Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

Acts 2:36-41 Psalm 33    John 20:11-18

1. Peter and Mary Magdalene! Are these the same two persons we knew last week before the Passion and Death of Jesus? Peter was brash, boastful and eager to please:

• You will not wash my feet
• Even if others deny you, I will not
• Depart from me, Lord for I am a sinful man.

As for Mary Magdalene! Who was she? She is identified as the woman who poured costly ointment on the feet of Jesus and wiped it with her hair. In John Ch 12, she is Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus. In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, she is the unnamed woman who came in uninvited into the house of Simon the Leper as Jesus was having a meal. She was sure, determined and confident of what she was about.

2. Now in our first reading, we find a different Peter. He is like a mature statesman. He is poised and he is sure of himself. The Acts give us five or six of his public statements or sermons. There is a pattern to all his sermons.

• He speaks to the people of Israel and about Jesus whom you put to death.
• But he speaks confidently: “This Jesus has been raised by God”
• Peter gives them hope: “you should not blame yourself, you acted out of ignorance.

Then comes the response, the reply and the result.

The Response from the people is one of humility: What should we do?

The reply of Peter is straightforward: “Repent and be baptised”

The Result is many joined the group of believers. There are two extraordinary numbers of 3000 and 5000.

Today, the successor of Peter is also addressing the Church – but it is about sex scandals and sex cover ups.

The believers are of the same uncertainty as the followers of Christ two thousand years ago.

Some are confused, others depressed, a lot are angry and want answers, others are disillusioned.

The message of the first pope, Peter is the same: Repent and be baptised.

• Not for those who listen,
• but for those who speak.

3. Like the Disciples of Emmaus walking from Jerusalem, I too felt the same feelings: “We had hoped” – and mentioned this to a good friend who is an expert in Public Relations. And she gave me some sound advice. She said do not be surprised by the coverage in the Media: in Papers, Internet, TV, Twitter and Blogs. The Church is fair game just now. In the past it was Michael Jackson, and then Tiger Woods. Woods must be happy with the Church just now, it has taken the publicity away from him. Some thing will turn up, and the Media will move like Piranha to the next hot topic.

The people of God – the Church will carry on because of their belief in God and because of their determination like Mary Magdalene. It is important she said to me, that you in the church should be honest and transparent. Since you have done wrong, apologise and make no excuses and definitely, she repeated it: definitely do not blame the Media because you will only loose. It will feed their appetite.

4. She definitely made a lot of sense. The Church like Mary Magdalene will continue if it continues as the late Cardinal Avery Dulles said, we are the Servant Church. We heard that from Jesus himself, “I came to serve not be served” and Jesus showed what service means. He washed the feet of his disciples. These same disciples called him Lord and Master.

 Mary Magdalene came to the tomb with a fixed intention. I want to see Jesus Christ. I want to do what is right and gust. I want to give him a burial as was befitting of the Jewish custom and tradition.

 It had not yet registered with her: The Word of Jesus. He had said that he would suffer and die. But he would rise again. The victims in the scandals have suffered and continue to hurt and the Church like Mary Magdalene must listen, must heal, must repent and be baptised again with the Holy Spirit who renews the face of the earth.  For many the passion and suffering will take longer than the three days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday – before we have the joy and peace of Easter. One thing we know: Christ has died, Christ has risen and Christ will come again.