Title: Classic Banner, Year C, Resurrection of the Lord
[Click for larger image view]

 

 

 

1Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10Then the disciples returned to their homes.

11But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.



John 20:1-18

 

Resurrection

FAZZINI, Pericle

Sculpture, freestanding

66 feet by 23 feet by 10 feet

1977

Vatican Museums

Vatican City

 

Notes:

The Resurrection depicts Jesus rising from a nuclear crater in the Garden of Gethsemane

 

https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/diglib-fulldisplay.pl?SID=20220415196946390&code=act&RC=57367&Row=18

 

From the Vatican:

 

The long genesis of the Resurrection for the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall. In 1964 Paul VI appointed Pier Luigi Nervi to design a hall for the papal audiences: works began in 1966 and the hall was inaugurated in 1971. Fazzini’s first contacts with the Vatican dated back to 1965, but the definitive decision to engage him was not reached until 1972, following personal intervention by Pope Montini. The sculptor began work in 1970 and took around seven years to complete the piece, which was inaugurated in 1977 on the Pontiff’s eightieth birthday. The artist conceives of the moment of the Resurrection as a fully-fledged explosion, that entirely disrupts the Garden of Gethsemane: “an explosion from the earth”, as he described the scene, “with olive trees in the air, stones, clouds, lightning bolts ... like an enormous storm in the form of the world and Christ who rises serenely from all of this”. To produce the full-size prototype that was to precede the bronze casting, Fazzini used polystyrene and formed the complex compositional structure with electrical hot keys.



https://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/collezione-d_arte-contemporanea/sala-5--scultura-italiana-tra-committenza-e-ispirazione/pericle-fazzini--bozzetto-per-resurrezione.html





 

 

Do not abandon yourselves to despair.

We are the Easter people and Hallelujah is our song.

~ Pope John Paul II*

 

 

 

EASTER MORNING

  

The stirring wildness of God

calls brittle bones to leaping

and stone hearts to soaring.

Old women dance among the stars.

~ Ann Weems

 

 

Blessed are those

to whom Easter is not a hunt …

but a find;

not a greeting …

but a proclamation;

not an outward fashion …

but inward grace;

not a day …

but an eternity.

~ Anderson Luis de Abreu Oliveira

 

 

 

 

 

The elk are enjoying a touch of spring at last!

They have very disreputable coats.

 

Nancy Hiester and Laurie at Java Groove

 

Ray Yoshioka in Tokyo

 

 

 

 

 

Instructions for living a life:

Pay attention.

Be astonished.

Tell about it.

~ Mary Oliver**

 

 

 

 

 

April, 2022  Easter Sunday

 

Previous OPQs may be found at:

     http://www.dotjack.com/opq.htm

 

*    Pope John Paul II, quoting Augustine, 4th century.

** The forty days of Lent now give way to fifty days of Eastertide, a season overflowing with the poetry of resurrection:  an empty tomb; a risen, wounded savior; a joyful, astounded community; and a promise of the Spirit to come.

The light has lengthened into morning.

The new life of spring has arrived.

Go now in peace to love

and serve God and neighbor,

world without end.

Amen.

https://www.saltproject.org/the-poetry-of-lent/the-poetry-of-lent-a-lenten-companion-to-mary-olivers-devotions-individual-s8ydl-t42s2

 

 

 

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org

 

 

 

Instructions for Living a Life by Mary Oliver Print — Susan McCulley

 

 

Pysanka, Ukrainian Easter Eggs

https://time.com/6166140/pysanka-ukraine-easter-egg-history/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

color_white_1.jpg

 

 

Acts 10:34–43 or Isaiah 65:17–25 

Psalm 118:1–2, 14–24

1 Corinthians 15:19–26 or Acts 10:34–43 

John 20:1–18 or Luke 24:1–12

THE WORD:

