We are now into the seventh day of the Easter Octave. How many of us have celebrated with our sisters and brothers? Proclaiming the risen Lord is amongst us and sharing in His goodness? Yes, not simply a get together to have a meal but to praise, worship and share the joy of the Gospel?

In today’s first reading we learn how faithful the disciples were to command of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. When He told them to ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation.’ Even under stress, rebuke and a stern warning they replied “We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard.”

Yet we who can celebrate Easter freely without oppression are unwilling to do so? I suppose the most terrible response we can give is, “Why must we celebrate?” Nay! We are not compelled to celebrate, yet it is only through our relationship with the Lord our God that we ask the question “How can we not?’

Risen Lord free me from anything that hold be back from being Your light bearer. Amen

Let us prayerfully recite this Sequence as One…

Victimae Paschali Laudes

Christians, to the Paschal Victim

    offer sacrifice and praise.

The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb;

and Christ, the undefiled,

hath sinners to his Father reconciled.

Death with life contended:

    combat strangely ended!

Life’s own Champion, slain,

    yet lives to reign.

Tell us, Mary:

    say what thou didst see

    upon the way.

The tomb the Living did enclose;

I saw Christ’s glory as he rose!

The angels there attesting;

shroud with grave-clothes resting.

Christ, my hope, has risen:

he goes before you into Galilee.

That Christ is truly risen

    from the dead we know.

Victorious king, thy mercy show!

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First reading

Acts 4:13-21 ·

We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard

The rulers, elders and scribes were astonished at the assurance shown by Peter and John, considering they were uneducated laymen; and they recognised them as associates of Jesus; but when they saw the man who had been cured standing by their side, they could find no answer. So they ordered them to stand outside while the Sanhedrin had a private discussion. ‘What are we going to do with these men?’ they asked. ‘It is obvious to everybody in Jerusalem that a miracle has been worked through them in public, and we cannot deny it. But to stop the whole thing spreading any further among the people, let us caution them never to speak to anyone in this name again.’

    So they called them in and gave them a warning on no account to make statements or to teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John retorted, ‘You must judge whether in God’s eyes it is right to listen to you and not to God. We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard.’ The court repeated the warnings and then released them; they could not think of any way to punish them, since all the people were giving glory to God for what had happened.

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Gospel

Mark 16:9-15

Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News

Having risen in the morning on the first day of the week, Jesus appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom he had cast out seven devils. She then went to those who had been his companions, and who were mourning and in tears, and told them. But they did not believe her when they heard her say that he was alive and that she had seen him.

    After this, he showed himself under another form to two of them as they were on their way into the country. These went back and told the others, who did not believe them either.

    Lastly, he showed himself to the Eleven themselves while they were at table. He reproached them for their incredulity and obstinacy, because they had refused to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. And he said to them, ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation.’