Not only were the gifts of the Spirit shared in common by the disciples of Jesus.  They also shared their material possessions, and in consequence no one was ever in want.

It is easy to understand how a gift of money or substance can support those in material need.  It is perhaps more difficult to understand how gifts of the Spirit [cf I Corinthians 12.4-11] can be employed to help others.  Yet the gifts of the Spirit aren’t conglomerated on one or two favoured people.  Graces and gifts have been given to everyone who is born of the Spirit.  If those spiritual gifts are hoarded, they will not benefit the recipient.  Spiritual gifts only reveal their power when they are shared.  And when they are, remarkably, the Church is not lacking in any gift. [I Corinthians 1.7]

Ancient Christians thought the Crucifixion on Good Friday had occurred on 25^th March; and because of their conviction that the Incarnation and the manifestation of its purpose
[cf John 18.37] must have occurred on the same day, they fixed 25^th March as the date of the Annunciation.  Christmas, nine months later on 25^th December, followed in natural sequence. (Since 25^th March was this year the Monday of Holy Week, we have deferred the celebration until after the octave of Easter.)

‘God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will’ is a quotation from the Psalter [39(40).7-8] placed on the lips of the incarnating Christ as he wings his way from his heavenly home to make his home in the unlikeliest of places, the womb of a virgin in Nazareth. [cf John 1.46] Like every child of Adam, Jesus is made who he is by vocation, by the call of God.  His response to that call—his acceptance of the imperative of that call—will make him who he is to be.

‘The Word was made flesh’. [John 1.14] On the floor of the Holy House in Nazareth an inscription reads ‘Verbum caro hic factum est’—the Word was made flesh right here.  No less than Jesus, Mary herself was made truly herself by vocation, by the call of God to her, by her acceptance of the imperative of that call.  ‘Be it unto me according to thy word’ she replied to the angelic announcement.  Thrice daily Catholic Christians recite the Angelus and affirm Mary’s Yes, an affirmation like unto God’s own. [cf II Corinthians 1.19-21]

Marks' Gospel, the first to be authored, finished with the empty tomb. Then the other Gospels were written, and they included accounts of the several times Our Lord met with the apostles in the days after his resurrection. It then appears that someone went back to Mark's gospel and appended todays reading, a brief summary of three of those appearances. They read as if they are there to remind us about things we should already have heard - in other words, everyone was describing those events, the aural tradition was alive, and only a word or two was needed to recall them to mind.

These events were beyond anything that could be imagined, truly remarkable and a great blessing to build the faith of the disciples Jesus left to build up the world wide church we know today. They still are important meetings to know about, as we all need to have our own meetings with the Lord: Personal encounters like Mary's in which Jesus reveals himself by calling our name, unexpected encounters while out and about talking with people, and sudden inspirational encounters like in the upper room.

Perhaps it would be wring to say, seek these encounters out! But the Lord will certainly be seeking to have them with you.

153 different types of Fish. Perhaps, representing every nationality known to the writer of the Gospel of John. Peter, Fisher of Men, and his successors the Popes, have in their care every person, of every nation.

It is quite a thought, that we are part of a global, Catholic Church, and that on every continent and in every country, people are, like us, coming together to meet Jesus and to eat with him.

We are all, like Peter, reconciled with the Lord in this simple meal. Note how Peter has gone back to his past, the Lord is gone, and Peter is going to go fishing. And the joy with which he recognises Jesus and takes a leap of faith - literally - into the sea and wades ashore to be the first to reach Jesus. 3 days ago he had denied every knowing him, and now Peter is fully and completely with our Lord again, as are we.

Yesterday the Gospel showed us Jesus revealing himself to us in the breaking of bread. Today, there are two more ways in which he does so - both through Word. He wishes us Peace - and he explained all the scriptures which related to himself.

The Mass rightly contains both these elements - the Word primarily through the liturgy of the word, but also in the Canon of the Mass. And the real presence of Jesus, which we receive directly following that moment when we all offer each other a sign of His peace.

Pilgrimage is an act that has for some time been the preserve of a few hardy souls, who most of us might think as slightly weird. However it is asked into the way in which Jesus arranged for his good news to be spread.

Two tired and weary pilgrims were on their way to Emmaus, a well known spa resort a full days walk away from Jerusalem. As they walked and talked, they became aware that they were not allone, and that He who walked with them was enabling them to see clearly what the meaning behind all they had struggled through meant. And when He broke bread with them, early that evening, they suddenly realised that He had Risen, all that He had said, was true!

No longer weary of life, they set off back to Jerusalem straight away - even through that meant the return was going to be difficult in the dark, and the destination was every bit as risky as it had been when they left! But full of His power and Joy.

I recommend making time for some sort of personal pilgrimage. You will meet the Risen Lord as you walk and talk... even if only for an hour or two on a day off - if you set out with the intention of allowing Him to walk with you!.

If you can not get out for a walk, then perhaps spending time watching the TV series 'Pilgrimage' (BBC) would be a worthwhile use of time.

After yesterdays' account of the discovery that the Lord is risen - and is immediately about the work of spreading the good news - today in John we experience a different discovery,  in which Jesus' compassion for us is clear. Just in the use of Mary's name, she is healed of her grief. And reassured that as the Lord ascends to His Father, so shall we - we arise with him. God is our Father!

We do not hear much more about Jesus in John's Gospel. There is the meeting in the upper room, where satisfied by touch, Thomas believes - the Gospel then ends with a summary - if we have faith, then we shall be saved.

A meeting with Peter, which is perhaps a later appendix to the Gospel, follows. There is more in the Good news from Luke (tomorrow's Gospel is Luke).

If we are ever tempted to feel that on Easter Monday, its all done with and Alleluia! now we can rest...

Christ came to Save us, but not to leave us with nothing to do for him! Jesus seems to push back against the women's worship of him, asking them to simply get the apostles to go into Galilee, where he will meet them. The work goes on .  Now we are saved, we must begin the work of letting everyone know that they too, are saved!

By ancient tradition no mass is celebrated on this day of rest.  After all his work God rested on the seventh day.  Good Friday is the analogue of the first Friday of creation: on that day God created humanity [Genesis 1.26-31], and on Good Friday humankind is reunited with its Creator.   After that culminating work of Creation, the Creator rested on the seventh day after all the work he had been doing. [Genesis 2.2]; so after the excruciating labour of new creation Our Lord rested.

Rest, though, is different from idleness.  Rest is the satisfaction taken when a work is thoroughly completed. [John 19.30; cf 4.34] Jesus the Redeemer continues constantly to redeem and save, just as the Creator continues his work. [cf John 5.17] ‘He descended into hell’ we declare in the Apostles’ Creed; ‘he went to preach to the spirits in prison’ the apostle
[I Peter 3.19] explains.  He went to the place of desolation, of utter forgottenness, and brought there the good news of great joy which is for all people. [Luke 2.10]

‘The hour is coming’ he promises ‘when the dead will leave their graves at the sound of his voice’. [John 5.28]  That hour is coming soon.  Are we ready to greet the triumphant Lord when he rises to take up again the life he had laid down? [John 10.18] And are we ready to rise with him, rise to live life worthy of the name? [John 10.10]