Easter Sunday — Cycle B: Readings, Gospel and Reflection for Mass
Today we celebrate Easter Sunday in Cycle B, the Sunday of the Resurrection within the Easter Season. The Church proclaims the empty tomb, the risen Christ, and the ongoing transformation of believers through baptism and faith. The readings invite us to witness to the paschal mystery with courage and joy: in Acts the proclamation that God shows no partiality; in Colossians the call to live from the risen life; in Mark the empty tomb and the commissioning to meet the risen Lord. This Sunday anchors our worship in the historical event of the Resurrection and its decisive impact on identity, mission, and community life in Christ.
Peter declares that God does not show partiality and that salvation comes through Jesus for all who fear him. He recalls Jesus’ ministry in Judea and Galilee, empowered by the Holy Spirit; Jesus was approved by God through miracles, was crucified, and God raised him on the third day, making him visible to witnesses who ate and drank with him after the resurrection. Jesus commissioned the apostles to preach to the people and testify that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
Explanation: This reading anchors Easter faith in a historical proclamation. Peter’s witness emphasizes that salvation is universal, not limited by nationality or status. The risen Jesus is the public, salvific event witnessed by those who encountered him after the empty tomb. The call to forgiveness in his name invites a life shaped by baptism and faith, where the Church becomes a moving testimony to God’s mercy. The Easter season invites us to deepen our own missionary identity, sharing the good news with every nation and community we encounter.
Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 Antiphon: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
The psalm proclaims gratitude for God’s steadfast love and saving power. It celebrates the victory of God, the turning of sorrow into praise, and the cornerstone that becomes the source of life for the people of God. The Easter resonance is clear in the refrain of joy and in the sense that the Lord’s saving acts transform despair into thanksgiving. This psalm invites us to join the chorus of praise and to live as people whom the Lord loves and who trust in his final victory over death.
Second Reading
Colossians 3:1-4 (paraphrase from NABRE)
If you have been raised with Christ, seek what is above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.
Explanation: The Easter invitation is to orient life toward the risen Christ. This reading roots Christian identity in baptismal union with Jesus, a life hidden with God now and destined for future glory. The holiest realities are above, shaping how we think, act, and relate, urging us to turn away from earthly distractions and to clothe ourselves with compassion, humility, and patience. In Easter faith, present life is a participation in the new existence Christ has won, with anticipation of that final appearance in glory when all things are revealed in him.
On the first day of the week, at dawn, women go to the tomb with spices, worried about the stone at the entrance. When they arrive, they find the stone rolled away and a young man in a white robe who tells them that Jesus has been raised and is not here; the place where they laid him is empty. He invites them to tell the disciples and Peter that Jesus is going ahead to Galilee, where they will see him, as he had told them.
Exegesis: Mark’s Easter morning emphasizes the surprising, transformative event of the Resurrection and the role of faithful witnesses. The women’s encounter with the empty tomb signals a turning point: belief in the risen Christ begins with proclamation, not with sight alone. The messenger’s directive to go to Galilee recalls Jesus’ early commission and points to a continuing journey of faith and mission. Peter’s name here underscores a theme of restoration and inclusion in the apostolic witness. The resurrection reshapes fear into mission, doubt into trust, and sadness into radiant evangelization as the Church goes forth to announce that Jesus is alive.
Connection Between the Readings
The readings form a single thread: the resurrection transforms identity, vocation, and life. Acts proclaims that God welcomes all in Christ, Colossians invites us to live from the risen life in heaven, and Mark presents the risen Lord who calls his followers to meet him and witness to the world. Easter faith is not a one-time event but a new way of living that seeks above all else and shares the good news with every neighbor and nation. The paschal mystery anchors our hope and empowers our mission.
