Daily Readings - Mon Apr 10 2023

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 profound moments of faith and truth. From Acts, Peter stands before the crowd, proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus. He uses David's prophecy to illustrate that Jesus' resurrection was foretold, emphasizing that Jesus, now at God's right hand, has sent the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. This moment captures the essence of Peter's transformed faith, from a disciple to a bold preacher of the Gospel. In Matthew's Gospel, we witness the immediate aftermath of the resurrection. The women, filled with joy and fear, encounter the risen Jesus and are tasked with spreading the news. Meanwhile, the guards and priests conspire to deny the truth, bribing them to spread a lie. This narrative highlights the contrast between the truth of the resurrection and the attempts to suppress it, showcasing the lengths to which some will go to maintain their power. These readings remind us that the truth of God's love and redemption, as seen in Jesus' resurrection, cannot be silenced. In our daily lives, we face similar challenges—moments where we must choose between truth and comfort, between integrity and convenience. The moral lesson here is clear: trust in God's truth, even when faced with opposition. Like Peter, we are called to be bold in our faith, trusting that God's truth will prevail. Let us embrace this truth, allowing it to transform our lives and guide our actions, just as it did for Peter and the early disciples.