Saturday in the Octave of Easter
We Cannot Keep From Speaking
Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II
Introduction
If we have really encountered the Risen Lord in faith, nothing can stop us from proclaiming him and his Good News. But stronger and more convincing than whatever we say will be the language of our attitudes and actions. As this was the experience of the apostles, it should also be ours. We live the same life as other people, do the same things, but we should do them in a different way if we have really met Christ.
Opening Prayer
Our God and Father,
your Son Jesus, lived among us,
flesh of our flesh, blood of our blood.
He died for our sake
and you raised him back to life.
May we experience his love and his presence
to such an extent,
that we can never stop proclaiming
what we have seen and heard,
and that people may give glory to you, our God.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Lord.
First Reading
They were amazed at Peter and John’s boldness, considering they were uneducated and untrained men. They also recognized that they had been with Jesus,
but, as the man who had been healed stood beside them, they could not respond.
So they told them to leave the council room while they discussed it among themselves.
They asked: “What shall we do with these men? Everyone who lives in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign has been given through them, and we cannot deny it.
But to stop this from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them never again to speak to anyone in the name of Jesus.”
So they called them back and told them not to speak, or teach at all, in the name of Jesus.
But Peter and John responded to them:
“Judge for yourselves, whether it is right in God’s eyes for us to obey you rather than God.
We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Then the council threatened them again and released them. They couldn’t find a way to punish them because the people were glorifying God for what had happened.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 118:1 and 14-15ab, 16-18, 19-21
R. (21a) I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the LORD has struck with power.”
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
Though the LORD has indeed chastised me,
yet he has not delivered me to death.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sequence -- optional
Christians, to the Paschal Victim
Offer your thankful praises!
A Lamb the sheep redeems;
Christ, who only is sinless,
Reconciles sinners to the Father.
Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous:
The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal.
Speak, Mary, declaring
What you saw, wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ, who is living,
The glory of Jesus’ resurrection;
bright angels attesting,
The shroud and napkin resting.
Yes, Christ my hope is arisen;
to Galilee he goes before you.”
Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining.
Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!
Amen. Alleluia.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
He Appears to Mary Magdalene
[[After Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he first appeared to Mary of Magdala, from whom he had cast out seven demons.
She then went and told his followers, who were mourning and crying.
But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe it.
He Appears to Two Disciples
After this, he appeared in another form to two of them while they were walking into the country.
They returned and told the others, but they did not believe them either.
He Appears to the Eleven
Later, Jesus appeared to the Eleven while they were at table. He rebuked them for their disbelief and hardness of heart in refusing to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
Mission of the Disciples
Then he told them:
“Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation.
Prayers of the Faithful
– That the Church may never hesitate to proclaim to the world truths and lifestyles that are not pleasant for the world to hear, we pray:
– That missionaries and all Christians by their lifestyle keep proclaiming that Christ is alive and relevant, we pray:
– That we may never get tired of living the risen life of the Lord and keep the enthusiasm of a deep faith and attachment to Jesus, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord, our God,
accept this bread and this wine
and let your Son be alive among us
in these signs.
May he give us a bit of his own strength
to keep us on our feet in the storms of life,
to live in the joy of people who are redeemed,
for the Lord is alive
and we are alive on account of him,
now and for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son has chosen us
to be his companions.
May people recognize him in us
and may they accept him
when what we do convinces them
that he is with us and that you are our God
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
Blessing
This whole week after Easter has steeped us in faith in the Risen Lord. May this faith, indeed, be the core of our belief and of our life. The Lord is risen. We rise with him even now, little by little, to a new and more beautiful life in Christ. Stay in that certainty and joy, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTION:
Mk. 16: 9-15
A Church of doubters and unbelievers
After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to groups of people who didn't always recognise him at first. Some thought they were seeing a ghost (Luke 24:37), while others had trouble identifying him immediately. For instance, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Mark 16:12) and Mary Magdalene who mistook him for the gardener (John 20:15) until he revealed himself to her.
The Gospel today ends with the Master inviting the disciples to ‘go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation’. But, there is something strange about this mission mandate. The resurrection narrative began with Mary Magdalene who reported the resurrection of Jesus. But “They would not believe her.” Then comes the testimony of the disciples to Emmaus. But, “They did not believe them” too. It is in this context of doubts and unbelief that Jesus entrusts his epic project of preaching the Gospel to this frightened or still doubting group of disciples.
This invitation signifies each member's responsibility to carry out specific tasks assigned to the Church by Jesus. You don't need perfect faith to join Jesus' mission. It is given to you as you go for use on the road. The Church is never left alone in its mission; Christ walks with the Church, in the Church, and through the Church.
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Mark 16:9-15
If you feel called by the Lord, do not doubt.
After His resurrection, Jesus’ followers struggled to recognize Him. Mary Magdalene mistook Him for a gardener (John 20:15), and the disciples feared they had seen a ghost (Luke 24:37). On the road to Emmaus, Jesus appeared in another form, and they did not recognize him (Mark 16:12). This highlights a deeper truth: recognizing the risen Christ requires seeing with the heart, not just the eyes.
“Seeing is believing” is a common saying, but faith does not rely on physical sight alone. Jesus told Thomas, “Blessed are those who believe without seeing!” Faith is a gift, not a product of our senses or intellect. As St. Thomas Aquinas noted, we do not grasp God; rather, God grasps us. Our understanding is limited, but His grace fills the gaps.
In today’s Gospel, three testimonies confirm the resurrection: Mary Magdalene’s, the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and finally, Jesus Himself. Despite their doubts, Jesus entrusted these very disciples with His mission: “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News.” This shows that perfect faith is not a prerequisite for serving Christ; faith is given as we walk in His mission.
Pope Francis reminds us that every Christian, in any circumstance, is called to this joy. Those who take risks for Christ will not be disappointed. Grace is not given for tomorrow—it is given for today. Like Peter and John, we must stand firm in faith, refusing to compromise it. May we embrace this gift, live it boldly, and trust that the Lord equips us as we go. Lord, strengthen my faith and help me proclaim it with courage. Amen.