Other Sunday and Holy Day Readings
THE FEAST OF THE RESURRECTION EASTER DAY (Cycles ABC)
Readings:
Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23
Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8
Morning Mass: John 20:1-9 or Matthew 28:1-10 (A); Mark 16:1-8 (B); Luke 24:1-12 (C)
Afternoon or evening Mass: Luke 24:13-35
Abbreviations: NJB (New Jerusalem Bible), NABRE (New American Bible Revised Edition), IBHE (Interlinear Bible Hebrew-English), IBGE (Interlinear Bible Greek-English), or LXX (Greek Septuagint Old Testament translation). CCC designates a citation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The word LORD or GOD rendered in all capital letters is, in the Hebrew text, God's Divine Name, YHWH (Yahweh).
God reveals His divine plan for humanity in the two Testaments; therefore, we read and relive the events of salvation history in the Old and New Testaments in the Church's Liturgy. The Catechism teaches that the Liturgy reveals the unfolding mystery of God's plan as we read the Old Testament in light of the New and the New Testament in light of the Old (CCC 1094-1095).
The Theme of the Readings: Christ the Lord Is Risen Today!
Easter is the feast that celebrates life. We do not
celebrate ordinary life, but extraordinary and supernatural life promised to us
through the Resurrection of our Redeemer-Messiah, Jesus Christ. In today's Liturgy
of worship, we express our wonder, amazement, and gratitude to God for raising
Jesus from the dead and giving us a share in His glorified life through the "Thanksgiving"
Sacrament of the Eucharist.
In the First Reading, St. Peter begins to move forward with God's divine plan to fulfill the mission Jesus gave the Apostles to carry Jesus's Gospel of salvation beyond Jerusalem and out into the world (Mt 28:19-20; Mk 16:15; Acts 1:8). In his homily to a group of Gentile Romans, Peter proclaimed the living Christ and preached a summary of Jesus's mission from its beginning at His baptism by John the Baptist to His crucifixion, to His mission's climax at His Resurrection. Peter's discourse began the mission of Jesus's Apostles and disciples to carry the Gospel message of His New Covenant Kingdom beyond Jerusalem to the world of the Gentiles. He told them that God the Son died to liberate humanity from bondage to sin and death, and everyone who believes in Jesus and submits to baptism in His name would receive forgiveness for their sins and the hope of eternal life with Jesus Christ in Heaven.
In the Responsorial Psalm, we sing the same hymn of thanksgiving that the Old Covenant people of God sang in liturgical worship during the eight days of the Feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread. Psalm 118 begins by proclaiming God's enduring love for His people and then announces that "the Lord's right hand" has been "lifted high." We understand this verse as a foretelling of Jesus Christ, who, after giving us new life and victory over death in His Resurrection, was raised to glory when He ascended to the Father's right hand in Heaven (Mt 26:64; Mk 14:62; Acts 2:33). Jesus is the "stone," which the Old Covenant "builders," rejected who became the "cornerstone" of the New Covenant faith in Christ's Kingdom of the Universal Church (Ps 118:22).
Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22-23 when He taught in the Temple on Monday of His last week in Jerusalem, applying the verses to Himself (Mt 21:42). After Jesus's Resurrection, St. Peter appeared at his trial before the same court that condemned Jesus, testifying that Jesus Christ is the "cornerstone," and the religious authorities are the "builders" who rejected Him, applying Psalm 118:22 to Christ (Acts 4:11). Peter quoted Psalm 118:22 again in his first letter to the Church, identifying Jesus as "the cornerstone" (1 Pt 2:7). St. Paul would also speak of Jesus as the "cornerstone" by referring to a related prophecy in Isaiah 28:16b (Rom 9:33), and again in Ephesians 2:19-20, writing that Christians are part of God's household... built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone [cornerstone]. Finally, Christ fulfills Psalm 118:23 in His works that are "wonderful in our eyes" because He made it possible for us to receive the gift of eternal salvation.
In the First Reading, St. Peter proclaimed the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Second Reading, St. Paul instructed Christians about the implications of Jesus's sacrificial death and the significance of His Resurrection for humanity. Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we have died to our old sinful selves and are raised out of the waters of baptism to a new life in Christ Jesus as Christians are reborn through water and the Spirit. And by the Spirit's presence within them, Christians enjoy a new life and relationship with God. They are no longer children in Adam's family. Instead, they become adopted children in the family of God and heirs through Christ, whose sufferings they share on their journey to salvation so they might also share His glory in Heaven (Rom 8:17).
In the Gospel Reading from the morning Mass, we relive the events surrounding Jesus's Resurrection, as Mary Magdalene and the Apostles Peter and John discover the empty tomb on the "first day of the week" that we call Sunday. It was the "first day" because it was the first day of Creation (Saturday was the seventh day in Gen 2:2), and it became the first day of the New Creation in Christ! According to the schedule of the seven annual God-ordained sacred feasts of the Sinai Covenant, Christ's Resurrection was the Feast of Firstfruits, celebrated the day after the Sabbath of the holy week of Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:9-12). Sunday became the New Covenant Sabbath of "the Lord's Day." It became the day set aside for redeemed humanity to commune with the Most Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in a family meal that supernaturally nourishes us with the life of God the Son on our journey to eternal salvation.
In the Gospel Reading for the afternoon or evening Mass, we relive the experience of two disciples who encountered the Resurrected Christ on their journey to their home in Emmaus. The disciples did not recognize Jesus as He walked with them and explained the Scriptures concerning the Messianic prophecies fulfilled in the Passion of Christ. They invited Him to dine with them, and it wasn't until He said the blessing and broke the bread that their spiritual "eyes were opened," and they recognized Jesus (Lk 24:31).
