Daily Catholic Lectio
Tuesday, 2 April 2024
Tuesday in the Easter Octave
Acts 2:36-41. John 20:11-18
Facing the Lord
1. ‘Baptism in the name of Jesus’
The people of Jerusalem presumed that by killing Jesus, they could kill his name and memory. Peter, after the Pentecost, preaches to them, “Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” About three thousand people, responding to Peter’s proclamation, were baptised in the name of Jesus. ‘What must we do, brothers?’ was their question. Let this be our question as well.
2. ‘We trust in the Lord’
The responsorial psalm (cf. Ps 33), enumerating the Lord’s trustworthiness, steadfast love, and providence, invites us to trust in him always.
3. ‘Facing the tomb or the Lord’
Mary Magdalene, who cries while standing at the tomb, sees her Lord. Saint Augustine, reflecting on the narrative, says, “Mary did not change her direction, but changed her heart. It is by changing our hearts that we see the Lord.” Mary sees the Lord in four stages: (a) She saw the tomb; (b) She saw the Lord as the gardener; (c) She saw him as her teacher; (d) She announced him as the Lord. In John, ‘seeing’ is a prerequisite for ‘believing.’ The Greeks who ‘saw’ Jesus believed in him. The beloved disciple who saw the empty tomb believed that Jesus rose. Let us turn the direction of our hearts to the Lord.
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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Rom 15:13). (Jubilee A. D. 2025, bite 63)
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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