REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED…

Acts 2:36-41

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.”
40 And he testified with many other words and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

John 20:11-18

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
14 Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?” 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.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rab-boni!” (which means Teacher).
17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”
18 Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.  

MEDITATION

THE FIRST READING: The news of Christ’s ressurection and His appearance to a number of the disciples and the eleven apostles was the impetus that gave rise to Peters call (Mt 16:18) to build on the foundation laid by and through Christs death and ressurection. Upon requesting what their response should be when they heard the revelation of Christ’s manifestation, Peter unequivocally announced that the people must “repent and be baptised!” 

Peter invoked an eccleciastical ordinance that is a response to Christs teaching that all nations be baptized (Mt 28:19) without any distinctions! This Sacrament figuratively and literally signify the washing and cleansing of the human soul from sin and the invocation of the Holy Ghost. Baptism is in essence the operative and normative sign of “giving ones life” or submitting to Christ in and through His Church.

THE GOSPEL READING traverse the story of a former woman of the world’s (Lk 7:39) encounter with two angels in the empty tomb, followed by her rendezvous with the risen Christ in the garden a little later that morning. This supernatural event (Gen 3:9-10) reminds us of Adam and Eve’s meeting with God after their fall from grace. In this instance however, Mary Magdalene the former sinner—is not allowed to touch Christ—a sign that His holy priesthood would be first amongst equals to touch the wounded body of Christ (Jn 20:27-28) that was offered up for our salvation in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist! Herein we conclusively witness why the Church follow the ancient Judaic Tradition to exclusively call biological men to the Sacramental Priesthood! 

Today’s gospel on the one hand, call us who have sinned and rejected Christ to repent—go to Christs brethren, meaning His apostlic priests—and be baptised (If we were not formerly baptised), so that we may become members of the body of Christ, who are priviledged to sit at His table of sacrifice and be touched by Christ, upon receiving His body in the Holy Eucharist.

LET US PRAY:Psalms 33:4-5,18-20,22
4 For the word of the LORD is upright; and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. 18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death, and keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and shield. 22 Let thy steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in thee.

Commentary. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days.