The Resurrection of the Lord – The Mass of Easter Day
The Victory Of Life
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
Introduction by the Celebrant
It is very inspiring to meet people wounded in their love and their life, whom we expect to be disgruntled and discouraged, yet who keep believing in love and the goodness of God and of the people around them. Today we meet in the Eucharist him who keeps our faith and hope alive in God’s goodness and loving concern: it is Jesus, our Lord risen from the dead. He went through suffering and death for us, and when all looked lost, all seemed in vain, he kept trusting in the Father and he rose from the dead. By the power of Jesus we too can rise to new life, to a feast of joy within us. We believe in the Risen Lord and in the resurrection he has brought us.
Penitential Act
We celebrate with our Risen Lord
that we are people who erred but are forgiven.
We acclaim Jesus our Saviour.
(pause)
Lord Jesus, Lamb that was slain,
you are risen, the firstborn of the dead: Glory to you!
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, light of the world,
our resurrection and life: Glory to you!
Christ, have mercy. R/Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, hope of all nations
our joy and our bread of life: Glory to you!
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord,
keep forgiving us our sins,
make us all new and lead us
to the joy of everlasting life. Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray to God
that we may rise with the Risen Lord Jesus
(pause)
God of all life,
take away all sadness and doubt from us
and help us to believe in life,
now that your Son Jesus Christ is risen.
Make us see him raised up and alive,
walking with us on the road of life,
that we too may be a living people,
rising up from our drab and indifferent ways.
Fill us with the joy of the Spirit,
that our faith and love may never waver,
for Christ is risen and we are alive in him,
now and for ever. R/ Amen.
First Reading
Witnesses To The Resurrection: Peter testifies to the reality of the resurrection: Jesus is truly risen personally and if we believe in the Risen Lord, we will be saved.
Peter proceeded to speak and said:
“You know what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him.
We are witnesses of all that he did
both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.
This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible,
not to all the people, but to us,
the witnesses chosen by God in advance,
who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
He commissioned us to preach to the people
and testify that he is the one appointed by God
as judge of the living and the dead.
To him all the prophets bear witness,
that everyone who believes in him
will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Responsorial Psalm
R. (24) This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“The right hand of the LORD has struck with power;
the right hand of the LORD is exalted.
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.”
R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Second Reading
New People In The Risen Christ: We should not let evil ferment in us, but rather let the new life in Christ be the ferment that transforms us and the world.
Brothers and sisters:
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast,
so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
inasmuch as you are unleavened.
For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Sequence - Victimæ paschali laudes
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.
Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed;
let us then feast with joy in the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
He Saw And He Believed: Mary Magdalene and the apostles were upset to find the tomb empty. But first John and then the others realised that Jesus had risen from the dead. Thus, they strengthened our faith in the Risen Lord.
Resurrection of Jesus
Early on the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala arrived at the tomb before sunrise and saw that the stone covering the entrance had been rolled away.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them:
“They have taken the LORD from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple then went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and got there first.
He leaned down and saw the linen cloths lying flat, but he did not go inside.
Then Simon Peter arrived after; he went into the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there.
The cloth, which had been around his head, was not lying flat like the other linen cloths but lay rolled up in its place.
Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in; he saw and believed.
Scripture clearly said that Jesus must rise from the dead, but they had not yet understood that.
Prayers of the Faithful
Renewal of Baptismal Promises
[In Easter Sunday Masses which are celebrated with a congregation, the rite of the renewal of baptismal promises is repeated after the homily and replaces the Creed. The renunciations reject all that is against the covenant of love between God and his people; the promises renew our fidelity to that covenant. The priest speaks to the people in these or similar words:]
Dear friends, Christ is risen, and we rose with him on the day we were baptized. Since then, we are called to a new, risen life, until the day the Lord will raise us up to enter with him in the Father’s joy. Let this holy water come down on us like a life-giving rain that steeps us deeper into the life of Christ. May the Lord pour the flood of his love on you and may the Holy Spirit rejoice your heart. And so:
Priest: Do you reject sin, so as to live in the freedom of God’s children?
All: I do.
R: Do you reject the glamor of evil, and refuse to be mastered by sin?
All: I do.
R: Do you reject Satan, father of sin and prince of darkness?
All: I do.
Then the priest continues:
P.: Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and
earth?
All: I do.
P.: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of
the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?
All: I do.
R: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?
All: I do.
The priest concludes: God, the all-powerful Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and forgiven all our sins. May he also keep us faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
The priest sprinkles the people with holy water, while a fitting baptismal song is sung.
Intercessions
On the day of the Lord’s resurrection, we celebrate his and our new, risen life. Let us pray to the Lord of life and say: R/ Lord, renew us in your life.