Their experience reversed Adam and Eve's condition when their eyes "were opened" to sin. Jesus "opened" the Scriptures to the Emmaus disciples in the same way He brought about the "opening" of their eyes to recognize Him in breaking the bread. The eyes of believers in every generation continue to be "opened" to Christ in the Mass through the Liturgy of the Word and the breaking of the bread in the Eucharistic banquet. Our sacred family meal is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet we will experience when Christ returns to accompany us on our journey to our heavenly home (Rev 19:9).
The First Reading Acts 10:34a, 37-43 ~ Salvation is in
Christ Jesus
34a Peter proceeded to speak and said: 37 "You know what
has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John
preached, 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God
was with him. 39 We are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the
Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. 40 This
man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible, 41 not to all
the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and
drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commissioned us to preach to
the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the
living and the dead. 43 To him, all the prophets bear witness that everyone who
believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.
In the first reading, we hear St. Peter's homily to the household of the Roman Centurion Cornelius, a God-fearing Gentile ready to embrace Jesus as his Lord and Savior. The encounter takes place after Jesus's Resurrection as the Apostles began to fulfill the mission Jesus gave them to carry the news of His Gospel of salvation beyond Jerusalem and out into the world (Mt 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). In his discourse, Peter proclaimed the living Christ and preached the kerygma, the basic Gospel message of the Church:
Peter began his discourse by announcing that God's revelation of Israel as His chosen people did not mean He withheld His divine favor from the Gentiles. Peter told his Gentile converts that God's divine plan for the salvation of humanity through Israel culminated in Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God. Peter told them that Jesus was put to death by crucifixion, using the significant phrase "by hanging him on a tree" (verse 39). Being "hung on a tree" was the sign of someone cursed by God under the Law of Moses (Dt 21:22). Peter used the phrase to convey that Jesus, who was without sin, took upon Himself the penalty of the sins of old covenant Israel and all humanity for the sake of their salvation. He became, of His free will, an unblemished sin sacrifice (also see references to Dt 21:22 and Jesus's death in Jn 19:31, Acts 5:30, 13:29, and Gal 3:13). As St. Paul explained in Galatians 3:13 ~ Christ ransomed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, "Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree," that the blessing of Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."
Then, in Acts 10:39-41, Peter testified to having witnessed Jesus's Resurrection from the dead on the third day (as the ancients counted without the concept of a zero-place value). He assured the Gentiles that Christ commissioned His disciples to preach the Gospel of salvation by testifying that Jesus is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead and that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name (Acts 10:42-43). It is the same message the Church preaches today as she continues to fulfill the mission Jesus gave her to baptize and spread the Gospel message of salvation to the ends of the earth (Mt 20:19-20; Mk 16:15-16; Acts 2:38).
Responsorial Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 ~ The Day
of the Lord
The response is: "This is the day the Lord has made; let us
rejoice and be glad" or "Alleluia!" (Alleluia is the Latin transliteration of
the Hebrew word Halleluyah, which means "Praise God, Yahweh").
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy [hesed]
endures forever. 2 Let the house of Israel say, "His mercy [hesed] endures
forever."
Response:
16 The right hand of the LORD has struck with power; the
right hand of the LORD is exalted. 17 I shall not die, but live, and declare
the works of the LORD.
Response:
22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the
cornerstone. 23 By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.
Response:
[...] = Interlinear Bible Hebrew-English, Vol. III,
page 1502. The Hebrew word hesed means faithful love in the context of
the covenant relationship = "faithful covenant love."
Psalm 118 is a hymn of thanksgiving from the last of the Hallel Psalms (Ps 113-118). The congregation sang this hymn in liturgical worship at the Jerusalem Temple for eight days, beginning with the Feast of Passover (Nisan 14) and continuing during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 14-21). It was also verses 25-26 that the crowd shouted as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm/Passion Sunday (Mt 21:9; Mk 11:9-10; Lk 19:38; Jn 12:13).
Psalm 118 begins by proclaiming God's enduring covenant love for His people (verses 1-2). Verses 16-17 refer to "the Lord's right hand" that has been "lifted high." Christians understand these verses to refer to Jesus Christ, who, in His Resurrection, has given those who believe in Him as the Messiah and Son of God new life and victory over death and that He was raised to Heaven to sit at God's right hand (Lk 22:69; Acts 2:33-34; 7:55-56). Jesus is the "stone which the builders," the religious authorities of the Old Covenant, "rejected" only to become the "cornerstone" of the New Covenant faith (verse 22).
Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22-23 when He taught in the Temple on Monday of His last week in Jerusalem, applying the verses to Himself in Matthew 21:42. After Jesus's Resurrection, St. Peter testified at his trial before the same court that condemned Jesus that Jesus is the "cornerstone," and the religious authorities are the "builders" who rejected Him, applying Psalm 118:22 to Christ in Acts 4:11. Peter quoted Psalm 118:22 again, identifying Jesus as "the cornerstone" in 1 Peter 2:7. St. Paul also wrote that Jesus is the "cornerstone" in Romans 9:33 by referring to a related prophecy in Isaiah 28:16b. And in Ephesians 2:19-20, Paul wrote that Christians are part of God's household ... built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone [cornerstone]. Finally, Christ fulfilled Psalm 118:23 in His works that are "wonderful in our eyes" (verse 23) because He has made it possible for those who accepted Him as the Redeemer-Messiah and Son of God to receive the gift of eternal salvation.
The Second Reading Colossians 3:1-4 ~ Seek what is Above
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is
above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Think of what is
above, not of what is on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden
with Christ in God. 4 When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear
with him in glory.
