Celtic Odyssey

John 20.11-18 (MSG; adapted): 1 11-13 But Mary of Magdala stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus’ body had been laid. They said to her, “Woman, why do you weep?” 13-14 “They took my Master,” she said, “and I don’t know where they put him.” After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn’t recognize him. 15 Jesus spoke to her, “Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?” She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, “Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him.” 16 Jesus said, “Mary.” Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, “ Rabboni! ” meaning “Teacher!” 17 Jesus said, “Don’t cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and sisters and tell them, ‘I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.’” 18 Mary went...

Ephesians 1.3-14 (CEB; adapted): 1 3 Bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus the Christ! God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing that comes from heaven. 4 God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless in God’s presence before the creation of the world. 5 God destined us to be his adopted children through Jesus the Christ because of his love. This was according to God’s goodwill and plan 6 and to honor his glorious grace that was given to us freely through the Son whom he loves. 7 We’ve been ransomed through the Son’s blood, and we have forgiveness for our failures based on God’s overflowing grace, 8 which has been poured over us with wisdom and understanding. 9 God revealed this hidden design to us, which is according to his goodwill and the plan that he intended to accomplish through his Son. 10 This is what God planned for the climax of all times: to bring all things together in Christ, the things in heaven along with the things on earth. 11 We hav...

The Bible used this week is the Common English Bible. I’ll return to the Message next week. Wisdom 1.13-15; 2.23-24 (CEB; adapted): 1 13 God didn’t make death. God takes no delight in the ruin of anything that lives. 14 God created everything so that it might exist. The creative forces at work in the cosmos are life-giving. There’s no destructive poison in them. The underworld doesn’t rule on earth. 15 Doing what’s right means living forever. … 23 Humans were created to live forever. They were made as a perfect representation of God’s own unique identity. 24 Death entered the universe only through the devil’s envy. Those who belong to the devil’s party experience death. Other readings: Psalm 30; 2 Corinthians 8.7, 9, 13-15; Mark 5.21-43                   Today’s Lesson comes to us from one of the oft misunderstood and shrouded in mystery texts of the “Apocrypha” — the Wisdom of Solomon (o...