Risen Lord, fill your Church to the brim with a deep faith in your resurrection, that all of your people may be alive with the joy of seeing how rich and meaningful their life is now, we pray to you, Lord: R/ Lord, renew us in your life.
Risen Lord, for all the newly baptised, that the new life they have received on Easter may grow and inspire them to do good, we pray: R/ Lord, renew us in your life.
Risen Lord, for those who rarely come to church and for those who have lost the way to church, that the feast of Easter may be an invitation to them to renew their faith and their life in you, we pray: R/Lord, renew us in your life.
Risen Lord, for all people who are persecuted, for those who suffer from injustice and illness, that you hear their cries for liberation and raise them up from their sorrows, we pray: R/ Lord, renew us in your life.
Risen Lord, for all our faithful departed, that they may now share in the life and the joy that you have promised to all who believe in you, we pray: R/ Lord, renew us in your life.
Risen Lord, for all of us, that the joy the Blessed Virgin Mary experienced at the sight of her risen Son may deepen our faith in the resurrection and fill our lives with the peace that Easter brings, we pray: R/Lord, renew us in your life.
Risen Lord, in your life and love were stronger than death. Let your life in us bring us light, forgiveness, and joy, now and forever. R/ Amen.
Prayer Over the Gifts
Father,
together we celebrate our new life
at the table of your Son
and we offer it with him.
Accept our joy and thanks,
and let his life and love
grow day after day in us
and in the community he saved.
Let the power of his resurrection work in us
to lift up our brothers and sisters who suffer.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
With great gratitude and joy let us give thanks to the Father,
for he has saved us and made us new by the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer
As sons and daughters of the Father
through the death and resurrection of Jesus,
let us pray to him the prayer
taught us by our Risen Lord. R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us Lord, from every evil
and grant us in our day
The peace which our Lord Jesus brought
to the apostles in the evening of Easter.
To make us into your new people,
keep us free from sin
and strengthen us in the trials of life.
Already in this life we wait for the happiness
of those risen with your Son,
and we are certain of the coming in glory
of your living Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is the Risen Lord,
our paschal Lamb that was slain
but who is alive and risen.
With faith in him,
let us accept his invitation
to eat the bread that gives life. R/Lord, lam not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
Father, we have heard it today:
we have risen with Christ,
we are brought back to life through him
and we have eaten at his table
the food of resurrection and life.
By your Holy Spirit,
keep us faithful to our baptismal promises,
make our joy and love contagious,
let us be your new people
and raise us up on the last day
with Jesus, your Risen Son,
For he is our Lord forever and ever. R/ Amen.
Blessing
Christ has made us all new
by rising from the dead.
May we live like risen people
who have encountered the Lord
in his Word, at his table,
in one another.
May we bring his life and hope
to all those around us.
May Almighty God bless you all
with his strength, his compassion,
his self-giving love:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
And share the love and joy of Christ
with one another R/ Thanks be to God.
REFLECTIONS
John 20:1-9
The Empty Tomb and the Risen Christ
On this glorious Easter Sunday, the Church proclaims with joy: "Jesus is Risen!" But what does this truly mean for us? In the Gospel of John, we see Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John discovering the empty tomb. At first, they do not fully understand; their hearts remain clouded by sorrow and confusion. It is no great thing to believe that Jesus died; even the pagans believe this, everyone believes it. The truly great thing is to believe that he is risen.”
Yet, the message of Easter is clear: "He is not here; He is Risen." This first proclamation of the Resurrection changes everything. The empty tomb is not a sign of loss, but of victory. The disciples, still fearful, locked themselves away, uncertain of what was to come. And yet, through their fear, through their doubt, the Church continues to proclaim: "Christ is Risen!"
However, our experiences of pain and miseries in life might prompt us to ask: if Christ is Risen, why do suffering and injustice persist? Why do we witness war, oppression, illness, and tragedy? Where is the Lord in the midst of pain?
Although we may not always receive answers, we are bestowed with faith. This faith reassures us that the Risen Christ is here, turning suffering into redemption and despair into hope.
Believing in His death is simple; believing in His Resurrection is the real test. The disciples, who initially ran away in fear, transformed into bold witnesses after meeting the Risen Lord. An undeniable change occurred within them, inspiring them to declare Christ’s victory, even in the face of death.
The angel who appeared to the women Easter morning said to them: “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5). I must confess that at the end of these reflections, I feel that this rebuke is also directed at me. It is as if the angel were to say to me: “Why do you waste time seeking among dead human and historical arguments, the one who is alive and at work in the Church and in the world? Go instead and tell his brothers that he is risen.”
Today, let us carry this truth in our hearts: "Christ is Risen!" In the face of every trial, let us cling to this hope. And let us, like the first disciples, go forth and proclaim: "He is truly Risen!"