Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 28, 8-15
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed,
and ran to announce the news to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me.”
While they were going, some of the guard went into the city
and told the chief priests all that had happened.
The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel;
then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
telling them, “You are to say,
‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’
And if this gets to the ears of the governor,
we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.
And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.
Fearful but happy
1) Women. Each of us is represented in the women; I mean those of us who walk along the path of faith, for it is only faith that keeps us going, faith in Christ and his words because around us there’s death and violence. Just watch TV and you’ll see there are no limits, everyone gives their opinion on everything, even if they know nothing about what they’re talking about. Or take a look at traffic; everyone drives madly and gets angry about everything. Even at our workplace or our homes, there is little patience and no hope – so much despair everywhere! But, these women go look for Jesus. Don’t stop looking for Jesus even if everything around you seems to have collapsed or to be broken. Don’t let this society deprive you of finding and following Jesus.
2) Jesus. He appears to the women, and is close and understanding. Jesus invites us to share his life and to have faith in him. He comes to remind us that faith in him implies life and proclamation. A Christian is not a believer in an ideology, nor is he a graduate in any particular field; a Christian is a witness. That’s why Jesus appears to them, so that they may proclaim what they saw and heard. Today, seek to meet Christ in order to communicate Jesus with your life.
3) Galilee. It represents the origin, your mission begins there. Your Galilee is the place where you found your faith; go back to that place, to that particular point in time. It’s the moment you started being part of the church group or movement or the retreat that marked your life – that’s your Galilee, where God began to appear in your life.
May God bless you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Never forget that something good is on the way!
