Easter Sunday:  The Resurrection of the Lord, ABC

            Acts 10: 34a, 37-43

            Psalm 118

            Colossians 3: 1-4

OR      I Corinithians 5: 6b-8 (MPT, “Christ Being Raised From the Dead,” J. Blow)

            John 20: 1-9

The fifty-day celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord begins today.  The First Reading (from the Book of Acts) is taken from Peter’s sermon on the first day of Pentecost, given to those assembled in Jerusalem for the feast.  This may seem to be “beginning at the end,” to many of those unfamiliar with the lectionary.  The Easter practice of reading the Acts of the Apostles as the First Reading, borrowed from the Byzantine and Ambrosian lectionaries, emphasizes the “newness” of the season.  Here Peter talks of the death and resurrection of Jesus as the basis for God’s action, and the apostles as witnesses of all that God has accomplished in Him.  Peter’s use of Psalm 118, and its traditional Paschal associations, have made it the Easter psalm “par excellence” of the church, with its triumphant refrain, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad!”  We are given two choices for a Second Reading today.  The first, from Colossians, reminds us that our baptism has united us to both the dying and the rising of Jesus—and that what has been begun there by God needs to be followed through by us, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit.  The second, from First Corinthians, uses the paschal imagery of Passover lamb and unleavened bread—Christ the lamb, sacrificed for us; us keeping the feast with the unleavened bread “of sincerity and truth.”  The ancient sequence, Victimae Paschali laudes, is required at all liturgies today, “Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining.  Have mercy, victor king, ever reigning!  Amen, alleuia!”  (ME/LBYCR) The Gospel tells of the discovery of the empty tomb, first by Mary Magdalene, and then by Simon Peter and “the other disciple whom Jesus loved,” (believed to be John).  The Gospel ends on the poignant note, “for they did not yet understand the Scripture that He had to rise from the dead.”  We begin our fifty days, not perfect, but growing.  Describing this feast, Hesychios of Jerusalem says, “This day brings a message of joy; it is the day of the Lord’s resurrection when, with Himself, He raised up the race of Adam.  Born for the sake of humanity, He rose from the dead with us.  On this day paradise is opened by the Risen One, Adam is restored to life and Eve is consoled.  On this day the divine call is heard, the kingdom is prepared, we are saved and Christ is adored.  On this day, when He had trampled death under foot, made the tyrant a prisoner, and despoiled the underworld, Christ ascended into heaven as a king in victory, as a ruler in glory, as an invincible charioteer…to Him be glory, now and forever, through endless ages.  Amen!”

(Paschal Homily)

The psalms for this week’s Liturgy of the Hours will be the same as on Easter Day itself:  the morning psalter is from Sunday, Week I, with proper antiphons; the evening psalter is as given on Easter Day, with proper antiphons.  This week, there is no responsory after the reading:  the Haec dies is said instead.  Music for Easter Vespers can be found on the recording, Music for the Paschal Triduum.

A chant appropriate for use with neophytes on Easter is “Isti sunt agni novelli,”  (ME2).