Daily Readings - Mon Apr 05 2021

¹⁴But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.²²"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know--²³this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.²⁴God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.²⁵For David says concerning him, "'I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;²⁶therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope.²⁷For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption.²⁸You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.'²⁹"Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.³⁰Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne,³¹he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.³²This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.³³Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

Matthew

Chapter 28

⁸So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.⁹And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."¹¹While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place.¹²And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers¹³and said, "Tell people, 'His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.'¹⁴And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble."¹⁵So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that illuminate the profound impact of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The first reading from Acts presents Peter's impassioned speech to the crowd in Jerusalem, where he proclaims that Jesus's death and resurrection were part of God's divine plan. Peter uses the words of David from the Psalms to underscore that the Messiah would not remain in the grave, and he boldly declares that Jesus's resurrection is the fulfillment of this prophecy. This speech is a pivotal moment in the early Church, as Peter, once timid and uncertain, now stands with unwavering conviction, testifying to the truth of Christ's victory over death. The Gospel reading from Matthew complements this by recounting the immediate aftermath of the Resurrection. The women, filled with a mix of fear and joy, encounter the risen Jesus, who calms their fears and commissions them to spread the news to the disciples. Meanwhile, the guards, attempting to suppress the truth, are bribed to spread a false narrative that the disciples stole Jesus's body. This contrast between the women's faithful obedience and the guards' deceit highlights the tension between light and darkness, truth and falsehood, that has marked human history since the Fall. These readings remind us that the Resurrection is not merely an historical event but a living reality that shapes our lives today. Just as Peter and the women faced their fears and uncertainties, we too are called to trust in God's plan, even when circumstances seem daunting. The Resurrection assures us that God's power is greater than any human attempt to suppress or distort the truth. Let us, therefore, embrace the joy and hope that come from knowing that Christ has triumphed over death, and let us strive to live as witnesses to this truth, undeterred by the challenges and falsehoods we may encounter.