In the First Reading, St. Peter proclaimed the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Second Reading, St. Paul told the Colossian Christians about the implications that Jesus's sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection have for all who profess belief in God the Son. Through the Sacrament of Baptism, all who accept Him as Savior have died to their old sinful selves and are "raised up" out of the waters of baptism to a new life in Christ (also see Rom 5:9-10; Eph 2:5-6). Christians are reborn through water and the Spirit (Jn 3:3, 5). And by the Spirit's presence within them, Christians enjoy a new life and a new relationship with God. They are no longer children in the family of Adam but adopted children in the family of God. Christians are also heirs through Christ whose suffering they share in their earthly exile, knowing they will have a share in His glory when they reach the end of their temporal lives or when He returns in glory (Rom 8:14-17; 2 Thes 4:16-17).
For Christians, the new life remains hidden while we continue in this temporal world, but we will realize its fullness when we join Christ in the life to come. St. Paul urges us to "think of what is above" or what is to come and not focus on earthly and temporal (Col 3:2). The risen, living Christ is the source of our salvation. He has freed us from the false attachments to the material things of this world. If we limit ourselves to only thinking of temporal pleasures and challenges, we will lose sight of what is glorious and eternal.
Alternate Second Reading 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8 ~ Seek a
New Heart
6b Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the
dough? 7 Clear out the old yeast so that you may become a fresh batch of dough
inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ has been
sacrificed [Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us].* 8 Therefore, let us
celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and
wickedness. But with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
* The words in brackets are the literal Greek of this
passage. The word "lamb" is not in verse 7. The Passover victims could be lambs
or goat kids (Ex 12:5), and the word "lamb" is not connected to the word
"Passover" anywhere in the Old or New Testaments, even though translators have
added it. See the Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, Vol. IV, Hendricks
Publishers, page 458, and the better translation in the NJB: For our
Passover has been sacrificed, that is, Christ ....
Leaven, zyme in the Greek text of the Bible, is a piece of sourdough used for its fermenting properties, which is a form of corruption from an original piece of dough. Adding the sour zyme to a new piece of dough "corrupts" the entire batch, producing a light and airy loaf of bread when baked. Scripture uses leaven as both a positive and negative example. Mosaic Law permitted eating leavened bread in the communion meal of the Toda (Todah), "thanksgiving offering" (Lev 7:13/7:3). This is why Orthodox Christians use leavened bread in their communion rite; Roman Catholics use unleavened bread following Jesus's example at the Last Supper. Leavened bread was also part of the "first fruits" of the wheat harvest bread offering (Lev 23:17). Jesus used leaven as a positive example in His teaching on His Kingdom's growth (Mt 13:33; Lk 13:20-21). However, in Scripture, leaven is also a symbol of sin. Since leaven induces fermentation, a form of corruption, it is a realistic symbol of sin that is a source of corruption, becoming pervasive in a person's life like leaven in bread dough. St. Paul used leaven as a negative example in this passage, and Jesus used leaven as a negative symbol in Matthew 16:6-11, Mark 8:14-21, and Luke 12:1.
The rejection of leaven as a symbol for sin also appears in the prohibitions and commands of Mosaic Law. For example, the Law prohibited using leavened bread in sacrifices burned on God's holy altar (Lev 2:4) and during the celebration of the week-long pilgrim festival of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In that feast, leaven was a sign of the corrupting influence of evil on human nature and a symbol of sin, which can quickly multiply and spread through God's holy community. During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the faithful removed all leaven from their houses, including any old bread containing leaven. Eating any products containing leaven was forbidden from noon on the day of the Passover sacrifice on Nisan the 14th until the completion of the feast of Unleavened Bread after the conclusion of the Sacred Assembly on the 21st of Nisan, eight days later (Ex 12:8, 15, 17-20; 13:6-7; 23:15; 34:18; Mishnah: Pesahim, 1:3-1:4; 10:1A). On the first night of Unleavened Bread, at the Last Supper, the faithful ate the sacred meal of the Passover victim with unleavened bread in obedience to the commands of Mosaic Law.
St. Paul taught that Christ is the true Passover victim that all previous Passover lambs and goat kids prefigured. Jesus destroyed the old leaven of sin to make possible a holy life of which unleavened bread was the symbol in the sacred meal of the Passover victim at the Last Supper on the first night of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Mt 26:17; Mk 14:12; Lk 22:7; also see Gal 5:9-10). Jesus transformed unleavened bread into His Body at the Last Supper and taught using leaven as a symbol for sin. Therefore, as noted above, Latin Rite Catholics only use unleavened bread in their offering for the Eucharist (the Eastern Rites use leavened bread).
8 Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old
yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness. But with the unleavened bread of
sincerity and truth.
The feast we celebrate is the Eucharist (communion of
"thanksgiving;" etym. Latin eucharistia, the virtue of thanksgiving or
thankfulness; from Greek eucharistia, gratitude, from eu = good,
and charizesthai = to show favor ). We must partake of this
sacred meal without sin (the yeast of malice and wickedness) in a state of
grace (with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth), recognizing that what
was once only bread and wine has become the Body and Blood of Christ, as St.
Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 11:26-29. St. Paul gave this warning: Therefore,
whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to
answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and
so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without
discerning the body (of Christ) eats and drinks judgment on himself.
(...) = added for clarity.
