A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 8, n. 19)
Easter Sunday, Year C – April 4, 2010 *
“Raised With Christ”
BIBLE READINGS
Acts 10:34a, 37-43 // Col 3:1-4 or I Cor 5:6b-8 // Jn 20:1-9
(N.B. Series 8 of BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy of Year C from the perspective of the Second Reading. For reflections on the Sunday liturgy of Year C based on the Gospel reading, please scroll up to the “ARCHIVES” above and open Series 2. For reflections based on the Old Testament reading, open Series 5.)
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
Today – the Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection - is the solemnity of solemnities and the greatest feast in the liturgical year. In this fifty-day season of delectable newness and renewal, the joyful “Alleluias” of God’s redeemed people ring out more brightly and ecstatically. Easter culminates in the celebration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, when the Risen Lord’s gift of salvation makes its full impact on peoples of the earth.
Luke’s Acts of the Apostles, used as the First Reading in the Sunday liturgy and replacing temporarily the normative Old Testament reading, will accompany us in this season of grace. As we bask in the glory of the Risen Lord and relish the good news that Christ has died for our sins and risen for our salvation, we are heartened by the courageous witnessing of the early Church community that sprang forth from the aftermath of Easter. This can be verified in the Acts, Saint Luke’s accounts of the struggles and triumphs of Christian disciples as they spread the Easter Gospel to the whole world – powered by the victorious dynamism of the Lord’s resurrection.
The biblical scholar Eugene Maly comments: “The resurrection event is stupendous. This has happened to no other person in the history of the human race … An important aspect of that uniqueness is what Jesus’ resurrection means for us. When he was raised from the dead, our lives were affected. We ourselves were transformed in anticipation. In other words, his resurrection is a continuing, dynamic reality that changes those who attach themselves to him in faith … If we share now in his resurrection, we will necessarily share in his glorious coming at time’s end … But one thing is lacking – our response.”
In this Sunday’s Second Reading (Col 3:1-4 or I Cor 5:6b-8), Saint Paul enjoins us to take advantage of the grace of Christ’s death and resurrection and to respond fully to it. He admonishes us to get rid of the old yeast of malice and wickedness and celebrate the feast of the victorious Paschal Lamb with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Moreover, he exhorts us that since we have been raised with Christ, we must seek what is above, uniting ourselves with him until the full revelation of his glory on the last day. Immersed into the death and rising of Christ through baptism and participating intensely in his victorious paschal sacrifice made present in the Eucharist, the Christian believers must live up to the beauty and dignity of their calling. The Christian disciples must be fully committed to a life totally renewed by the Easter victory. Raised with Christ, we must be limpid signs of the “new creation” resulting from the miracle of the paschal sacrifice.
The scholar Harold Buetow concludes: “Our Christian life should be joyful. It may be perhaps compared to the egg. The Easter egg is a symbol of the resurrection, in so far as from the egg a new life may spring. This feast of Easter, more than any other of the year, is a day filled with a new life of enthusiasm, praise and rejoicing. Some people feel that they have little experience of the risen Christ. Perhaps the problem may be more one of recognition. Today we should pause to recognize that heaven is not a special place apart from our universe. Heaven is the universe, recognized as being in God. Let us resolve to lead a heavenly life on earth, witnessing God’s power and love. May these joyous reflections help us to give a happy Easter!”
The birthday of our religious Founder, Blessed James Alberione, April 4, 1884, happily coincides with today’s solemnity of the Lord’s resurrection. Blessed Alberione often strove to live as one raised by Christ, but there was an incident in his young life when he needed “redemption”. On April 7, 1900, he was dismissed from the seminary of Bra. The fermenting yeast of “bad companions” and “bad press” – he confided that he had read two books in two months – had negative effects on his behavior and the seminary staff judged him as not having a vocation to priesthood. The following is an account of young Alberione’s unique “paschal experience” of renewal - of starting all over again - of compassion and “Easter” grace (cf. Luigi Rolfo, JAMES ALBERIONE: Apostle for our Times, trans. Bro. Salvatore Paglieri, New York: Alba House, 1987, p. 25-27).
Thus James suddenly found himself having to re-examine from the beginning his plans regarding the future. And a decision in his concrete situation was not easy! Working on the land with his brothers was an unthinkable alternative. He did not have the physical strength for it, and he also lacked the ability to adjust to the restricted horizons of the average Piedmontese farmer. He felt like an exile in that closed and monotonous environment – like Napoleon on the shores of St. Helena. Besides, how long could he stay in that house bearing within himself the humiliation of his failure, having to put up with those glances and grins which he easily interpreted as saying, “You couldn’t make it to the priesthood”?
It would have been useless to request entry into another seminary of the archdiocese of Turin. The reception of a young man dismissed from another seminary of the same archdiocese for disciplinary reasons would be an exception that could in no way be counted on. Nor could the Alberiones afford to send him to one of the few colleges that at that time accommodated students who were going on for higher studies. James, in fact, had not given up and did not intend to give up his resolve to become a priest. Thus, to enter a secular college was foreign to his plans. For all of these reasons, the six months that he spent with his family must have filled him with melancholy.
