INDEED, HE IS RISEN

Monday of Easter Octave

Acts 2: 14, 22-33

Psalm 16: 1-2a, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11

Matthew 28: 8-15

Brethren, “He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption.” (Acts 2: 31b). Christ who suffered, was crucified and died on the tree, as God planned and decreed, through his “foreknowledge,” is risen from the dead without doubt, and death has been defeated. St Paul would sing aloud and say to the Corinthians “Death where is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1Cor 15:55) My friends in the Risen Lord, Christ has indeed risen, God has raised him from the dead as St Peter affirms it in the first reading.

In the first reading, we encounter Peter taking the step forward and addressing the crowds on how God had planned and how He continues to plan it all out in fulfilling his promises to Abraham and even to us in these times. Peter goes on not to blame those who crucified Christ and he seemingly applauds them for making God’s plan come true. What Peter does is that he brings to their attention and in particular their consciences, and to us the “Good News”, the reason why we must repent and believe in Christ whom Peter has begun to pronounce. We ought to be a new creation altogether. Indeed and true, my friends in the Risen Lord was and is “not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption.” Christ has risen to be with us to lead us to the Father. To take us with Him to proclaim the Good News first to us who say we have been called to extended that mandate of discipleship.

In the Gospel passage we encounter felt by Mary Magdalene and the other Mary with the risen Lord. Christ sends these two women to his brothers. However, the guards rush to announce to the priests, that he is indeed risen “what should we say about this situation?” This gospel passage communicates two things namely, good news and evil/bad news. The good news is seeing, face to face, and that experience, that feeling, of listening when we are sent to tell others about the current situation that is ‘death has been defeated. The evil/bad news, is that the priests continue sinning and choosing to ignore the truth before them. They continue scheming and letting evil perpetuate in their cycles.

As a new creation, let us avoid evil because Christ has shown such love not only did he say it, but he went on to show it, that is by by dying for you and me on the Cross. As Peter addresses let us wake up and begun also to proclaim by not only the words but by our way of life. How we communicate, how we walk, what we wear, and all the signs and gestures that we do matter a lot as we proclaim the Good News that is Christ has risen from the dead. Let us then go out to proclaim that Christ is indeed and truly risen from the dead. For sure God did not abandon Him (Christ) to the hades, nor did His flesh experience corruption. Moreover let us keep this in mind this Easter mood that unless “my and your” righteousness surpasses that of the scribes, “I and you” will not enter the Kingdom of heaven (cf. Mt 5:20). Let us show much love in all that we do and proclaim the Risen Christ through our way of life.

Let us pray:

We thank you Christ the Risen Lord for defeating death and sin. May we encounter you and witness to you resurrection through our lives.

Amen.