Morning Mass: Gospel of John 20:1-9 (Cycles ABC) ~ Renewed
Faith and The Empty Tomb
1 On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to
the tomb early [proi] in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the
stone removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the
other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, "They have taken the Lord from
the tomb, and we don't know where they put him." 3 So Peter and the other
disciple went out and came to the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other disciple
ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; 5 he bent down and saw the
burial cloths there, but did not go in. 6 When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, 7 and the cloth that had
covered his head not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
8 Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb
first, and he saw and believed. 9 For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.
[...] = literal Greek term; IBGE, vol. IV, page 314.
Significantly, verses 2-8 repeat the word "tomb" seven times (1 twice, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8). In the symbolic use of numbers in Scripture, eight is the number of salvation, regeneration, and renewed life, and seven is the number of spiritual perfection (see the document "The Significance of Numbers in Scripture").
20:1 On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala
came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark
On the first day of the week in the Greek text is day
one of the week, a Hebrew idiom. Fr. Brown, in his commentary, The
Gospel According to Luke, pointed out that the use of the Greek word for
the 4th Night Watch, proi [pro-ee], translated here as "early"
in verse 1, is evidence that John used Roman time in his Gospel. He also used
Roman place names like the Sea of Tiberias instead of the Sea of Galilee and
"the sixth hour" for dawn/six AM Roman time in John 19:14. In the first century
AD, the Jews and Romans had the same four Night Watches separated into the same
time divisions identified by trumpet signals (Mk 13:35). However, the Jews did
not use the word proi for the 4th Night Watch from 3 AM to
dawn. The use of this word and that it was still dark suggests it is the 4th
Watch Roman time. The Roman day officially began at midnight, with the hours
counted from the first hour after midnight; most modern nations keep Roman time.
"The first day of the week" for the Jews is the day we call "Sunday"
(the seventh-day Sabbath (our Saturday) was the only day of the Jewish week
that had a name). It was the "first day" because it was the first day of the Creation
event (Saturday was day #7; therefore, day #1 was our Sunday). Resurrection
Sunday became the first day of the New Creation in Christ!
According to the schedule of the seven God-ordained annual Sacred Feasts, it was also the Feast of Firstfruits. Leviticus 23:5-14 commanded the observance of the Feast of Firstfruits on the day after the Sabbath of the week of Passover/Unleavened Bread. Sunday, the "first day of the week," became the New Covenant Sabbath, set aside for humanity to commune with God. Christians called it the "Lord's Day," the day of worship for New Covenant believers (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:2; Rev 1:10). After the coming of the Holy Spirit to the Church on the Jewish Feast of Pentecost (Feast of Weeks), which also fell on a Sunday fifty days as the ancients counted after Firstfruits (Acts 2; Lev 23:15-21; Num 28:26-31), it became the New Covenant Church's custom to worship on the first day of the week. As Catholics, we still observe the Old Covenant custom of beginning the next day at sunset; therefore, our Sunday Vigil Mass should occur at sundown on Saturday (unfortunately, this is not always strictly observed).
John 20:1 seems to suggest that Mary Magdala was alone. However, "the other Mary," Mary of Clopas (the wife or daughter of Clopas), who was the mother of James and Joseph, may have accompanied or followed soon after her (see Mt 27:56, 61; 28:1; Mk 16:1; Lk 24:10). There may have been two or three groups of women going to the tomb that morning. The other Gospels list Mary Magdala as one of several women who went to Jesus's tomb on Resurrection Sunday. Mark 16:1 names several women, including Salome (the mother of James and John Zebedee), at the gravesite just when the sun "had risen" or "was rising." Luke does not mention how many women went to the tomb, only that they went "at the first sign of dawn." It may be that Mary Magdalene (perhaps with Mary of Cleopas) went before dawn, and the others came at first light. See the chart "Harmony of the Gospels: The Resurrection."
However, Mary, the mother of Jesus, was not present with the other women. Perhaps it was because she knew He was no longer in the tomb and that He rose from death as God's firstfruits of the New Creation on the Jewish Feast of Firstfruits. The disciple Mary from Magdala, a fishing village on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, is a central figure in the story of Jesus's Resurrection. The Gospels mention her by name twelve times (Mt 27:56, 61; 28:1; Mk 15:40, 47; 16:1, 9; Lk 8:2; 24:10; Jn 19:25; 20:1, 18). She was present at the crucifixion and in the Resurrection accounts. From the Gospel of Luke, we learn that Jesus performed an exorcism on her, casting out seven evil spirits (Lk 8:2) before she became one of His women disciples. Luke also includes the information that she was one of several wealthy women (with Joanna, the wife of Cuza, Herod Antipas' steward, and Susanna) who provided for Jesus and his disciples. According to some traditions, Mary Magdala was the sinful woman who anointed Jesus at Simon the Pharisee's home. However, that woman's identity as Mary Magdala cannot be confirmed, nor is she ever identified in Scripture as a prostitute.
Mark and Luke's Gospels record that the women came to the tomb with aromatic resins and herbs to anoint Jesus's body on the third day after Jesus was laid in the tomb (as the ancients counted with no zero place-value from Friday to Sunday). The women did not come the day before because the crucifixion was "Preparation Day" (Friday) for the Jewish Saturday Sabbath (Mk 15:42), and they did not have time to prepare His body since it wasn't until sometime after 3 in the afternoon when the Romans removed Jesus from the Cross. The Sabbath began at sunset, and Mosaic Law prohibited all work on the Sabbath (Ex 20:8-11; 23:12; 31:12-17; 34:21; 35:1-3; Lev 19:3; 23:3; Num 15:32-36; Dt 5:12-15). It was a day of rest, and even preparing the dead for burial was forbidden. The women met on the way to the tomb. The Gospel of Mark recorded that they were concerned about who would help them roll the stone away from the tomb entrance, but when they arrived, they discovered that the stone, which was very big, had already been rolled back (Mk 16:3-4).
