Daily Archives: March 27, 2024

Embracing Easter Imbibing its Teachings into Everyday Life

Embracing Easter: Imbibing its Teachings into Everyday Life

As we celebrate Easter, it’s not just about colorful eggs, bunnies, and festive meals. Easter holds profound significance for billions of people around the world, marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ and symbolizing hope, renewal, and redemption. Beyond its religious connotations, Easter offers valuable lessons that resonate with people of all faiths and backgrounds. Here, we reflect on how we can imbibe the learnings of Easter into our daily lives.

Resilience in the Face of Adversity:

 Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, signifying triumph over suffering and death. This tale of resilience teaches us that no matter how dire our circumstances may seem, there’s always hope for a brighter tomorrow. Life is fraught with challenges, but it’s our ability to rise after every fall that defines us. Embracing resilience means acknowledging setbacks as stepping stones towards growth and transformation.

Forgiveness and Reconciliation:

The essence of Easter lies in forgiveness and reconciliation. Jesus’s teachings emphasized love and compassion, even towards those who wronged him. In our own lives, harboring grudges only weighs us down, hindering our personal growth. Easter urges us to let go of resentment, to forgive not only others but also ourselves. By embracing forgiveness, we unburden our hearts and pave the way for healing and reconciliation.

Celebrating New Beginnings:

 Easter marks the arrival of spring, a season synonymous with renewal and new beginnings. Just as nature awakens from its wintry slumber, Easter invites us to shed our old ways and embrace fresh opportunities. It’s a time to reflect on our goals and aspirations, to let go of past regrets, and to step into the future with renewed vigor. Every day presents a chance for a fresh start; Easter simply serves as a poignant reminder of this eternal truth.

Acts of Kindness and Generosity:

   Easter encourages acts of kindness and generosity towards others. Whether it’s through small gestures or grand deeds, spreading love and goodwill enriches both the giver and the receiver. Just as Jesus selflessly sacrificed himself for the greater good, we too can make a positive impact by extending a helping hand to those in need. In a world often fraught with discord, acts of kindness serve as beacons of hope, illuminating the path towards a more compassionate society.

Embracing Faith and Hope:

At its core, Easter embodies the triumph of faith and hope over despair. It’s a testament to the power of belief, even in the darkest of times. While faith may take different forms for each individual, its essence lies in trusting in something greater than ourselves. Whether it’s faith in a divine presence, in humanity, or in the inherent goodness of the universe, nurturing this belief sustains us through life’s trials and tribulations.

As we celebrate Easter, let’s not merely confine its significance to a single day of the year. Instead, let’s internalize its teachings and strive to embody its spirit every day. By embracing resilience, forgiveness, new beginnings, kindness, and faith, we embark on a journey towards a more fulfilling and meaningful existence. May the lessons of Easter resonate within us, guiding us towards a brighter, more compassionate future.

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St. Matthias

St. Matthias :

Feast daySeptember 25
Patronof Cork, Diocese of Cork
Birth550
Death620

How does one qualify to be an apostle?

The first act of the apostles after the Ascension of Jesus was to find a replacement for Judas. With all the questions, doubts, and dangers facing them, they chose to focus their attention on finding a twelfth apostle. Why was this important? Twelve was a very important number to the Chosen People: twelve was the number of the twelve tribes of Israel. If the new Israel was to come from the disciples of Jesus, a twelfth apostle was needed.

But Jesus had chosen the original twelve. How could they know whom he would choose?

One hundred and twenty people were gathered for prayer and reflection in the upper room, when Peter stood up to propose the way to make the choice.

Peter had one criterion, that, like Andrew, James, John, and himself, the new apostle be someone who had been a disciple from the very beginning, from his baptism by John until the Ascension. The reason for this was simple, the new apostle would must become a witness to Jesus’ resurrection. He must have followed Jesus before anyone knew him, stayed with him when he made enemies, and believed in him when he spoke of the cross and of eating his body — teachings that had made others melt away.

Two men fit this description — Matthias and Joseph called Barsabbas. They knew that both these men had been with them and with Jesus through his whole ministry. But which one had the heart to become a witness to his resurrection. The apostles knew that only the Lord could know what was in the heart of each. They cast lots in order to discover God’s will and Matthias was chosen. He was the twelfth apostle and the group was whole again as they waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

That’s the first we hear of Matthias in Scripture, and the last. Legends like the Acts of Andrew and Matthias testify to Matthias’ enthusiastic embrace of all that being an apostle meant including evangelization, persecution, and death in the service of the Lord.

How does one qualify to be an apostle?

Clement of Alexandria says that Matthias, like all the other apostles, was not chosen by Jesus for what he already was, but for what Jesus foresaw he would become. He was elected not because he was worthy but because he would become worthy. Jesus chooses all of us in the same way. What does Jesus want you to become?

In His Footsteps:
Have you ever felt like an afterthought, a latecomer? Or have you ever resented someone new who was added to your group? Try to see your community as not complete without the newcomer, whether you or someone else. Welcome any newcomers to your parish, work, or family community this week as someone chosen by God.

Prayer:


Saint Matthias, pray that we may become worthy witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus in the way we live the eternal life we have right now.

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Daily mass readings for Apr 9, 2024

Daily mass readings :Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter

Reading 1 : Acts 4:32-37

The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the Apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the Apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.

Thus Joseph, also named by the Apostles Barnabas
(which is translated “son of encouragement”),
a Levite, a Cypriot by birth,
sold a piece of property that he owned,
then brought the money and put it at the feet of the Apostles.

Responsorial Psalm : Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5

R. (1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia : Jn 3:14-15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man must be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him
may have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Jn 3:7b-15

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
‘How can this happen?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

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