The first witnesses to the Resurrection

 

Welcome to my blog. Peace be with you.

We learn in today's readings that the Resurrection is the foundation of our Christian faith. Jesus has risen with the glory of  God. 

It is a historical fact witnessed by many. They are eye-witnesses. The Risen Lord is with us to save us and lead us to our true home with God the Father. 

We meet in the Gospel, the first witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus.  

Friday 18 September 2020

The first witnesses to the Resurrection 

First reading

1 Corinthians 15:12-20 ·

If Christ has not been raised, your belief is useless

Now if Christ raised from the dead is what has been preached, how can some of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, Christ himself cannot have been raised, and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is useless and your believing it is useless; indeed, we are shown up as witnesses who have committed perjury before God, because we swore in evidence before God that he had raised Christ to life. For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins. And what is more serious, all who have died in Christ have perished. If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people.

But Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep.

 

Prayerful reflection

Apparently, some people in Corinth said that death was the end and there could be no resurrection of the dead. Paul counters this argument with the fact of the Resurrection of Christ Jesus. The Corinthians accept this. Then if Christ has risen, we must rise too. Why is that? It is because we are one Body with Christ. He is the Head and those who believe in him are his members. The head cannot rise without the members of his body rising also. Therefore, Paul says, if we do not rise, then Jesus cannot have risen. He has risen and so we also must rise. He is the first fruits. The rest of the harvest will come into due time.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 16(17):1,6-8,15

I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.

Lord, hear a cause that is just,

pay heed to my cry.

Turn your ear to my prayer:

no deceit is on my lips.

I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.

I am here and I call, you will hear me, O God.

Turn your ear to me; hear my words.

Display your great love, you whose right hand saves

your friends from those who rebel against them.

I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.

Guard me as the apple of your eye.

Hide me in the shadow of your wings

As for me, in my justice I shall see your face

and be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory.

I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.

 

Gospel

Luke 8:1-3

The women who accompanied Jesus

Jesus made his way through towns and villages preaching, and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. With him went the Twelve, as well as certain women who had been cured of evil spirits and ailments: Mary surnamed the Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and several others who provided for them out of their own resources.

Prayerful reflection

In Genesis, God made human beings male and female, equal and complementary. Pagan society was male dominating and women had no place nor any rights. In Jewish society, women had only a role in the home. Luke is not a Jew by birth. He gives women a great role in his Gospel. Mary is the first disciple. It is the angel who proclaims the Good News of God’s becoming man and being our Saviour. She believes and is blessed because of it. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit.  Jesus opens himself to women. Yesterday we saw how he welcomed the repentant woman and revealed to her the merciful face of God. Today we see how he did something quite revolutionary in Jewish society, he had a group of women as his disciples. This would have been unheard of. Jesus needed financial support and these devout women provided it. In his ministry, we can be sure that they were active. They brought the female element into the life of Jesus. They were loyal disciples, grateful for what Jesus had done for them. They would be faithful to him, even to Calvary. They were the ones who witnessed first to the Resurrection. 

 Power doesn’t bring us happiness. It’s not being able to do the same things as other people and being able to do them better (out of a sense of envy) that gives us joy in living. It is being ourselves fully that is the source of self-fulfilment. Though equal in dignity and equally the beloved children of God, women are not men. They are different and men and women are complementary. Together they make the whole. Individually, they are both incomplete. Together they make up the Body of Christ and Jesus, who is the head, works equally though differently through them. There has been much injustice towards women both in society and maybe in the Church. Justice should be achieved. Justice is to give each the right to become the person God wants them to become.  In becoming that each should receive the honour and respect in society that God gives them. The difference between male and female should be honoured and respected.

These women have served us well too. Luke based his Gospel on eye-witness evidence. These women travelled around with Jesus and saw and heard everything. Luke alone speaks of Joanna. She is the wife of King Herod’s steward. She would have given Luke information about Herod. The others too would have been sources of eye-witness information as Luke says in the beginning of his Gospel. These women were faithful right to the foot of the Cross. In the midst of Jesus’ gloating enemies, they stood by him, loyal and loving to the end. That is why Jesus gives them the unique honour of being the first witnesses to his Resurrection. In the Mass what is pleasing to God is not so much being the celebrant as being humbly at the foot of the Cross with Mary and the other holy women. We also see how women, today, respond in general more generously to Jesus than do men. Our relationship to Jesus is most important in this life and brings eternal rewards.