OCTAVE Easter, Monday
Psalter: Proper / (White)
Ps 16:1-2a & 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
1st Reading: Acts 2:14, 22-33
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and, with a loud voice, addressed them, “Fellow Jews and all foreigners now staying in Jerusalem, listen to what I have to say.
Fellow Israelites, listen to what I am going to tell you about Jesus of Nazareth. God accredited him and through him did powerful deeds and wonders and signs in your midst, as you well know. You delivered him to sinners to be crucified and killed, and, in this way, the purpose of God, from all times, was fulfilled. But God raised him to life and released him from the pain of death; because it was impossible for him to be held in the power of death. David spoke of him when he said: I saw the Lord before me at all times; he is by my side, that I may not be shaken. Therefore, my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced; my body, too, will live in hope. Because you will not forsake me in the abode of the dead, nor allow your Holy One to experience corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life, and your presence will fill me with joy.
Friends, I don’t need to prove that the patriarch David died and was buried; his tomb is with us to this day. But he knew, that God had sworn to him, that one of his descendants would sit upon his throne and, as he was a prophet, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah. So he said, that he would not be left in the region of the dead, nor would his body experience corruption.
This Messiah is Jesus; and we are all witnesses that God raised him to life. He has been exalted at God’s right side; and the Father has entrusted the Holy Spirit to him; this Spirit, he has just poured upon us, as you now see and hear.
Gospel: Mt 28:8-15
In fear, yet with great joy, the women left the tomb and ran to tell the news to his disciples.
Suddenly, Jesus met them on the way and said, “Rejoice!” The women approached him, embraced his feet and worshiped him. But Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid! Go and tell my brothers to set out for Galilee; there, they will see me.”
As the women proceeded on their way, some of the guards went into the city, and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. The chief priests met with the elders, and decided to give the soldiers a large sum of money, with this order, “Say that his disciples came by night while you were asleep, and stole the body of Jesus. If Pilate comes to know of this, we will explain the situation and keep you out of trouble.” The soldiers accepted the money and did as they were told. This story has circulated among the Jews until this day.
REFLECTION:
The resurrection of the Lord provoked a lot of emotions. For His followers who first knew of it (the women who went to His tomb) it was fear and joy. It is a combination of the different range of feelings because not one feeling can encapsulate it. There is a renewed spring in their steps. The dark harrowing nights of the passion and death of the Lord is now a thing of the past. Life triumphed from the death-dealing blow of sin and is now standing in front of them. They can share this good news to their brethren so that they too may experience the joy that is theirs that blessed dawn of the first day of the week.
Not so for the soldiers who were caught flat footed at the tremendous energy that burst inside the tomb because of the life that came charging forth from it. They cannot contain that life. They left scampering not knowing what to do and reported the incident to the chief priests. This is a crisis situation. They must use their effective tool again. So the life they took for thirty pieces of silver is once again denied as coming back by some pieces of silver that changed hands.
Daily Reflection
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Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL
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