Sunday of the Resurrection, - Morning Mass - Year C - 20th April 2025.

Sunday of the Resurrection, - Morning Mass - Year C - 20th April 2025.

Readings for 20th April 2025- Sunday of the Resurrection. Year C
FIRST READING: Acts 10:34, 37-43: We have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection
Ps 117:1-2, 16-17, 22-23. "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad."
SECOND READING: Col 3:1-4: Look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is. (or alternative - 1 Cor 5:6-8: Throw away the old yeast, that you may be new dough.)
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (1 Cor 5:7-8). Alleluia, alleluia! Christ has become our Paschal sacrifice; let us feast with joy in the Lord.
GOSPEL: Jn 20:1-9: The teaching of scripture is that he must rise from the dead. or Lk 24:1-12: Why look among the dead for someone who is alive? - (or if Easter Sunday evening  Luke 24:13-35)

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Please listen to the audio recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers, and homily), for Sunday of the Resurrection, Year C - 20th April 2025 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/easter-sunday-year-c-2025/s-FQGGJt5ctPT

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Homily (Fr Paul Kelly)

Tonight's readings are beautiful. And at the different masses this weekend a different gospel can be read according to the time of the day. Last night we heard from Luke's account of the resurrection and this morning we read of the women finding the tomb empty and telling the apostles and Peter and John, the beloved disciple racing to the tomb to find it as it is. And now tonight we read the Gospel of the two disciples walking sadly away from Jerusalem towards Emmaus,  and Jesus - risen indeed appears and walks along with them. Its delightful because we are told that they did not recognise him. One can only wonder at what Our Lord's expression was when they said to him "are you the only one who does not know about the things that have taken place these last few days?"   and Jesus, asks them "what things??"  

Of course Jesus knows exactly what things they speak of - he himself went through it.   But its clear he wants to listen to them, for them to pour out their hearts to him - it’s the same in prayer, God lready knows what we are going through but -like a loving parent- God wants us to tell him, to pour out our hearts so that he can really be with us in our experiences.   Jesus then tells them all of the ways that he was foretold in the scriptures. 

I thought the other day, if Holy Thursday was the Last Supper, then Easter evening , tonight, is the "NEXT SUPPER"   because Jesus again follows the pattern of the Mass/Eucharist he established that first night.   He joins his disciples on the road of discipleship... he opens up the scriptures with them and then breaks the bread for them and they recognise him in the breaking of the bread and he vanishes from sight but it still present to them in the eucharist. 

Today, as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, is with us,  God cares very much what we are going through. God cares about anyone who is suffering in any way because each one of us is a unique and loved creation of God. We are all God's children for he made us with love.  

As Jesus taught in his ministry, he is the Good Shepherd who is not happy with 99 out of 100 found sheep. God wants the 100 sheep because they are loved and they need to be with him, they belong in his care and he won't stop worrying until he has found us and returned us to the fold.  This is each and every one of us and all humans.  

God cares about us, and not from afar.  God isn't just up in heaven saying to us from a distance "I hope you are going okay down there, I am thinking of you."   No!  Jesus loves us as eternally loved sons and daughters.  God is with us and in us and sharing our pain and suffered pain to save us, before we ever did. 

we are reminded of a powerful truth: the resurrection sends a message to the whole world that anyone who suffers matters deeply to God. God will not forget us, nor will He fail to restore the dignity that the world often denies. Hatred, violence, and neglect are not lasting—they are contrary to God's nature. Our God of faithfulness and justice has definitively chosen to stand with us. Through Jesus, He has promised to bring us to the place where He has gone ahead, giving us hope and assurance.

In light of this, we are called to be bold. We stand with those who suffer, joining Christ in calling for respect, dignity, and care for the marginalized. Inspired by His life, death, and resurrection, we are empowered to do everything in our power to offer practical help and love. Because Christ shows us that every person is worth the effort—and ultimately, those efforts are never in vain.

Even if justice seems delayed in this life, we trust that Christ will bring it to completion in the end. But He also calls us to pursue justice now. No matter the obstacles, we are not alone—God is with us, working to renew, restore, and vindicate those who have been mistreated. He offers us new hope, new life, and boundless mercy.

Jesus is the ultimate “yes”: the love and sacrifice that may seem thankless or costly are always worth it. The selfless service, mercy, and compassion He exemplifies remind us that living with a generous spirit—thinking less of ourselves and more of others—is the true path to life. May God bless us and renew us in this amazing love, this unwavering faithfulness, and this eternal care for each one of us.

As we celebrate Easter, let our lives be increasingly marked by these qualities—by love, hope, and compassion—each day more fully reflecting the resurrection of Christ.

Happy Easter!

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Longer version:

Our Lord's resurrection sends a message to all the world that anyone who suffers matters greatly to the Lord and God will not forget them and will not fail to give them and to restore to them the dignity that the world so often denied them. Hatred, violence, failure to give people the dignity and care they need, these things God does not countenance and they will not last. Our God of faithfulness and justice, our Lord Jesus has definitively and permanently thrown in his lot with us and promises to bring us through to where he has gone ahead of us.

Meanwhile, we're made bold in our determination to stand up for those who suffer. We join with Christ in calling out for respect for those who have not been given it and we are emboldened by Christ's life, death and resurrection to do everything and anything in our power to give practical help and care to those in need. Christ shows us that all people are worth every effort and that this effort will ultimately not be in vain.

Even if we don't see justice done in this life, Christ will make sure that justice is done in the end. But he calls on justice to be done now, not later. No matter what the obstacles, God is with us.

God will never abandon us. God is at work renewing us, restoring us, vindicating those who've been mistreated and giving us new hope, new life and indescribable mercy.

Jesus is the unequivocal yes. The enormous and seemingly thankless and much derided cost of self-sacrifice and self-forgetting service, the cost of love and compassion, of mercy and gentleness, the cost of a generous spirit, of thinking more of others and less of ourselves is all worth it, no matter what the world says to deride it. May God bless us and renew us in this astounding love, this ever abiding faithfulness, this eternal care for each one of us. And may our lives be more and more marked by these wonderful qualities in the life, death and resurrection of Christ, with each and every new day.

Happy Easter!

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References:

Fr Paul W. Kelly

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Sunday of the Resurrection, Year C  (20th April 2025)  (EPISODE: 360 )
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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{{May Our Lord's grace and love abide in you}}

Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
Lord Jesus, you raise us to new life: Lord, have mercy// //Lord Jesus, you forgive us our sins: Christ, have mercy//Lord Jesus, you feed us with your body and blood: Lord, have mercy//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen.
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Ps 117:1-2, 16-17, 22-23. "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad."

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (1 Cor 5:7-8). Alleluia, alleluia! Christ has become our Paschal sacrifice; let us feast with joy in the Lord.

Memorial Acclamation
3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
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PREFACE: Preface one of Easter
EP II

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{Thanks everyone, and have a happy and safe Easter ! and a grace-filled and compassion-filled week.}

Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.

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Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.:  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

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Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection"  - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants  — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989,  and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009,  The Grail - Collins publishers.

Prayers of the Faithful -   " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'.   E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).

Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" -  By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria,  Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.

- "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of  William John Kelly -     Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

"Quiet Time."  Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.

- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly.  Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer.  Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

Sound Engineering and editing -  P.W. Kelly.

Microphones: -      RODE-NT-USB-mini

Editing equipment:    NCH software - MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software
NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 12.44

Sound Processing:  iZotope RX 6 Audio Editor

[Production -  KER -  2025]
May God bless and keep you.
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