April 12, 2020
Revised Common Lectionary
Acts 10:34-43 or Jeremiah 31:1-6
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Colossians 3:1-4 or Acts 10:34-43
John 20:1-18 or Matthew 28:1-10
Lectionary for Mass (RC)
Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23
Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8
John 20:1-9 or Matthew 28:1-10
Light dawning through early morning darkness.
Women on their way.
Earthquake.
The stone rolled away.
The angel sitting calmly.
Guards shaken, death-like.
An empty tomb.
“Do not be afraid.”
“He is not here.”
“He has been raised.”
“Go quickly.”
Matthew’s Gospel recounts the resurrection of Jesus in a dramatic series of vividly presented details, underlining the cosmic and transformative significance of this event. Not only is Jesus not dead; he has been “raised up.”
The witnesses, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, are called to let go of fear and given the urgent charge to share the news with others. In their brief encounter with the risen One, they are told that he will meet his disciples in Galilee, the place where he ministered, preached, and healed.
In baptism, we too have been “raised with Christ” where he is “seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). The new life to which we have been raised with Christ and with those baptized this Easter may be “hidden with Christ,” but it is real and has real-life consequences.
The angel’s words to the women are directed to us this and every day: Don’t be afraid. Embrace the new life to which you have been raised. Share it with others – quickly! Look for the risen One in the Galilees of your own world, in the places where even today Christ lives to bring God’s healing and compassion.
A Hymn for Today: “Because You Live, O Christ”
Hymnwriter Shirley Erena Murray, FHS (1931-2020) wrote this Easter text for the jubilant Dutch tune VRUECHTEN, known widely as the melody for “This Joyful Eastertide” and frequently sung in a choral arrangement by Charles Wood. “Because You Live, O Christ” celebrates the transformative power of Christ’s rising. From her perspective in the southern hemisphere (New Zealand), Murray notably omits springtime references, but instead places on our lips and in our imaginations the Gospel images of garden, tomb, and stone alongside the vision of caged birds set free and colors of the rainbow shining forth.
Because you live, O Christ,
the garden of the world has come to flower;
the darkness of the tomb
is flooded with your resurrection power.
The stone has rolled away
and death cannot imprison!
O sing this Easter day,
for Jesus Christ has risen, has risen, has risen!
Because you live, O Christ,
the spirit bird of hope is freed for flying;
our cages of despair
no longer keep us closed and life-denying.
The stone has rolled away
and death cannot imprison!
O sing this Easter day,
for Jesus Christ has risen, has risen, has risen!
Because you live, O Christ,
the rainbow of your peace will span creation;
the colors of your love
will draw all humankind to adoration.
The stone has rolled away
and death cannot imprison!
O sing this Easter day,
for Jesus Christ has risen, has risen, has risen!
Text: Shirley Erena Murray, 1987. © 1987, Hope Publishing Company. Used by permission.
Image credit: Resurrection, stained glass window at Cathédrale d’Amiens
“Word and Song: A Lectionary Reflection” is written by the Executive Director of The Hymn Society, Rev. Dr. Mike McMahon. For his full bio, click here and scroll down to the “staff” section.