4/21/2025 (Monday) Today’s Gospel reading: Matthew 28:8-15

8 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples
9 And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.
10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
11 While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had happened.
12 They assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’
14 And if this gets to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy [him] and keep you out of trouble.”
15 The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.

4/21/2025 (Monday) Today’s Gospel reflection / homily / sermon: Matthew 28:8-15

“Running with Joy: The Power of a Risen Christ”

The morning of the resurrection began with fear, but it ended with joy and that joy has never been silenced.

Two women, Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary,” had gone to the tomb only to be greeted by an angel who delivered the most world-shaking news: “He is not here; He has risen, just as He said.” Overwhelmed with a mixture of fear and great joy, they ran to tell the disciples. But before they reached them, Jesus Himself met them, alive, radiant, and full of peace. “Do not be afraid,” He told them, and sent them on with a mission of hope.

This is a moment that pulses with power. These women were the first evangelists of the resurrection, not priests, not kings, not religious leaders, but faithful women whose love for Christ outweighed their fear. And how does Jesus meet them? Not with judgment or rebuke, but with love and purpose. In their obedience and faith, they become bearers of the most profound truth humanity has ever known.

And yet, just a few verses later, we see a stark contrast. The guards who had witnessed the angel and the empty tomb went into the city and reported everything. The chief priests and elders quickly devised a scheme: pay the soldiers to lie. “Say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’” Even in the face of divine truth, they chose deception. The resurrection shook the very foundations of death and darkness, yet the hearts of some remained hardened.

This passage teaches us two things: the power of truth, and the persistence of opposition.

Truth doesn’t need to shout. It doesn’t need to fight to be real. It simply is. Jesus didn’t need to make a grand entrance at the temple or call down legions of angels to prove Himself. He appeared to those who had loved Him through the cross, who had stayed near when others fled. The truth of the resurrection was entrusted to the humble and the faithful.

But truth is often met with resistance. Lies can be loud. They can be well-funded, widely spread, and even “officially sanctioned.” And yet, they are still lies. The attempt to suppress the resurrection story didn’t stop the early church from exploding across the world. No bribe could bury the truth. No cover-up could keep Jesus in the grave.

This should fill us with boldness today. We live in a world that still tries to silence or distort the truth of Christ. But the same Jesus who met the women on the road is alive today. He still says, “Do not be afraid.” He still sends us with good news. And the truth we carry is not fragile. It’s fire. It changes lives, raises the dead, heals the broken, and restores what was lost.

So let us run, like the women did, with joy and urgency. Let us not be surprised when opposition comes, but let us remember that no scheme, no darkness, no power of man can erase what God has done. The tomb is empty. The King is alive. The truth has triumphed.

You have seen the risen Lord. Now go and tell the world.

Go here to read further Gospel reflection.