Tuesday of the Octave within Easter
Acts 2: 36-41 John 20: 11-18
Theme: What shall we do?
The preaching to the people in todays 1st reading by Peter and the other Apostles greatly touched their audience, and some of them truly desired to be one of the followers of Christ. It was their desire to know what to do that lead them to ask Peter, “What shall we do”, they were immediately encouraged to embrace the sacrament of Baptism. As many that wanted to be saved according to the teachings of the disciples of Christ, the three thousand people who were ready and embraced baptism were all baptised. This is what happens when one is truly serious and desires to do what he or she is convinced about. They responded immediately they heard the teachings on Christ by Peter and others, there was no room for procrastination.
Their action is saying a lot to all of us as children of God, especially during this time that we are celebrating the resurrection of Christ. The message is for us to do the needful in our lives and stop procrastinating about that thing in our life that we need to change or improve on, now is the time. Let us give the situation the urgency that is needed, we do not have all the time. The resurrection of Jesus has empowered us and given us the strength and grace that we need to embrace the teachings and way of Christ and begin to activate it, just like the people we heard about in the 1st reading of today. Remember, that by virtue of your baptism, you are a priest, prophet, and king. So, this is the time for us to go out like the Apostles of Christ and preach about the resurrected Christ in our daily lives. Gone are the days when people say it is the duty of priests and the religious to preach to people. We are all involved and are expected to carry the word of God to the ends of the earth, through our words and actions.
In the gospel reading of today, we are told about Mary Magdalene who went to the Tomb of Jesus crying, thinking they have taken him away, only for Jesus to show himself to her and sent her to the others. In Mary Magdalene we see a woman who was loyal to Jesus, even in death. Loyalty is a gift that is priceless, and this is what is always expected from us as followers of Christ. May the Lord bless his words in our hearts in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, Amen. Peace be with you.