Mary saw the stone removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran
and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved ...
Here, the expression "the other disciple" is joined for the
first time to "the beloved" or "the one whom Jesus loved." This expression
helps to identify the "other disciple" who had access to the house of the high
priest Annas, as John Zebedee, or at least as the same man as the "beloved
disciple" (Jn 18:15). From the time Jesus told Peter and John to prepare the
Upper Room for the Passover Meal in Luke's Gospel (Lk 22:7-8), and from now on
in the Gospel of John and Acts of Apostles and Galatians, St. Peter was
continually paired with St. John Zebedee. This pairing helps to confirm the
identity of the "beloved Apostle" as St. John Zebedee, as the Fathers of the
Church identified him (see Lk 22:8;
Acts 1:13; 3:1, 3, 4, 11;
4:1, 3, 7, 13, 19, 23;
8:14, 17, 25;
Gal 2:9).
Mary told them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they put him." Mary's "we" confirms the Synoptic accounts that she was not alone, and other women came with her. Luke 24:10-11 records that Joanna and Mary, the mother of James, went with her to tell the Apostles the news of Christ's Resurrection. The Gospel of Luke records that the Apostles did not believe the women (Lk 24:9-11).
3 So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to
the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and
arrived at the tomb first; 5 he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but
did not go in.
If the "other disciple" is indeed St. John, he is a much
younger man than St. Peter, and it is reasonable that he should run faster and
arrive first at the tomb. He did not enter the tomb because he recognized Peter's
priority and superiority as the one to whom Jesus entrusted the "keys of the Kingdom"
with authority over His Kingdom of the Church (Mt 16:16-18). All the previous lists
of the Apostles named Peter first, followed by Andrew, and John followed James,
his brother. However, from now on, when the Apostles are named, John comes
immediately after Peter, who continues first in the lists (see Acts 1:13).
There must have been enough daylight for the two Apostles to see into the tomb's interior, suggesting that the opening was to the east. There may be a connection to the instructions for God's desert Tabernacle that the entrance was to always face toward the east (Ex 27:13; 38:13). The entrance gate to the Jerusalem Temple was also in the east, with the Sanctuary's Holy of Holies in the Temple complex's westernmost part. All early Christian churches, including St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, had an east-facing entrance.
6 When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the
tomb and saw the burial cloths there, 7 and the cloth that had covered his head
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. 8 Then the other
disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw
and believed.
The Biblical text mentions linen cloths plural. The cloths mentioned
in verse 7 are probably the sidon, burial shroud, and the soudarion, a
cloth that covered Jesus's head when He was removed from the cross and then
used in His burial. The Gospel of John mentions a cloth similar to Lazarus's
burial garb (see Jn 11:44). A rolled cloth was usually passed under the deceased's
chin and tied on the top of the head to prevent the mouth from falling open.
The disciple probably observed these textiles lying on the shelf of the tomb
where the body had lain. The observation that the one cloth was still "rolled
up" could indicate it was still in an oval loop with the ends tied as it had
been when it was around Jesus's head and chin. It was separate, perhaps because
it was still lying where Christ's head had been, while the shroud was still
intact on the shelf. The Shroud of Turin, believed by many to be Christ's
burial cloth, is over 14 feet long.
Two relics are known as the soudarion of Christ (also spelled sudarium). One has the image of the face of Jesus on the veil of the woman who used it to wipe Jesus's face as He struggled while carrying the Cross to Golgotha. She is known as Veronica (meaning "true image"). This holy cloth is in Rome at the Vatican. The other is the cloth placed over Christ's face when His body was removed from the cross and used in His burial because it contained His bloodstains. According to Jewish tradition, the blood must accompany the body; that is why a person who died violently remained unwashed before burial. The face-cloth, soudarion, is a precious relic kept at the Camara Santa of the Cathedral of San Salvador, Oviedo, Spain. Scientists tested the blood on the soudarion and found that it matched the blood type of the bloodstains on the Shroud of Turin; they are type AB positive.
and he saw and believed.
What did the beloved disciple see that made him believe?
What he believed, of course, was that Jesus was raised from the dead, but was
it simply the empty tomb and the burial clothes that brought about his belief?
What did he see that made him believe in Jesus's Resurrection? What he saw is a
mystery. Some modern scholars contend that the disciple did not suddenly come
to believe in the Resurrection but became convinced that Mary Magdala had
spoken the truth when she said that the body was missing. However, ancient
scholars suggested that seeing the burial clothes left behind supported his
belief in Jesus's Resurrection. If grave robbers had taken Jesus's body, they
would have kept it wrapped in the clothes. They would have wanted to avoid
drawing attention to themselves, and burial textiles were considered valuable.
St John Chrysostom (martyred 407) supports this argument: "If anyone had
removed the body, he would not have stripped it first; nor would he have taken
the trouble to remove and roll up the soudarion and put it in a place by itself"
(Homilies on St. John LXXXV, 4).
Other scholars have also proposed that the textiles' position or form and not just their presence convinced the "beloved disciple." They suggest that Jesus emerged from His burial shroud in a supernatural manner that allowed Him to pass through the clothes, leaving them virtually in place and still wrapped and tied like an empty cocoon. They also contend that the force of the words means much more than the acceptance of Mary's statement, but rather that the beloved disciple was the first to believe in the risen Savior in his "seeing and believing." If the Shroud of Turin is the burial cloth that bore the Resurrected Savior's image, perhaps this disciple saw the imprint of Jesus on the shroud and believed.
9 For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he
had to rise from the dead.
