PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS TO THE WHOLE WORLD

EASTER SATURDAY

Reflection from Friar Nicholas Okeke, OP

Acts 4:13-21; Ps 118:14-21; Mk 16:9-15

Theme: Proclaim the Good News to the whole World

As we come to the last day of the Easter Octave, we assess the various facts and events of the Lord’s resurrection following St. Mark the Evangelist. These facts and events point to the dawn of the Day of Salvation that the prophets of old foretold. The Son of Man crucified in the public has risen from the dead. Something never heard and never experienced or seen. The risen Son of Man is Lord of heaven and earth, for he has triumphed over sin and death. He showed himself to Mary of Magdala, who desired to see his dead body to anoint him. The Lord sent her to proclaim the resurrection to his brethren who did not believe her. He appeared to two of his disciples on their way back to their country homes, whose hope of salvation was dashed by the event of his crucifixion, and refused to believe the resurrection news. Finally, he appeared to the Eleven while they were at the table; he opened their minds to understand the scriptures after upbraiding them for their refusal to believe the news of his resurrection. The news of the resurrection of the Son of Man is unbelievable to a carnal man, for it is something beyond the nature of man as we know it. The Risen Lord is either a supernature or a perfected human nature. The New Day, which is the Risen Lord, is not accessible to the man on the street. Something needs to be added to the sinful human nature of the man on the street to encounter the Risen Lord. The Son of Man predicted this event to Nicodemus before his death. “In all truth I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” The entrance into the new Day of Salvation is impossible without being born of water and Spirit. The disciples were already born of water. But their spiritual rebirth needs their faith in the Risen Lord. One must desire to see before the gift of spiritual life and sight is given to him by the Risen Lord.

The first reading offers another situational assessment of facts and events coming from the proclamation of the Good News. The religious rulers, elders, and scribes had to deal with these facts that proved an insurmountable problem to their natural minds and understanding. “‘What are we going to do with these men?’ they asked. ‘It is obvious to everybody in Jerusalem that a miracle has been worked through them in public, and we cannot deny it.”  Again, something of supernatural origin is present within the view of everyone in Jerusalem. A miracle was possible only through the mediation of angels and great prophets of God. Such events point directly to the presence or intervention of the divine. Such is what was before them produced by the uneducated fishermen associated with the crucified Christ, whom they claim to be alive. The false story they paid the soldiers guarding the dead body of the Son of Man to spread cannot help them in this situation. They were in a spot and left with two choices: to believe and see the light of the New Day or to refuse to believe and remain in the darkness of sin and error. This is the purpose of the proclamation of the Good News to the whole world: that people may see and enter the Day of Salvation. The life of every baptised Christian who lives his baptismal profession proclaims the presence of the new Day of Salvation. We must mention those holding onto their Christian faith in trials, temptations, sickness, pains, and even death. The confessions of these faithful, I consider more valuable than those who work miracles, for their patience and endurance proclaim the presence of the Risen Lord in a unique and hidden way.

Let us pray: Grant us abundance of your grace, Lord, that we may remain faithful in our baptismal profession of faith in your resurrection and enter into the blessed immortality of the Day of salvation.  

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