[41] not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as
witnesses, who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.
[42] And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that
He is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
[43] To Him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes
in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name."

Commentary:

34-43. Peter's short address is his first to non-Jews. It begins with
the central idea that God is impartial: He wants all men to be saved
through the proclamation of the Gospel (verses 34-36) and, finally, the
statement (the first time it appears in Acts) that Jesus Christ has
been made Judge of the living and the dead (verse 42). As in all
Christian preaching to Gentiles, proofs from Scripture take a secondary
place (verse 43).

34. This verse refers to 1 Samuel 16:7, where the Lord, in connection
with the anointing of David as king of Israel, tells the prophet, "Do
not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I
have rejected him; for the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the
outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." When God calls
and offers salvation to His elect, He does not judge as men do. With
Him distinctions regarding social class, race, sex or education do not
count.

Here St. Peter proclaims that the Old Testament prophecies about the
Jews and the Gentiles forming one single nation (Isaiah 2:2-4; Joel
2:28; Amos 9:12; Micah 4:1) and Jesus' words calling everyone to enter
His Kingdom (cf. Matthew 8:11; Mark 16:15-16; John 10:16) should be
interpreted literally.

40. Peter's summary of the Gospel of Jesus (verses 37-41) reaches its
climax with his statement that "God raised Him on the third day." This
had become the usual way of referring to our Lord's resurrection (cf.
1 Corinthians 15:4); see note on Acts 4:10.

42. This verse refers to Christ's role as Judge: He has been made
supreme Judge over all mankind and will deliver His judgment at His
second coming (Parousia). "The Sacred Scriptures inform us that there
are two comings of the Son of God: the one when He assumed human flesh
for our salvation in the womb of a virgin; the other when He shall come
at the end of the world to judge all mankind" ("St. Pius V Catechism",
I, 8, 2).

Christ's coming as Judge means that men will appear before Him twice,
to render an account of their lives--of their thoughts, words, deeds
and omissions. The first judgment will take place "when each of us
departs this life; for then He is instantly placed before the
judgment-seat of God, where all that he has ever done or spoken or
thought during his life shall be subjected to the most rigid scrutiny.
This is called the Particular Judgment. The second occurs when on the
same day and in the same place all men shall stand together before the
tribunal of their Judge [...], and this is called the General Judgment"
("Ibid.", I, 8, 3).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

The Resurrection of the Lord (Easter Sunday)

From: Colossians 3:1-4

Seek the Things That Are Above

[1] If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are
above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Avoid Sin

[2] Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on
earth. [3] For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
[4] When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with
Him in glory.

Commentary:

1-4. The more ethical and exhortatory part of the letter begins at this
point. It is a practical application of the teaching given in the
earlier chapters, designed to suit the circumstances that have arisen in
the Colossian church.

By His death and resurrection the Son of God frees us from the power of
Satan and of death. "By Baptism men are grafted into the paschal
mystery of Christ; they die with him, are buried with Him, and rise with
Him" (Vatican II, "Sacrosanctum Concilium", 6). In other words,
Christians have been raised to a new kind of life, a supernatural life,
whereby they share, even while on earth, in the glorious life of the
risen Jesus. This life is at present spiritual and hidden, but when our
Lord comes again in glory, it will become manifest and glorious.

Two practical consequences flow from this teaching--the need to seek the
"things that are above", that is, the things of God; and the need to
pass unnoticed in one's everyday work and ordinary life, yet to do
everything with a supernatural purpose in mind.

As regards the first of these the Second Vatican Council has said: "In
their pilgrimage to the Heavenly city Christians are to seek and relish
the things that are above (cf. Colossians 3:1-2): this involves not a
lesser, but a greater commitment to working with all men to build a
world that is more human" ("Gaudium Et Spes", 57). Work, family
relationships, social involvements--every aspect of human
affairs--should be approached in a spirit of faith and done perfectly,
out of love: "The true Christian, who acts according to this faith",
Monsignor Escriva comments, "always has his sights set on God. His
outlook is supernatural. He works in this world of ours, which he loves
passionately; he is involved in all its challenges, but all the while
his eyes are fixed on Heaven" ("Friends of God", 206).

Ordinary life, everyday interests, the desire to be better and to serve
others without seeking public recognition of one's merits--all this
makes for holiness if done for love of God. A simple life "hid with
Christ in God" (verse 3) is so important that Jesus Himself chose to
spend the greater part of His life on earth living like an ordinary
person: He was the son of a tradesman. "As we meditate on these truths,
we come to understand better the logic of God. We come to realize that
the supernatural value of our life does not depend on accomplishing
great undertakings suggested to us by our over-active imagination.

Rather it is to be found in the faithful acceptance of God's will, in
welcoming generously the opportunities for small, daily sacrifice"
([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 172).

This means that those who try to seek holiness by imitating Jesus in His
hidden life will be people full of hope; they will be optimistic and
happy people; and after their death they will share in the glory of the
Lord: they will hear Jesus' praise, "Well done, good and faithful
servant; you have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much;
enter into the joy of your Master" (Matthew 25:21).

On the value of the hidden life, see the note on Luke 2:15.