John’s Easter Gospel says nothing of earthquakes or angels.  His account begins before daybreak.  It was believed that the spirit of the deceased hovered around the tomb for three days after burial; Mary Magdalene was therefore following the Jewish custom of visiting the tomb during this three-day period.  Discovering that the stone has been moved away, Mary Magdalene runs to tell Peter and the others.  Peter and the “other disciple” race to get there and look inside.  Note the different reactions of the three:  Mary Magdalene fears that someone has “taken” Jesus' body; Peter does not know what to make of the news; but the “other” disciple – the model of faithful discernment in John's Gospel –
immediately understands what has taken place.  So great are the disciple's love and depth of faith that all of the strange remarks and dark references of Jesus now become clear to him.

https://connectionsmediaworks.com/sundaygospel.html#april17

 

 

First Reading Acts 10:34-43

34Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ — he is Lord of all. 37That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Or alternate First Reading Isaiah 65:17-25

17  For I am about to create new heavens 
          and a new earth; 
     the former things shall not be remembered 
          or come to mind. 
18  But be glad and rejoice forever 
          in what I am creating; 
     for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, 
          and its people as a delight. 
19  I will rejoice in Jerusalem, 
          and delight in my people; 
     no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, 
          or the cry of distress. 
20  No more shall there be in it 
          an infant that lives but a few days, 
          or an old person who does not live out a lifetime; 
     for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth, 
          and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed. 
21  They shall build houses and inhabit them; 
          they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 
22  They shall not build and another inhabit; 
          they shall not plant and another eat; 
     for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, 
          and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 
23  They shall not labor in vain, 
          or bear children for calamity; 
     for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord — 
          and their descendants as well. 
24  Before they call I will answer, 
          while they are yet speaking I will hear. 
25  The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, 
          the lion shall eat straw like the ox; 
          but the serpent — its food shall be dust! 
     They shall not hurt or destroy 
          on all my holy mountain, 
                         says the Lord.

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

1   O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; 
          his steadfast love endures forever!

2   Let Israel say,  
          “His steadfast love endures forever.”

14  The LORD is my strength and my might; 
          he has become my salvation. 
15   There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: 
     “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly; 
16       the right hand of the LORD is exalted; 
          the right hand of the LORD does valiantly.” 

17  I shall not die, but I shall live, 
          and recount the deeds of the LORD. 
18  The LORD has punished me severely, 
          but he did not give me over to death.

19  Open to me the gates of righteousness, 
          that I may enter through them 
          and give thanks to the LORD.

20  This is the gate of the LORD; 
          the righteous shall enter through it.

21  I thank you that you have answered me 
          and have become my salvation. 
22  The stone that the builders rejected 
          has become the chief cornerstone. 
23  This is the LORD’s doing; 
          it is marvelous in our eyes. 
24  This is the day that the LORD has made; 
          let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Second Reading 1 Corinthians 15:19-26

19If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. 21For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; 22for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. 23But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Or alternate Second Reading Acts 10:34-43

34Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ — he is Lord of all. 37That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Gospel John 20:1-18

1Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10Then the disciples returned to their homes.

11But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Or alternate Gospel Luke 24:1-12

1But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they went in, they did not find the body. 4While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. 6Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” 8Then they remembered his words, 9and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

Easter Evening Readings:

First Reading Isaiah 25:6-9

6   On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples 
          a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, 
          of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. 
7   And he will destroy on this mountain 
          the shroud that is cast over all peoples, 
          the sheet that is spread over all nations; 
8        he will swallow up death for ever. 
     Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, 
          and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, 
          for the Lord has spoken. 
9    It will be said on that day, 
          Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. 
          This is the Lord for whom we have waited; 
          let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Psalm 114:1-8

1   When Israel went out from Egypt, 
          the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, 
2   Judah became God’s sanctuary, 
          Israel his dominion.

3   The sea looked and fled; 
          Jordan turned back. 
4    The mountains skipped like rams, 
          the hills like lambs.

5   Why is it, O sea, that you flee? 
          O Jordan, that you turn back? 
6    O mountains, that you skip like rams? 
          O hills, like lambs?

7    Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, 
          at the presence of the God of Jacob, 
8    who turns the rock into a pool of water, 
          the flint into a spring of water.

Second Reading 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8

6bDo you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, as you really are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. 8Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Gospel Luke 24:13-49

13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” 25Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

28As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 33That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

36While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate in their presence.

44Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you — that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”