Daily Readings - Mon Apr 05 2021
Acts
14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.22"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.23This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.24But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.25David said about him: "'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.26Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope,27because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.28You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'29"Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day.30But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.31Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay.32God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.33Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
Matthew
8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.9Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.10Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."11While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.12When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money,13telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.'14If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble."15So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very 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.