Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • March 29, 2024 5 Compassionate Service 228-374-5650 Bradfordokeefe.com In thanksgiving to the Holy Spirit, Blessed Mother, and St. Jude, for prayers answered. BAB Opening Remark -- Image: Mary Magdalene brought a heart full of sadness, devotion, and love to the tomb of Jesus early Easter morning. But when she saw the stone had been rolled back, her emotions changed to fear and confusion. Many of us experience similar feelings when we grieve someone’s death, deal with a severe illness, or face a devastating problem. But Mary and the other disciples soon experienced the joy of what our faith declares: Jesus rose from the dead and fulfilled His promise of eternal life, hope, and continuous presence for all who believe. Easter is about having faith in the unseen (the empty tomb), hoping that Sunday will be better than (Good) Friday, and rejoicing in new life, resurrection, and God’s faithfulness. This side of the Resurrection: Some years ago, I was at a dinner party, and after the meal, our hostess asked the guests, “If you could live in any period of history in the company of any person, where would it be and with whom? Someone replied she would choose to have lived in first-century Jerusalem and be in Jesus’ company to experience the exciting miracles He performed. Others agreed -- but not me. I imagined being a religious person (a Jew) and wondered how I would have handled this newly arrived teacher who challenged the pious Pharisees. These long-standing religious leaders who sat in the chair of Moses, fasted, paid tithes, were scholars of the law, and were respected by all. Would I have had the faith or courage to join Jesus’ loose band of upstarts? Probably not. At best, I thought, I may have observed from a distance and made no immediate commitments. So, I concluded that it is far better to live on this side of the resurrection with 2,000-plus years of apostolic eyewitnesses, the Sacred Scriptures, the teaching Magisterium of the Church, saints, martyrs, the papacy, and an array of witnesses more intelligent and holy than I, giving testimony to Jesus as Lord. What about you? Good, Bad, and Great: In our first reading, Peter proclaims the good, bad, and great news of Jesus as Lord and Messiah. The good news outlines Jesus’ powerful works of healing, forgiveness, conquering of enemies, and building an Apostolic Church. The bad news: they killed Him. The great news: on the third day, He rose from the dead and empowered us to be co-laborers in His work of salvation. We are good news each time someone encounters Jesus through our acts of love and kindness. We are bad news when we reject the truth of Christ and offend God and others. We spread great news by announcing that anyone who believes in Jesus and accepts resurrection victory has forgiveness and new life. Challenge and Choice: Today’s Easter Gospel offers the reactions of three people to Jesus’ resurrection and a challenge to consider how we would have acted in the same situation. Mary Magdala was paying respects to a dead person she loved -- not expecting resurrection. Some of us see life through the eyes of sadness and negativity, never expecting joy and the hope of new life to renew and refocus our efforts on witnessing Jesus as Lord. When Mary saw Jesus alive, she believed and became the first witness to the resurrection. As Peter approached the empty tomb, was he thinking of how he could face Jesus after the shame of denying Him? Do Catholics avoid the Sacrament of Reconciliation because of guilt, shame, and lack of trust in God’s mercy and forgiveness? Do you doubt the depth of God’s unconditional love and mercy? Although John did not see Jesus, by faith, he chose to believe that Jesus had resurrected. Is this faith of John, caught by the otherApostles, saints, and disciples, plus 2,000 years of witness, good enough for you to believe even though there are some things about your faith you do not understand? Soon, Jesus would stand before His Apostles and then be seen alive by more than five hundred disciples at once (1 Corinthians 15:6) as a risen, glorious, triumphant Lord. His rising from the grave was every bit as real as His dying on the cross. The resurrection proved God’s invincible power and confirmed every word and work Jesus accomplished. It has never been easy to be a Christian. The world, the flesh, and the devil love their own and hate us. But our faith conquers evil when lived persistently. If the Church is not prospering at this moment in history, it is more of a call for us to strengthen our faith witness and embolden our missionary zeal. We do this during the Octave of Easter celebrated for eight days, and the Easter season observed for fifty days. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ -- risen from the grave -- is in our midst. His Holy Word teaches us the truth. His Sacred Body and Blood nourishes as food and drink. The Risen Christ is our Eternal Lord, the Head of His Body, the Church, our High Priest and Teacher. Closing Thoughts: We have nothing to fear as we strive to win the world for Jesus. Our eternal destiny is heaven. Kingdoms may rise and fall, and demons may rage but will not prevail as St. Michael the Archangel and all the hosts of heaven continually fight on our behalf. No matter what happens in this passing moment of our lifetime, know that God is still God, Jesus is Lord, and the Church He founded will always prevail. Christ lives! Christ reigns; Christ wins! Easter’s joyful shout (Psalm 118:15) is, “Alleluia, Christ is risen!” Friday’s sting is temporary; Sunday’s victory is eternal! Live and give life fully -- this side of the Resurrection. Deacon Ralph Torrelli lives in Hattiesburg and is assigned to St. Thomas Aquinas Parish. Visit his website: www.homilypearls.com . 1st Reading: Acts 10:34a, 37-43. Responsorial Psalm: 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 2nd Reading: Colossians 3:1-4 Gospel: John 20:1-9 Easter Sunday This side of the Resurrection Deacon Torrell i Sunday Scripture Commentaries To advertise in the Gulf Pine Catholic , call 228-702-2109 for more information, or email smccusker@biloxidiocese.org . The newspaper is mailed to over 16,500 Catholic homes every other week.