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.
The joy of Resurrection
1. Fear. That’s what you must overcome, it’s what doesn’t give you life. Today what you must begin to face is fear that leads you to death and makes you live as you were dead in life, because you have no hope, and you don’t have any projects to look forward to. These are the three things that lead you to a listless or joyless life: indifference, uncertainty and fear.
2. Joy. This is the feeling of the women of whom the Gospel speaks. It’s the opposite of death. It’s one of the characteristics of the person who looks at life with optimism, accepting reality and looking for the good in it, to get excited and live. Today, you and I might also feel like that. We know that all is not yet well, but we are joyful because we know that Christ is alive. It’s quite the opposite of living in denial as if nothing had happened, but rather it’s discovering that in the face of what has happened there is something new, different and positive. The worries are always there, the fears are always in our head but today let’s allow joy to take over. Try to have a joyful attitude today. Are you adopting a joyful, positive attitude?
3. ‘You are to say’. Gossip will always be around and there will always be talk about whatever happens in your life, for better or worse, but the truth comes out eventually. Don’t let comments or gossip destroy your life and your motivations to live fully. Rather live life without fear, for everything settles in time and the truth comes out in time.
Never forget that something good is on the way!
May God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
