1^st Reading: Genesis 1: 1-2:2 (or 1:1, 26-31a)

2^nd Reading: Genesis 22: 1-18 (or 22: 1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18)

3^rd Reading: Exodus 14: 15-15:1

4^th Reading: Isaiah 54: 5-14

5^th Reading: Isaiah 55: 1-11

6^th Reading: Baruch 3: 9-15, 32-4:4

7^th Reading: Ezekiel 36: 16-17a, 18-28

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Romans 6: 3-11

Don’t you know that in baptism which unites us to Christ we are all baptized and plunged into his death?   By this baptism in his death, we were buried with Christ and, as Christ was raised from among the dead by the Glory of the Father, so we begin walking in a new life. If we have been joined to him by dying a death like his so we shall be by a resurrection like his.

 We know that our old self was crucified with Christ, so as to destroy what of us was sin, so that we may no longer serve sin— if we are dead, we are no longer in debt to sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe we will also live with him.  We know that Christ, once risen from the dead, will not die again and death has no more dominion over him.  For by dying, he is dead to sin once and for all, and now the life that he lives is life with God.

 So you, too, must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

 

Ps 118 1-2, 16-17, 22-23

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. 

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 28: 1-10

 After the Sabbath, at the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to visit the tomb.  Suddenly there was a violent earthquake: an angel of the Lord descending from heaven, came to the stone, rolled it from the entrance of the tomb, and sat on it.  His appearance was like lightning and his garment white as snow.  The guards trembled in fear and became like dead men when they saw the angel.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here, for he is risen as he said. Come, see the place where they laid him;  then go at once and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead and is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. This is my message for you.”

 They left the tomb at once in holy fear, yet with great joy, and they ran to tell the news to the disciples. Suddenly, Jesus met them on the way and said, “Peace.” The women approached him, embraced his feet and worshiped him.  But Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to set out for Galilee; there they will see me.”

 

Gospel Reflection：

“Do not be afraid!” Jesus tells the women. He spoke these words over and over again to his disciples throughout his public ministry. It is the essence of Easter, of Jesus’ preaching of God’s Kingdom, of the message of Gabriel to Mary and Zechariah, of the angel’s message to Joseph as well as to those to whom they were sent by God in the Old Testament.

On this Easter night, as the darkness of death gives way once and for all, to the bright light of life eternal, we are reminded that because of the suffering, death and resurrection, the words constantly spoken by God’s messengers in Scripture aren’t only meaningful and powerful, they are also real. For one who believes, there is absolutely nothing to fear.