Announcing:
Saint Mary's Press winner for the week of April 18, 2011!

Congratulations to Molly Knerl!

Molly will receive a copy of The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth, Second Edition, a $19.95 value.

The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth, Second Edition is an understandable and down-to-earth guide to all things Catholic. This book is an eye-opener and a page-turner, whether you are brushing up on specific Catholic terms and concepts or learning them for the first time. The Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee the Use of the Catechism, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has found this catechetical text, copyright 2008, to be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Now Available! Online correlation to the U.S. Bishops' High School curriculum framework Click here!

The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth, Second Edition
ISBN: 978-0-88489-987-7, paper, 480 pages

Holy Week Reflections from Saint John Baptist de La Salle

As we begin Holy Week and approach the glorious celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord, I thought it would be fitting to simply provide you with two reflections from Saint John Baptist de La Salle in this week’s Servant Leader. The first reflection comes from his meditation for Holy Thursday, and the second from his meditation for Easter Sunday. I pray that you have a rich celebration of the Triduum, and as always, I pray that God will continue to bless you and your ministry.

Peace,
Steven McGlaun

Holy Thursday (26.1 First Point)
This sacred day is a happy one for all the faithful. It is the day on which Jesus Christ instituted the sacrament of his body and blood. He multiplies himself in it in order to be always with the faithful, to make them sharers in his divinity, and to change their hearts and bodies into living tabernacles. There he can remain as in a place pleasing to him and honorable for those who receive him and in a way that is most advantageous for them.

It was for the sake of his disciples and for those who share their spirit that Jesus Christ instituted this sacrament. It is to let them share in his spirit that he gives them his body in this august sacrament.

Adore Jesus Christ in this action. Unite yourselves with his intention and take your full and proper part in this holy institution.

Easter Sunday (29.1 First Point)
This feast is a day of joy for the entire Church; that is why we so frequently and so solemnly sing these words of the Royal Prophet: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Indeed, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is at once very glorious for him and highly advantageous for all the faithful.

It is glorious for Jesus Christ because by it he overcame death. This led Saint Paul to affirm that Jesus Christ was raised up for the glory of his Father and that once risen he dies no more, because death will no longer have power over him.

It is advantageous for us because it is an assurance of our own resurrection. Certain it is, adds the apostle, that just as all died in Adam, so too all will rise again in Jesus Christ. According to this same apostle, it was on this happy day that death was destroyed once and for all. Rejoice with the whole Church over so great a favor, and thank Jesus Christ Our Lord very humbly for it.

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Scripture Readings
Acts 10:34,37–43
Ps. 118:1–2,16–17,22–23
Col. 3:1–4
John 20:1–9

God’s Word
A major theme of the Scripture readings is "The tomb is empty." Peter’s speech from the Acts of the Apostles provides a short overview of Jesus’ life, mission, and death. It reads like a news report of Jesus’ life, from his roots in Nazareth to his Resurrection. The cross becomes a symbol of victory rather than a symbol of death. The people are called to be witnesses to this great legacy.

The psalm allows us to put away the melancholy of Lent and sing the alleluias of Easter. This is a great day, a day made by the Lord. A stone, once rejected by the builders, has become the stone the entire building rests on. Jesus, rejected by the leaders of Israel, is now risen and becomes the center of a whole new faith. Rejoice and be glad. We are saved by God and live triumphant over death.

In Colossians we are told that we, too, have been raised up with Christ. However, new life requires a new way of living. We are to set aside things of this earth and look to the things of heaven. We are to leave behind the old ways of death and participate in the new life of Easter.

The Gospel reading takes us right to the tomb on the first Easter morning. Day has hardly broken. Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb to find it empty. She runs to get the others. All they find are burial wrappings—no Jesus. No one expects the Resurrection, despite all Jesus had foretold about it. They expect Jesus to still be lying in the tomb. Even when they have seen the empty tomb, their first thought is that someone has stolen his body.

To celebrate Easter is to remember that Jesus still lives and walks among us. The tomb is empty; Jesus is alive!

Themes for Teens
The following themes from the Scriptures relate to the lives of teens:

Activity

Are We Easter People?
This journal activity asks the young people to reflect on how they have changed during their journey with Jesus through Lent to Easter.

Before Easter Sunday, give each teen an Easter card with the following journal reflection enclosed. Ask the teens not to open the card until Easter morning.
- Jesus is alive!
- Alleluia!
- The tomb is empty.
- Jesus is risen from the dead.
- Alleluia!

We look at Jesus, glorified by being raised from the dead. Jesus has been transformed from death to life.

Reflect on the following questions, and write your reflections in your journal:
- How have you been transformed?
- How are you different today?
- How are we Easter people today?

Activity Ideas
The following activity ideas also relate to the Scripture readings. You may want to read the passage(s) indicated as part of the activity.

