Ignite Your Faith in Christ Resurrected

Fr. Arlon’s reflection is based on John 20:11-18  –ed.

My brothers, we started talking about the Resurrection of Jesus, a very important moment for us, because if the tomb was not empty, there would not be the Church, the Pope, the priests nor the Canção Nova.

We’re only here, we can only go to Mass because Jesus was resurrected. That is our great faith! The fact that the tomb is empty changed the history of all mankind.
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The Gospel says that was the first day of the week… The Christian special day.

The Octave of Easter Sunday ended. During all these days, it was still Easter. Now, after the Resurrection, we enter the Easter season, in which The Paschal Candle remains present, representing the risen Christ. There are 40 days until his ascension and 50 days until Pentecost.

The tomb was empty. The Word says that Mary Magdalene was there, at dawn, sad and dejected.But why was she there at this time? Because she did not want anyone to see her. She wanted to live her moment with Jesus. However, when she arrived there, she saw two angels and asked them, “Why have taken away my Lord?”. She had seen that Jesus was not there, and she had gone to call the apostles Peter and John, and they had seen the empty tomb and told the others. Magdalene, however, stood there and Christ appeared to her.

Why did Jesus appear to Mary Magdalene and not to the apostles? Why would He appear to a person who had no social standing, who had no voice? Because he made a point of appearing first to whomever was faithful to Him at the foot of the cross.

Mary Magdalene meets Jesus, but she does not recognize Him. So he calls her by name. She turns and sees that who is there is the Lord. She had not previously recognized Him, because the glorious body is different, but as soon as he speaks “Mary,” she acknowledges him, because only the Lord called her by that name.

At that point, Mary Magdalene is overwhelmed and crying out:..! “I saw the Lord” She is in a process of transformation, because when she came to the tomb, she was sad and dejected, with her candle of faith extinguished. But when she encounters with the risen Jesus, immediately her candle of faith is lit Sadness turns joy, faith emerges, tiredness turns into strength; discouragement in mind is an immediate miracle..

That’s what we need to live in this Easter season. I know we all have problems and difficulties, but ask God for the opportunity to live the experience of Mary Magdalene. If our faith is an unlit candle, we light it in the risen Jesus.

You know what is our difficulty? We light the candle of faith, but problems come and it goes out and we leave it unlit. You know what we must do? Light it again in Jesus, by praying and going to Mass.

Perhaps you know people who are with their candles of faith erased by depression, by disease, by unemployment; and you ask God for them to light the candle. But did you ever stop to think that she may not have the strength for it? At this time, you must take the initiative, to light your candle, then light the candle of another. It is a contagious.

Sometimes you’re waiting for someone of your home to take the initiative to change, to do something, but that person may be weak, needing you. Like Mary Magdalene, with the candle lit by faith, light the the other’s candle.

If a problem comes and the candle goes out, light it again. If it goes out a hundred times, you must light it a hundred times. Not because you are from God that the candle will always be let; There are times when the candle goes out and you have to light it.

Get out of your home to light the candles of faith of others. Rekindle the flame of God’s love for you and yours. Do not let this candle go out, ask the Holy Spirit to help, keeping the flame always lit.

I invite you to close your eyes. Remember all the people you know who have their candles darkened in  faith. Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate them.

“King of kings, Lord of lords, who, this morning, sends His flame to penetrate the hearts of all, of all families. May we live the experience of Mary Magdalene, we turn our sorrow into joy, dejection into encouragement, lack of faith into faith.Let us be revitalized, infected with His call. Come, Holy Spirit of God upon us, give us joy, restore us, ignite our soul. ”

Father Arlon Cristian 

Priest of the Canção Nova Community.
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Portuguese Version