Daily Readings - Mon Apr 21 2025

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 faith, the truth of the resurrection, and the courage to proclaim it. In the first reading from Acts, Peter stands before the people of Jerusalem and boldly proclaims the resurrection of Jesus. He reminds them of the miracles and signs that confirmed Jesus as the Messiah, and he explains how the resurrection fulfills God’s plan and overcomes even death itself. Peter’s words are a testament to the transformative power of the Gospel, as he calls his listeners to recognize the truth of who Jesus is and what he has accomplished. In the Gospel, we see the immediate aftermath of the resurrection. The women, filled with 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 suppress the truth by bribing the soldiers to spread a false story about the disciples stealing Jesus’ body. This narrative reminds us that the resurrection has always faced opposition, but it also shows that no human effort can extinguish the truth of God’s plan. The women’s obedience and the guards’ deception reveal the human responses to divine revelation—some embrace it with faith, while others try to control or deny it. These readings call us to reflect on our own response to the resurrection. Like Peter, we are called to proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ with courage and conviction, even in the face of opposition. Like the women, we are invited to embrace the joy and wonder of the resurrection, allowing it to transform our lives. And like the guards, we are reminded that our attempts to control or deny God’s plan are ultimately futile. Let us ask for the grace to stand firm in our faith, to trust in God’s plan, and to share the Good News with a world that so desperately needs it.