Monday in the Octave of Easter, April 21, 2025

Gospel

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.

Reflection

What stood out to me most in this Gospel was the opposing responses to Jesus’ resurrection. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, though initially fearful, were filled with joy at the sight of the empty tomb. I can imagine the whirlwind of thoughts racing through their minds...was His body stolen?...Was He moved?...Could He have truly risen? And then, in the midst of this confusion, they encountered Jesus Himself. I can picture their overwhelming relief, shock, and utter joy. However, quite the opposite was the chief priests and elders reactions, whose hearts remained in darkness. Although they were faced with the same event, Jesus's resurrection, they didn’t rejoice and they didn't seek to understand. Instead, they schemed to suppress it. They bribed the guards and fabricated lies to hide the truth. 

This Gospel makes me reflect on how the world still reacts to truth in these two very different ways. Sometimes people embrace it with joy, maybe joy also mixed with fear and uncertainty. Other times, people resist truth because it challenges their comfort, their power, or their understanding of the world.

Jesus knows the cost of proclaiming truth. He knows how often we are silenced whether by fear, by ridicule, by opposition, or by doubt. And yet, His words “Do not be afraid” ring true. He doesn’t promise it will be easy, but He assures us that He goes ahead of us, that He will be seen, known, and believed, even if others try to silence His message.