Daily Readings - Mon Apr 01 2024

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

The readings today invite us to reflect on the power of God’s plan and the truth of the Resurrection. In the first reading from Acts, Peter stands before the crowd in Jerusalem and proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ. He reminds them that Jesus, though crucified, was raised by God, fulfilling the promises of Scripture. Peter’s words are bold and clear, pointing to the Resurrection as the ultimate proof of God’s love and power. This passage captures the excitement and conviction of the early Christian community, which had just experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. In the Gospel, we see the immediate aftermath of the Resurrection. The women, filled with a mix of fear and joy, encounter the risen Jesus and are commissioned to spread the news to the disciples. Meanwhile, the guards and religious leaders attempt to cover up the truth by bribing the soldiers to spread a false story. This contrast between the women’s faith and the leaders’ deceit highlights the ongoing struggle between light and darkness, truth and lies. The Resurrection is not just an event; it is a call to trust in God’s plan, even when the world around us seems determined to obscure it. These readings remind us that we, too, are called to live as witnesses to the Resurrection. Like Peter, we must be bold in sharing the truth of Christ, even in the face of opposition. Like the women, we must allow our hearts to be filled with joy and trust, even when the road ahead seems uncertain. In a world that often tries to diminish or deny the power of God, we are called to stand firm in our faith. Let us embrace the hope of the Resurrection and allow it to transform our lives, so that we may bear witness to the love and truth of God in all we do.