Sunday, April 9, 2023

READINGS: ACTS 10:34A, 37-43; PS 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; COL 3:1-4; JN 20:1-9
The Season of Lent is now behind us, and the great feast of Easter has begun! Let us rejoice and be glad! Just as we embraced the discipline and fasting of Lent, let us fully embrace the joy and feasting that the next 50 days offer. We are reminded to be true to our Catholic faith and Christian commitment this Easter season.
Our first reading, from Acts of the Apostles instructs us on how to do this. Here, Saint Peter says that our Lord, “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… that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”
How do we ordinary people preach and testify to all God has done? We do so through how we live our everyday lives — through the intentional use of our time, talent, and material resources for building up of the kingdom of God. Putting God and others ahead of ourselves in every aspect of our lives is the most eloquent preaching we can do. Boldly and joyfully embracing a Catholic Christian way of life is our most powerful testimony.
As Catholics, we are the modern-day witnesses of an incredible miracle prompted by unfathomable love — the death and Resurrection of our Savior for us. Let us rejoice and be glad and let’s make sure our lives are a testimony to this amazing grace!