When Mary Magdala first came to them, the disciples did not
believe her testimony that Jesus was not in the tomb. It hadn't occurred to
them or Mary that He had resurrected as He prophesied (see Jn 20:11-13). They
knew what Jesus promised, but they didn't understand. St. Matthew tells us that
even the chief priests and the Pharisees knew of Jesus's claim that He would
arise from the dead in three days (Mt 27:62-66). Knowing Jesus's prophecy, the
religious leaders requested that the Pilate place a guard and seal the tomb.
Jesus prophetically predicted His Resurrection repeatedly in His attempt to
prepare His disciples:
| GOSPEL | VERSES |
| Matthew | 12:38-40; 16:21; 17:9, 23; 20:18, 19; 26:32; 27:63 |
| Mark | 8:31-9:1; 9:10, 31; 10:32-34; 14:28, 58 |
| Luke | 9:22-27 |
| John | 2:18-22; 12:34; chapters 14-16 |
Jesus not only predicted His Resurrection, but He also emphasized that His Resurrection from the dead would be the prophetic "sign" to authenticate His claim that He is the Redeemer-Messiah:
| GOSPEL | VERSES |
| Matthew | 12:1-8; 16:21; 17:9, 22, 23; 20:18, 19; 26:32 |
| Mark | 9:10 |
| Luke | 9:22-27, 44 |
| John | 2:18-22 |
Perhaps they were thinking of resurrection in the same way Martha of Bethany understood in John Chapter 11 when Jesus spoke to her about her brother's resurrection. She assumed Jesus was speaking of the resurrection of the dead at the Final Judgment (Jn 11:24). Or, perhaps they "knew" in the same way that we "know" that one day we will face a final judgment before the throne of God when He holds us accountable for our lives. We "know," but do we understand?
However, after seeing the tomb's interior, they believed and recalled the Scriptures that prophesied these events. St. John may have referred to Psalm 16:10, Hosea 6:2, Jonah 1:17, or Jonah 2:1 and 9. However, it was also possible that since there is no specific Old Testament reference here, it may be that John intended to suggest the fulfillment of all the prophecies of the Old Testament in Jesus's Resurrection.
The fulfillment of prophecy is what Jesus would explain to two disciples on their way to Emmaus on Resurrection Sunday in Luke 24:25-27 ~ And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" Then, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures. And again to the Apostles in Luke 24:44-45 ~ He said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled." Then, he opened their minds to understand the scriptures.
St. Paul would make this same reference to Scripture in his first letter to the Corinthians. Paul wrote: The tradition I handed on to you in the first place, a tradition which I had myself received, was that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he was buried; and that on the third day, he was raised to life, in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Cor 15:3-4 (NJB). It is a truth we especially acknowledge on the celebration of our Savior's Feast of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday as we testify to the empty tomb, and by receiving Christ in the Eucharist, we also declare our belief!
The alternate Gospel readings for each of the cycles are Matthew 28:1-10 (A), Mark 16:1-8 (B), and Luke 24:1-12 (C). These readings offer information concerning the Resurrection similar to the Gospel of John reading. For an in-depth study of Matthew 28:1-10, see Matthew Gospel: Matthew Lesson 26. For an in-depth study of Mark 16:1-8, see Mark Gospel: Mark Lesson 10. For an in-depth study of Luke 24:1-12, see Luke Gospel: Luke Lesson 16.htm.
The Gospel Reading for the Afternoon or Evening Mass
Luke 24:13-35 ~ Meeting the Messiah on the Road to
Emmaus
13 That very day, two of them were going to a
village seven miles [sixty stadia] from Jerusalem called Emmaus, 14 and
they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. 15 And it happened
that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and
walked with them, 16 but their eyes were prevented [held/bound = krateo]
from recognizing him [not to recognize = epiginosoko him]. 17 He asked them,
"What are you discussing as you walk along?" They stopped, looking downcast. 18
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to
Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these
days?" 19 And he replied to them, "What sort of things?" They said to him, "The
things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed
and word before God and all the people, 20 how our chief priests and rulers
both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. 21 But we were
hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is
now the third day since this took place. 22 Some women from our group [from
among us], however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the
morning 23 and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had
indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. 24 Then some of
those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had
described, but him they did not see." 25 And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish
you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! 26 Was it
not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his
glory?" 27 Then, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to
them what referred to him in all the Scriptures. 28 As they approached the
village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on
farther. 29 But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening, and
the day is almost over." So, he went in to stay with them. 30 And it happened that,
while he was [reclining] with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them. 31 With that, their eyes were opened, and they
recognized [epiginosoko] him, but he vanished from their sight. 32 Then they
said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us
on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?" 33 So they set out at once and
returned to Jerusalem, where they found gathered together the eleven and those
with them 34 who were saying, "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared
to Simon!" 35 Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he
was made known to them [opened their eyes] in the breaking of the bread.
[...] = Greek translation, Interlinear Bible:
Greek-English, Vol. IV, pages 244-246.
The story of Jesus's Resurrection in Luke 24:1-12 is similar to the account in St. John's Gospel. However, Luke 24:13-35 records an encounter between the resurrected Christ and two disciples only found in Luke's Gospel.
13 That very day, two of them were going to a
village seven miles [sixty stadia] from Jerusalem called Emmaus, 14 and
they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. 15 And it happened
that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and
walked with them, 16 but their eyes were prevented [held/bound= krateo] from
recognizing him [not to recognize = epiginosoko him].
