As we find ourselves in the radiant afterglow of Easter Sunday, the Church invites us into a deep and profound contemplation during the Saturday of the Octave of Easter. This period, a profound octave of celebration, extends the joy of Easter Day across eight days, treating each day as Easter itself. In this sacred time, the liturgical readings serve as spiritual guideposts, illuminating our path from the shadow of the tomb to the brilliant light of the Resurrection. The selected passages from 1 Peter 2:1-10 and John 20:1-9 for today’s reflection beautifully encapsulate this journey from darkness into light, offering us timeless wisdom and encouragement.
From Laying Aside to Being Built Up: 1 Peter 2:1-10
In his first epistle, St. Peter exhorts the faithful to lay aside all malice, guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. This call to purification is not merely an invitation to personal holiness but a foundational step towards becoming a spiritual house, a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. St. Peter’s imagery of the faithful as “living stones” being built into a spiritual house resonates deeply during this Easter season. Just as Christ, the cornerstone, was rejected and yet chosen and precious, we too are called to see ourselves in this new, resurrected light. We, who were once not a people, are now God’s people; once we had not received mercy, but now we have received mercy.
This transformation is not just a personal endeavor but a communal reality. It invites us to reflect on how we, as members of the Body of Christ, are being built up together in the spirit of the Risen Lord. How are we, in our communities, reflecting the light of Christ’s Resurrection? How are we embodying the mercy we have so graciously been given?
Witnessing the Empty Tomb: John 20:1-9
The Gospel of John recounts the early morning visit of Mary Magdalene to the tomb, only to find it empty. The stone rolled away and the absence of Jesus’ body prompt a bewildering mix of emotions and the swift running of Peter and the beloved disciple to see for themselves. This passage, rich with symbolic and literal movement from darkness to light, invites us into the very heart of the Easter mystery.
The beloved disciple’s entry into the tomb, seeing and believing, is a poignant moment of faith’s dawn. It is here, in the emptiness of the tomb, that the promise of the Resurrection becomes a tangible reality for the disciples. This narrative invites us to place ourselves in their shoes, to run towards the signs of the Resurrection in our own lives, and to be transformed by what we see and believe.
Reflection for the Saturday of the Octave of Easter
The readings for this Saturday of the Octave of Easter beckon us to embrace our identity as chosen people, royal priesthood, and a holy nation. They challenge us to see beyond the empty tombs of our fears, doubts, and sins, and to recognize the profound transformation made possible through the Resurrection. As we continue to celebrate this Octave of Easter, let us reflect on how we are being built up as living stones in the spiritual house of the Church, and how we are called to bear witness to the light of Christ in a world that often dwells in shadows.
In this season of rebirth and renewal, may we all find the grace to lay aside the remnants of our old selves and to embrace the new life that springs forth from the empty tomb. Let us go forth, inspired by these sacred scriptures, to live out the joy of the Resurrection in every moment of our lives.