In this uncertain period of waiting, an episode must be mentioned that James’ brother, John Ludovico, loved to tell his sons. One day James remained seated for a long time on the doorstep of the house, sad and pensive like one who is eager to take a walk but cannot seem to decide which way to go. Teresa, attributing his attitude to listlessness, approached him impatiently. In a voice shrill with vexation, she ordered him either to go to work in the fields with the others or to apply himself seriously to his studies – threatening to use her broom if her words were not enough to make him move. John Ludovico saw this, and decided to intervene, with that magnanimity which rough and tumble farm boys always seem to manage in such difficult moments. He took James to one side and had a heart-to-heart talk with him. “Listen to me, boy. If you think you really have the gifts to study and to succeed, go and study and don’t give a thought about the land. I’ll work harder to make up for your absence”.
In the bitterness of the moment, John’s generous attitude must have been a source of great comfort for James. But the decisive help (in the summer of 1900) came once more from his pastor, Father Montersino. Decades later, James recalled that this priest had “always helped him and kept in contact with him until his ordination”. Father Montersino had followed James’ progress since the first grade and had come to consider him one of his best parishioners. He noted that during the summer vacation James went faithfully to daily Mass and Communion, remaining in church to pray at length, that he spoke eagerly of the missions, of the general problems of the Church, of pastoral life and of the formation of the young. Similarly, his lack of interest in the games and amusements so dear to most young men of his age revealed in him an uncommon maturity.
Father Montersino had not come across another young man whom he considered as well disposed as James to aspire legitimately to the priesthood. Could that combination of good gifts be wiped out by a single period of frivolity due more to artlessness and inexperience than to a disposition of the soul? Impossible! If the door to the seminary of Turin was closed, that of the seminary of Alba could be opened. It was certainly in no way inferior and indeed had an even greater right to receive young men from Cherasco. The rector, Canon Victor Danusso, was a great ascetic, but also a well-rounded man. It was at least worthwhile to try to get him to accept this young man who had been rejected by his colleague at Bra.
Now it happened that Father Montersino was a native of Alba by birth. A visit to his parents in Alba would give him an opportunity to stop off at the seminary to meet with the rector and talk with him about his young parishioner (naturally after having received the consent of James’ mother and father). We don’t know the date of the meeting between Father Montersino and the rector – although we can say that it must have been lengthy and frank, as discussions are between persons who intend to collaborate for the good without desiring in any way to mislead each other.
At the end of their encounter, Canon Danusso admitted James to the seminary at Alba on two conditions. He had to take an entrance exam which would determine whether he would join the young men of the fifth year of junior high school (9th grade), or those of the first of high school (10th). In the latter case, however, he would not immediately receive the clerical habit along with his companions. This would be given to him at a later date to be decided on after he had given sufficient proof of his good will.
Everything turned out for the best, so that at the fixed date Michael Alberione and one of his sons (probably John) accompanied James to Alba along with his personal belongings and some food that would keep well. After a three hour trip on a cart drawn by a cow, they arrived at the seminary door, where they were approached and escorted by a small group of clerics.
These were the more punctual members of their class who were playing and talking loudly. One of them glanced at the newly arrived trio and, turning to his companions, burst into laughter: “Would you get a load of that! This one’s come to study with a cow!” To which James was quick to respond: “Provided that the cow doesn’t eat my books!” In Piedmont they used to say of anyone who remained illiterate or semi-illiterate that, “When he was young, the cow ate his books.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
Do we truly open our hearts to the great saving event of Christ’s resurrection? Are we truly an Easter people and is “Alleluia” our song? Do we endeavor to witness the good news of Christ’s resurrection?
Touched by the Easter experience, do we endeavor to get rid of the yeast of malice and wickedness and celebrate this saving event with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth?
Knowing that we have died and been raised with Christ, do we seek what is above, not of what is on earth? Do we truly rejoice in the Easter glory and seek to experience its fullness at Christ’s final coming at end time?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: Almighty and merciful God,
our hearts sing the joyful “Alleluias”
that burst forth from the Easter event of Christ’s resurrection.
Jesus Christ is the Paschal Lamb.
He has been sacrificed and we are redeemed.
We desire to celebrate this Easter feast of salvation
with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Please help us to clear out from our hearts
the old yeast of malice and wickedness.
We have been raised with Christ
and our life is hidden with him,
basking in Easter glory.
Strengthen us with the Holy Spirit, the Easter gift,
so that we may always seek what is above -
what is good, perfect and pleasing to you.
We thank you for transforming us into an Easter people.
You call us to be limpid signs
of Christ’s victory over sin and death.
Be with us as we proclaim the Good News of the Lord’s resurrection
to all peoples and nations,
to all your beloved creation.
Help us to rejoice in your love,
together with Christ and in the Spirit,
now and forever.
Assembly: Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, not of what is on earth.” (Col 3:1)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
ACTION PLAN: Pray that the Easter event may be experienced more and more by people in today’s troubled world. By your acts of justice, peace and charity, be a channel of the renewing power of the Risen Christ, who wants all of us to be raised to eternal life.
ACTION PLAN: That we may experience more fully the Easter joy, make an effort to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Visit the PDDM WEB site (www.pddm.us) for the EUCHARISTIC ADORATION THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR: A Weekly Pastoral Tool (Year C, vol. 6, # 19).
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
60 Sunset Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. (718) 494-8597 // (718) 761-2323
Website: WWW.PDDM.US