It was still Resurrection Sunday, and the glorified Christ
met two of His disciples on their journey back to their home village. St. Mark
mentioned this meeting with the Emmaus disciples and His appearance later to
the eleven Apostles in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. However, St. Luke included
a more detailed account of Jesus's encounter with the Emmaus disciples
(Mk 16:12-17).
17 He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk
along?" They stopped, looking downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, said to
him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the
things that have taken place there in these days?"
One of the disciples is Cleopas (also spelled Clopas or
Cleophas; see Jn 19:25). According to the Church Fathers, Cleopas was a relative
of Jesus and the father of Simon/Simeon, the second Christian Bishop of Jerusalem.
The early Church historian, St. Hegesippus (c. AD 110-180), identified Cleopas
as Jesus's uncle and the brother or brother-in-law of St. Joseph (Church
History, Book IV, Chapter 22). Jesus's disciple, Mary of Cleopas/Clopas, was
either Cleopas's wife or daughter. Most Biblical scholars believe she was his
daughter since Scripture only calls her Mary of Cleopas and never his wife,
unlike the mother of James and John called Zebedee's wife, or Joanna identified
as Cuza's wife (Jn 19:25). Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea also mentioned that
Cleopas was the brother of St. Joseph in his 4th century AD history
of the Church (Church History, III.11.1 page 146). Most Church Fathers
believed that the two Emmaus disciples were Cleopas and his son Simon/Simeon,
the future Christian bishop of the Church in Jerusalem after James, Bishop of
Jerusalem.
The two disciples were brokenhearted over the events of the past three days. They appeared to doubt the testimony of the women and Peter and John's report concerning the empty tomb and the possibility that Jesus rose from the dead (Jn 20:1-8). The obvious question is, why didn't they recognize Jesus as the man walking with them? The literal Greek reads: "... their eyes were held/bound [krateo] so that they might not recognize/know/perceive [epiginosoko] him" (The Gospel of Luke, Timothy Johnson, page 393; IBGE, page 244). They were prevented from recognizing Jesus. He clouded their eyes in the same way that their faith was clouded in comprehending His resurrection. The condition of their "held eyes" would be reversed in verse 31.
Luke 24:19-24 ~ The Testimony of the Emmaus Disciples
19 And he replied to them, "What sort of things?" They
said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet
mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 how our chief priests
and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. 21
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all
this, it is now the third day since this took place. 22 Some women from our
group [from among us], however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early
in the morning 23 and did not find his body; they came back and reported that
they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. 24
Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women
had described, but him they did not see."
The Emmaus disciples called Jesus "a prophet" in verse 19. St. Luke referred to Jesus as a "prophet" five times in his Gospel (4:24; 7:16, 39; 13:33; 24:19) and three times in Acts (Acts 3:22-23; 7:37; 8:34-35) for a total of eight times. The title depicts Jesus as the new Moses of a new Exodus generation and the fulfillment of Deuteronomy 18:17-19 (see Lk 9:31 when Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus about His "exodus" from Jerusalem). The two disciples expressed the same hope of a "new Moses" in verse 21 when they said they hoped that Jesus "would be the one to redeem Israel." It is a theme of redemption that began in Luke 1:68 and 2:38. However, Jesus's "redemption of Israel" was not to be understood politically but only in spiritual terms, as He restored the faithful remnant of the covenant people of God as the "new Israel" (Acts 13:23; CCC 877). Notice in verses 22-24 that St. Luke confirmed the visit of the women disciples to the tomb recorded in the other Gospels and Peter and John's visit to the empty tomb recorded in the Gospel reading from St. John (Jn 20:1-10).
Luke 24:25-27 ~ Jesus Rebukes the Emmaus Disciples
25 And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are! How
slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! 26 Was it not necessary
that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" 27 Then,
beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred
to him in all the Scriptures.
The Emmaus disciples shared their misgivings concerning the past week's events with their fellow traveler, and He admonished them for their doubts in verse 25, calling them "slow of heart." We tend to think of the heart as the seat of emotion. But the ancients believed the heart was the center of intelligence and reason and, therefore, the true moral essence of a person (see similar references to "heart," for example, in the Greek text of Luke 1:17, 51, 66; 2:19; 21:14 and 34).
to believe all that the prophets spoke!
There are two significant points in Jesus's statement
concerning belief about Him spoken by the prophets:
Next, Jesus said to them: "Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" Jesus's rhetorical question in verse 26 demanded an affirmative answer. He referred to God's divine plan for the salvation of humanity in terms of the prophecies of God's "Suffering Servant" in the book of the prophet Isaiah, especially those prophecies in Isaiah Chapters 52-53. To "enter into his glory" is the same as entering His Kingdom. Then, Jesus began to teach them, starting with the Torah (the five books of Moses from Genesis to Deuteronomy) and continuing with the Psalms and the books of the prophets. Jesus gave them a Scripture lesson on all the passages that were prophecies about Him and His mission to bring the New and eternal Covenant God promised to Jeremiah (Jer 31:31; 32:40; 50:5) and provide the gift of eternal salvation.
Luke 24:28-32 ~ Jesus's Revelation to Emmaus Disciples
28 As they approached the village to which they were
going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. 29 But they urged
him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening, and the day is almost over." So
he went in to stay with them. 30 And it happened that, while he was [reclining]
with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to
them. 31 With that, their eyes were opened, and they recognized [epiginosoko]
him, but he vanished from their sight. 32 Then they said to each other, "Were
not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the
Scriptures to us?"
Since the Jewish day started at sundown, "evening" was from noon until sunset. Notice that Jesus did not force Himself on them or anyone. Christ is a gentleman; He invites us to come to Him and waits for our response.
30 And it happened that, while he was [reclining]* with
them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.
