Frederick, Maryland,
United States - Daily Mass Reading & Meditation for Monday, 21 April 2014 -
Catholic Meditations
Meditations: Matthew 28:
8 They departed quickly from the tomb
with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word. 9 As they went to
tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!”
They came and took hold
of his feet, and worshiped him.
10 Then Jesus said to
them, “Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brothers[a] that they should go into
Galilee, and there they will see me.”
11 Now while they were
going, behold, some of the guards came into the city, and told the chief
priests all the things that had happened. 12 When they were assembled with the
elders, and had taken counsel, they gave a large amount of silver to the
soldiers, 13 saying, “Say that his disciples came by night, and stole him away
while we slept. 14 If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him
and make you free of worry.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were
told. This saying was spread abroad among the Jews, and continues until today.
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 28:10 The
word for “brothers” here may be also correctly translated “brothers and
sisters” or “siblings.”
Monday within the Octave
of Easter
Go tell my brothers.
(Matthew 28:10)
Even though your
celebration of Easter probably took place in a packed church, that’s not how it
all started two thousand years ago. It began when two women ran from an empty
tomb to tell their friends that Jesus had been raised from the dead. It began
with the announcement of the good news—first to Mary Magdalene and her
companion, and then to the eleven apostles. In fact, the angel’s instructions
to share the good news were so important that Jesus himself appeared and gave
the same command: “Go tell my brothers” (Matthew 28:10).
What if the women had
kept the news to themselves? What if fear of the authorities had trumped their
excitement? Your life would be quite different today, wouldn’t it?
Think back to your first
encounter with Jesus. Didn’t another person play some part in introducing you
to him? That person was following the angel’s words! In his apostolic
exhortation On Evangelization in the Modern World, Pope Paul VI made the same
point: “In the long run, is there any other way of handing on the gospel than
by transmitting to another person one’s personal experience of faith?” (46).
Everything depends on evangelization!
Of course, we need to have
that personal experience before we can pass it on. We need to be able to
demonstrate a life filled with the hope and joy of the resurrection. We need to
be just different enough to prompt people to ask us, “Why are you so peaceful?
What’s your secret?” Then, as St. Peter said, we can “be ready” to answer these
questions with humility and enthusiasm
(1 Peter 3:15).
Have you encountered the
risen Lord? Then “run,” just as Mary Magdalene did, to tell people about him.
The fact that people still deny Jesus’ resurrection, as the chief priests did,
shouldn’t scare you. Before he gave his command to Mary Magdalene, Jesus told
her, “Do not be afraid” (Matthew 28:10). Let the good news of the empty tomb
empower you. Let your own experience of his love give you confidence. You have
the light of the gospel within you. Now, go!
“Lord, I praise you for
sharing with me the greatest good news there is: the message of new life now
and eternal life with you forever. Give me the courage and zeal to share that
message with everyone I meet.” Amen.
Acts 2: 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up
his voice, and spoke out to them, “You men of Judea, and all you who dwell at
Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
22 “Men of Israel, hear
these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works
and wonders and signs which God did by him among you, even as you yourselves
know, 23 him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of
God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; 24 whom
God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not
possible that he should be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him,
‘I saw the Lord always
before my face,
For he is on my right hand, that I should
not be moved.
26 Therefore my heart
was glad, and my tongue rejoiced.
Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope;
27 because you will not
leave my soul in Hades,[a]
neither will you allow your Holy One to see
decay.
28 You made known to me
the ways of life.
You will make me full of gladness with your
presence.’[b]
29 “Brothers, I may tell
you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his
tomb is with us to this day. 30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that
God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to
the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31 he foreseeing
this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was his soul left
in Hades,[c] nor did his flesh see decay. 32 This Jesus God raised up, to which
we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and
having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured
out this, which you now see and hear.
Footnotes:
a. Acts 2:27 or, Hell
b. Acts 2:28 Psalm
16:8-11
c. Acts 2:31 or, Hell
Psalm 16: A Poem by
David.
1 Preserve me, God, for
in you do I take refuge.
2 My soul, you have said
to Yahweh, “You are my Lord.
Apart from you I have no good thing.”
5 Yahweh assigned my
portion and my cup.
You made my lot secure.
7 I will bless Yahweh,
who has given me counsel.
Yes, my heart instructs me in the night
seasons.
8 I have set Yahweh
always before me.
Because he is at my right hand, I shall not
be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is
glad, and my tongue rejoices.
My body shall also dwell in safety.
10 For you will not
leave my soul in Sheol,[a]
neither will you allow your holy one to see
corruption.
11 You will show me the
path of life.
In your presence is fullness of joy.
In your right hand there
are pleasures forever more.
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 16:10 Sheol is
the place of the dead.
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