Praying the Communion Antiphon series Eastertide
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He is risen as He said |
Easter Tuesday
Communion Antiphon
“If you have risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ
is, seated at the right hand of God; think of what is above, not of what is on
earth, alleluia.” (cf. Colossians 3:1–2)
1.
Thinking about the Words
There
is an if at the beginning.
“If
you have risen with Christ…”
Not
a doubt—but an invitation to remember who we are now.
Through
the Resurrection, something has already happened:
- we are
no longer where we were
- we are
no longer only earthly
- we are
already drawn into something more
Therefore
the antiphon calls us to:
- seek
- set
our minds
This
is active. Intentional.
Not
drifting but choosing where our heart rests.
2. The Gospel Connection — Encounter
Today’s
Gospel (Gospel of John 20:11–18) brings us to Mary Magdalene at the tomb.
She
is:
- weeping
- searching
- looking
for Jesus
Even
when He stands before her she does not recognise Him.
Why?
Because her heart is still fixed on what is earthly:
- the body
- what has
been lost
- what she
expects to find
And
then everything changes with one word:
“Mary.”
Now
hold the antiphon and the Gospel together:
- The
antiphon says: “seek the things that are above”
- The
Gospel shows: recognition comes when the heart is lifted beyond what it
expects
Mary
is not wrong in her love but she is still looking in the wrong way.
It
is only when Jesus calls her by name that her gaze is lifted and she sees.
3.
For Us — Where is Resurrection today?
Where
is my mind resting today?
- on what
is missing
- on what
feels unresolved
- on what
I expected but did not receive
The
antiphon gently shifts us:
·
Seek
what is above
·
Set
your mind there
This
of course is not as an escape from life but but as a way of seeing life
differently since Christ is not absent.
He is present—often unrecognised until something in us lifts.
Sometimes
all it takes is:
- a pause
- a prayer
- a quiet
calling of our name
Taking
The Communion Antiphon Further:
Already
there is thread of the Octave between the 2 days- not as separate days but a
movement.
From
yesterday to today
Yesterday:
“Do
not be afraid.”
Today:
“Seek
what is above.”
They
belong together because you cannot truly lift your heart while it is
still held down by fear.
The
movement
Yesterday,
Jesus meets us in our fear and says:
Do
not be afraid.
He
does not remove everything but He loosens fear’s grip.
Today,
the Church says:
Now…
lift your gaze.
Now… seek what is above.
The
deeper connection
Fear
does this:
- pulls us
down
- fixes
our eyes on what is wrong
- keeps us
circling the same place
Resurrection
does this:
- frees
- lifts
- reorients
So
the journey is:
From
fear to lifting
From being held to seeking
From looking down to looking up
And
it fits the Gospels perfectly
- Yesterday:
the women are afraid… but moving
- Today:
Mary is searching… but not yet seeing
And
in both:
Jesus meets them where they are and gently draws them further
Yesterday
we heard: “Do not be afraid.”
Today we are invited to lift our hearts beyond fear,
to seek what is above, where Christ is.
We
may wish to ponder:
·
What
fear from yesterday is still sitting in me today?
·
Can
I lift it even slightly—toward Him?
4.
Prayer
Lord
Jesus,
You call me by name.
When
my mind is fixed only on what is before me,
lift my heart to where You are.
Teach
me to seek what is above,
not by leaving my life behind,
but by seeing it in the light of Your Resurrection.
Open
my eyes to recognise You
in the ordinary moments of this day.
Alleluia.
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