* = IBGE, Vol. IV, page 246.
*The Greek word is "reclining;" it was how free men dined
while slaves ate standing up. Those attending the Last Supper also reclined
according to the Gospel accounts in the Greek text (Mt 26:20; Mk 14:18;
Lk 22:18; Jn 13:23).
Still not recognizing Jesus, they invited Him to their home to have dinner and spend the night. What occurred during the meal "opens their eyes" concerning the traveler's true identity. There is a significant similarity between Jesus's actions at the meal with the Emmaus disciples and the events of the Last Supper in Luke 22:14-19:
| Luke 22:14-19 | Luke 24:30 |
| he took his place at table with the apostles | while he was with them at table |
| Then he took the bread | he took the bread |
| said the blessing [gave thanks = eucharisteo] | said the blessing [gave thanks = eucharisteo] |
| broke it and gave it to them | broke it and gave it to them |
Jesus's actions at the Emmaus dinner were His same actions at the Last Supper as He took, blessed/gave thanks, and broke the bread (see Lk 22:19). In both passages, what the NAB translates as "blessing" is the Greek word eucharisteo, transliterated in English as "Eucharist" (# 2168, IBGE, Vol. VI, and Strong's Concordance and Dictionary). In the "breaking of the bread," the Emmaus disciples' spiritual eyes "were opened," and they recognize Christ!
31 With that, their eyes were opened, and they recognized
[epiginosoko] him, but he vanished from their sight. 32 Then they said to each
other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way
and opened the Scriptures to us?"
Verse 31 is the second use of the Greek word epiginosoko
(see verse 16). In contrast to their eyes "being bound" in 24:16 and
their failure to "recognize/know" [epiginosoko] Jesus, now their eyes were
"opened." They did not just "see" Jesus; they "recognize/know" Him. After
understanding the Messianic significance of the Scriptures He shared with them,
they could recognize Jesus when He broke the bread, as He had at the Last Supper.
When their "eyes were opened, and they recognized him," it was a reversal of Adam and Eve's condition when their "eyes were opened" to sin. The wording "their eyes were opened" is the exact phrase in the Greek Septuagint account of Adam and Eve's fall from grace in Genesis 3:7 and Luke 24:31 and 35. Jesus "opened" the Scriptures to them in the same way He brought about the "opening" of their eyes in the breaking of the bread in verse 31. Now, the eyes of the faithful in every generation would continue "to be opened" to know Christ in the breaking of the bread in the Eucharist.
Luke 24:33-35 ~ The Emmaus Disciples Return to the Apostles
in Jerusalem
33 So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem,
where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them 34 who were
saying, "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!" 35 Then the
two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them
[opened their eyes] in the breaking of the bread.
The Emmaus disciples did what we must do when we recognize Jesus in our lives; they immediately wanted to share their experience of Christ with others! Do you "know/recognize" Christ the Lord "risen today" in your life? How do you share your personal experience of knowing Him? Do you share your faith with others by sharing the difference Jesus has made in your life? Have you considered joining a Bible Study or taking one of the many Bible studies available at www.AgapeBibleStudy.com or following the daily Gospel lessons on Agape Catholic Bible Study on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AgapeCatholicBibleStudy/) to learn how Jesus fulfilled God's Divine Plan for humanity's salvation? Do you know the Old Testament passages He fulfilled so you will understand and know Him like the Emmaus disciples in the "breaking of the bread," that becomes through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ in the Eucharist?
Catechism References (* indicates Scripture quoted or
paraphrased in the citation):
Acts 10:38 (CCC 438, 453, 486, 1289)
10:39 (CCC 597*);
10:41 (CCC 659*, 995);
10:42 (CCC 679*)
Psalm 118:22 (CCC 587*, 756*)
Colossians 3:1-3 (CCC 655*); 3:1 (CCC 1002); 3:3 (CCC 665*, 1003, 1420); 3:4 (CCC 1003, 2772*)
1 Corinthians 5:6b-8 (CCC 129*), 5:7 (CCC 608*, 610*, 613*)
Gospel for morning Mass: John 20:1 (CCC 2174); 20:2 (CCC 640); 20:5-7 (CCC 640*); 20:6 (CCC 640); 20:7 (CCC 515*); 20:8 (CCC 640)
Gospel for afternoon or evening Mass: Luke 24:13-35 (CCC 1094*, 1329*, 1347*); 25:15 (645*, 659*); 24:17 (CCC 643); 24:21 (CCC 439*); 24:22-23 (CCC 640*); 24:25-27 (CCC 112*, 601*); 24:26-27 (CCC 572, 652*); 24:26 (CCC 555, 710*); 24:27 (CCC 555*, 2625*); 24:30 (CCC 645*, 1166*); 24:31 (CCC 659*); 24:34 (CCC 552*, 641)
The Resurrection of Christ and our resurrection
(CCC 638*, 639*, 640*, 641*, 642*,
643*, 644*, 645*, 646*, 647*, 648*, 649*, 650, 651*, 652*, 653*, 654*, 655*,
989*, 1001*, 1002*)
Easter, the Lord's Day
(CCC 647*, 1167*, 1168*, 1169-1170, 1243*, 1287*)
The Sacraments of Initiation
(CCC 1212)
Baptism
(CCC 1214*, 1215*, 1218-1222, 1226*,
1227*, 1228*, 1234-1237, 1237*, 1238*, 1239-1242, 1243*, 1244*, 1245, 1254,
Confirmation (CCC 1286*, 1287*, 1288, 1289*)
Eucharist (CCC 1322-1323)
Michal E Hunt, Copyright © 2014; revised 2020, 2023, 2024 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.