The Holy Spirit regenerates courage in the testimony to the Resurrection in the texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary on the Monday within the Octave of Easter.
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| Against our fears |
The reading from the Book of Acts is Peter’s Speech at Pentecost.
* [2:1–41] Luke’s pentecostal narrative consists of an introduction (Acts 2:1–13), a speech ascribed to Peter declaring the resurrection of Jesus and its messianic significance (Acts 2:14–36), and a favorable response from the audience (Acts 2:37–41). It is likely that the narrative telescopes events that took place over a period of time and on a less dramatic scale. The Twelve were not originally in a position to proclaim publicly the messianic office of Jesus without incurring immediate reprisal from those religious authorities in Jerusalem who had brought about Jesus’ death precisely to stem the rising tide in his favor.1
In the “Miktam of David” the psalmist rejects the futile worship of false gods (Ps 16:2–5), preferring Israel’s God (Ps 16:1), the giver of the land (Ps 16:6).
* [Psalm 16] In the first section, the psalmist rejects the futile worship of false gods (Ps 16:2–5), preferring Israel’s God (Ps 16:1), the giver of the land (Ps 16:6). The second section reflects on the wise and life-giving presence of God (Ps 16:7–11).
* [16:1] Miktam: a term occurring six times in Psalm superscriptions, always with “David.” Its meaning is unknown.2
The Gospel from Matthew is an account of The Resurrection of Jesus and the introduction of propaganda in the The Report of the Guard concerning the events of Easter.
* [28:1–20] Except for Mt 28:1–8 based on Mk 16:1–8, the material of this final chapter is peculiar to Matthew. Even where he follows Mark, Matthew has altered his source so greatly that a very different impression is given from that of the Marcan account. The two points that are common to the resurrection testimony of all the gospels are that the tomb of Jesus had been found empty and that the risen Jesus had appeared to certain persons, or, in the original form of Mark, that such an appearance was promised as soon to take place (see Mk 16:7). On this central and all-important basis, Matthew has constructed an account that interprets the resurrection as the turning of the ages (Mt 28:2–4), shows the Jewish opposition to Jesus as continuing to the present in the claim that the resurrection is a deception perpetrated by the disciples who stole his body from the tomb (Mt 28:11–15), and marks a new stage in the mission of the disciples once limited to Israel (Mt 10:5–6); now they are to make disciples of all nations. In this work they will be strengthened by the presence of the exalted Son of Man, who will be with them until the kingdom comes in fullness at the end of the age (Mt 28:16–20).3
Jay Carney comments that the word that struck him in today’s gospel is “fearful” and how our existential fears connect to the Resurrection. What is going on here? Why the fear?
In our oldest existing copies of the Gospel of Mark, the gospel ends with the word “afraid” (Mk 16:8). Matthew nuances this a bit, combining fear with joy. Yet even “joy” often emerges from a context of pain and suffering, as Pope Francis reminds us in Evangelii Gaudium: “I understand the grief of people who have to endure great suffering, yet slowly but surely we all have to let the joy of faith slowly revive as a quiet yet firm trust, even amid the greatest distress” (EG 6).
As the Pope implies, the Risen Jesus ultimately does not leave us in our fears but calls us through them. Raising the women up from his feet, Jesus commissions them: “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” In the lingering darkness of the night – with its characteristic betrayals, violence, lies, and hypocrisies– a light shines forth on Easter morning.
Life wins. Jesus wins. God wins. On this Easter Monday, go and witness to the surprise of the gospel in your own Galilee.4
Don Schwager quotes “The Easter Alleluia,” by Saint Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Our thoughts in this present life should turn on the praise of God, because it is in praising God that we shall rejoice for ever in the life to come; and no one can be ready for the next life unless he trains himself for it now. So we praise God during our earthly life, and at the same time we make our petitions to him. Our praise is expressed with joy, our petitions with yearning. We have been promised something we do not yet possess, and because the promise was made by one who keeps his word, we trust him and are glad; but insofar as possession is delayed, we can only long and yearn for it. It is good for us to persevere in longing until we receive what was promised, and yearning is over; then praise alone will remain." (excerpt from commentary on Psalm 148, 1-2) 5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 2:14, 22-33 notes that Peter was so excited to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah. God’s promises had been fulfilled. Jesus is God’s Holy One who was not abandoned to the netherworld. He is the everlasting king that David spoke about. But to their surprise, he did not come as an earthly king who would rescue God’s people from a particular problem they were having. He came to save them from the problem, the source of all oppression and suffering. He came to save them—and everyone—from sin. And he did that by dying to sin on the cross and by opening heaven to them in his resurrection.
You probably didn’t grow up longing for a messiah in the same way the ancient Israelites did. But still, your longings might be similar. Maybe you are looking for Jesus to solve a problem for you or to deliver you from a particularly difficult situation. Maybe somewhere deep down, you believe that following him should give you health and prosperity.
Just as he did back then, Jesus wants to upend your expectations now. He wants to release you from sin so that you are freer to love. He wants to restore you to your Father in heaven so that you can live in confidence, no matter your situation. He wants to help you overcome whatever drags you down so that you can be filled with his joy and peace.6
Friar Jude Winkler shares insight into the first preaching of the Gospel, or kerygma, by Peter at Pentecost according to Luke. Apologia addressed to gentile Christians, presentation of women as credible witnesses by Matthew and combating propaganda are themes in the texts today. Friar Jude comments on meeting Jesus after the resurrection in Jerusalem and Galilee.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares that to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead is not really a leap of faith. Resurrection and renewal are, in fact, the universal and observable patterns of everything.
Our job is to figure out not the how or the when of resurrection, but just the what! Leave the how and the when to science and to God. True Christianity and true science are both transformational worldviews that place growth and development at their centers. Both endeavors, each in its own way, cooperate with some Divine Plan; whether God is formally acknowledged may not be that important. As C. G. Jung inscribed over his doorway, Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit, “Invoked or not invoked, God is still present.” [1]
God has worked anonymously since the very beginning—it has always been an inside and secret job.
The Spirit seems to work best underground. When aboveground, humans start fighting about it.
You can call this grace, the indwelling Holy Spirit, or just evolution toward union in love. God is not in competition with anybody, but only in deep-time cooperation with everybody who loves (Romans 8:28). Whenever we place one caring foot forward, God uses it, sustains it, and blesses it. Our impulse does not need to wear the name of religion.7
Incarnation and the indwelling Spirit continue to be our source of courage to resolve our existential fears as our encounter with the Risen Jesus continues.
References
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(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 16 - usccb. Retrieved April 22, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/16
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(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 28 - usccb. Retrieved April 22, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/28
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(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved April 22, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
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(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 22, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
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(n.d.). Monday within the Octave of Easter - Mass Readings and Catholic .... Retrieved April 22, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/04/22/
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(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: April 2019 - Daily Meditations Archives .... Retrieved April 22, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/04/
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