We sometimes overlook the fact that the first followers of Jesus did not immediately choose one Sunday of the year to remember the Resurrection of Jesus. The fact is that the earliest Jewish-Christians gathered on Sunday, in addition to the traditional Jewish Sabbath (Saturday). The Sunday gathering (known in some circles as “the Eighth Day”) was by itself a strong testimony to and remembrance of the Resurrection. In a sense, every Sunday was Easter for the first-century believers, as well as for Christians throughout many centuries. The Church, since the Second Vatican Council, has done an admirable job of recapturing and renewing this strong tradition.
We do well to remember that the Resurrection supplies a powerful rationale for accepting the truth of the whole Gospel. Through the Resurrection, God “has given us new birth into a living hope,” a hope that sustains us even in the midst of suffering (1 Peter 1, 3-9). From of old, we have remembered that the Resurrection was not just “an event in the past,” but also the preface to and anticipation of a glorious future, our glorious future (1 Corinthians 15). The Resurrection reveals the victory of God through Jesus and offers the promise of our participation in that victory (Ephesians 1, 17-23). All of this is why we sing so boldly the Alleluias of this holy season!
For reflection: The Acts of the Apostles (in the New Testament of the Bible) reminds us that the early Christians formed a visible community, they were of one heart and mind, they were deeply united with each other, no one claimed anything as belonging to themselves, and everything was held in common. They also gave active witness to the central element of their faith – the Risen Jesus – with great power, through signs and wonders. What are our own attitudes toward material goods: how we acquire them, how we use them, to what extent we share our material blessings with those in genuine need, and not just that of our surplus?