- Ask the teens to describe how Mary Magdalene must have felt before she arrived at the tomb, and then how she must have felt after she realized Jesus had risen. Next, ask: Where are we looking for Jesus? In an empty tomb? Or among the living? Challenge the teens to see others with new eyes this Easter season and to look for the risen Lord in all they meet. (John 20:1–9)

- The church on Easter Sunday is usually jam-packed. How does the power of the Easter celebration call people back to the sacraments? Urge the young people to consider helping the ushers on Easter Sunday as a greeter and to help visitors feel welcome at your parish. Or, invite a friend or relative who has been away from church for a while to attend Easter liturgy with you. Note that for some, today may be the first step in returning to the church. (All readings)

- Fill baskets for needy children to be delivered by the young people on Easter
Sunday afternoon. The teens can fill them with Easter candy, of course, but consider including Bible storybooks, inspirational gifts such as "Jesus loves you" pencils, and the like. If they are delivering baskets to a children’s hospital, make sure they check on restrictions for food items, because some children are on special diets. You can make the baskets as a group, or ask the teens to fill the baskets at home with their family. (All readings)

- Read through the first reading as if it were a news bulletin on the evening TV news. Ask the teens how they would react to it. How would their family react? How would their parish community react? (Acts 10:34,37–43)

Easter Sunday
April 24, 2011
John 20:1-9

Opening Prayer
Jesus, your empty tomb on the first Easter morning was a challenge of faith to some of your disciples. But John, your beloved disciple, saw and believed. Help us to believe in you in the same way as John, who believed even though he had not seen your resurrected body. Amen.

Context Connection
The Easter Sunday morning Gospel is focused on the empty tomb and the reaction of three followers: Mary Magdalene, Peter, and the beloved disciple. The Gospel says this all occurred on the "first day of the week" (20:1), perhaps to express the beginning of something new. Mary Magdalene is alone when she discovers the stone has been removed from Jesus's tomb. She does not go closer to examine what happened; rather she runs to tell "Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved" (20:2). When she finds them, she proclaims to the two disciples, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him" (20:2). Mary makes this assumption based on what she saw and her lack of understanding of the Resurrection that Jesus spoke about.

Peter and the other disciple run to Jesus's tomb. The other disciple arrives first, but waits for Peter before entering. They must have expected to see a tomb in disarray based on Mary's assumption that robbers had come and stolen Jesus's body. When Peter arrives, he goes directly into the tomb. He and the other disciple encounter something very different than they expected. The burial cloths are lying in the tomb, but the cloth that wrapped Jesus's head is rolled up and lying apart from the other cloths. If someone has stolen the body, why would they have taken the burial cloths off? Why would they have left them carefully rolled up in two different parts of the tomb?

John does not tell us Peter's thoughts or feelings, but he does share with us the impact this event has on the other disciple: "Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed" (20:8). The Gospel also speaks about the disciples' progression of faith in the Resurrection and shows it is not yet complete: "For as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead" (20:9). Today we look back on this event and understand that Jesus actively participated with the Father and the Holy Spirit in his Resurrection, and the empty tomb is the starting point for belief in the resurrected Christ. Mary Magdalene sees the empty tomb and concludes that it has been robbed. Peter enters the empty tomb, sees the burial clothes, and seeks to understand all the events of the past three days, and the beloved disciple sees the burial cloths and believes.

Tradition Connection
Easter is the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus the Christ. In the Gospel reading from John, we see that its significance was not immediately understood by everyone. The first encounter was the empty tomb and the search to understand its meaning. "The first element we encounter in the framework of the Easter events is the empty tomb. In itself it is not a direct proof of Resurrection; the absence of Christ's body from the tomb could be explained otherwise. Nonetheless the empty tomb was still an essential sign for all. Its discovery by the disciples was the first step toward recognizing the very fact of the Resurrection" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 640).

The beloved disciple has the first insight as to the significance of the empty tomb. Throughout the Easter season we will hear more appearance stories of the risen Christ and revelations that Jesus is truly the Messiah. Through these revelations, the Resurrection takes its place as the central truth upon which Christianity is built. "The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ, a faith believed and lived as the central truth by the first Christian community; handed on as fundamental by Tradition; established by the documents of the New Testament; and preached as an essential part of the Paschal mystery along with the cross:
Christ is risen from the dead!
Dying, he conquered death;
To the dead, he has given life."1
(Catechism, paragraph 638)

Therefore in the Nicene Creed, we confidently pray: "For our sake he [Jesus] was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures" (Catechism, page 49).

The Easter season begins with Easter Sunday and continues for fifty days, until the feast of Pentecost. During this time the Sunday readings focus on the various appearances of the risen Jesus. These fifty days are a time of hope and celebration because, through Jesus the Christ, death has been overcome and we are given the hope of eternal life with God.

Wisdom Connection
Of the three individuals who were at the empty tomb on the first Easter morning, only one gained a clear insight into what this all meant. This revelation only presented itself after the beloved disciple entered the tomb. We will hear other stories throughout the Easter season of disciples confirming their faith in Jesus only after they see and encounter the risen Christ. But the beloved disciple believes without seeing.

The beloved disciple serves as an example for future generations who come to faith in Jesus Christ without seeing Jesus. For us who live between the time of Jesus's Ascension and his Second Coming, the beloved disciple serves as a model for faith in Jesus.

Acknowledgments
The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright © 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The quotations labeled Catechism are from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America. Copyright © 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.--Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

The Lord's Prayer is taken from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers. Copyright © 1988 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved.

Endnotes Cited in Quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church
1. Byzantine Liturgy, Troparion of Easter.

Saint Anselm of Canterbury

April 21 is the memorial for Saint Anselm of Canterbury.

Anselm was born in Italy in 1033. He wished to enter religious life, but his father would not allow him to. In 1056 he fled to France, and become a Benedictine monk in 1060. In 1092 he was chosen to serve as Archbishop of Canterbury. Over the next fourteen years, he was twice exiled from England over disputes with the king concerning ecclesial authority and rights. Anselm is regarded as one of the great theologians of the Middle Ages and was recognized as a Doctor of the Church in 1720.

For more information about Saint Anselm of Canterbury, go to http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-anselm-of-canterbury/.