DAILY- HOMILY

APRIL 1, 2013
MONDAY , OCTAVE OF EASTER, YEAR I

Acts 2:14,22-32 / Ps 16: 1-2a and 5. 7-8. 9-10. 11 / Mt 28:8-15

ACTS 2:14,22-32
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and, with a loud voice, addressed them, "Fellow Jews and all foreigners now staying in Jerusalem, listen to what I have to say. Fellow Israelites, listen to what I am going to tell you about Jesus of Nazareth. God accredited him and through him did powerful deeds and wonders and signs in your midst, as you well know. You delivered him to sinners to be crucified and killed, and in this way the purpose of God from all times was fulfilled. But God raised him to life and released him from the pain of death, because it was impossible for him to be held in the power of death. David spoke of him when he said: I saw the Lord before me at all times; he is by my side, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced; my body too will live in hope. Because you will not forsake me in the abode of the dead, nor allow your Holy One to experience corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life, and your presence will fill me with joy. Friends, I don't need to prove that the patriarch David died and was buried; his tomb is with us to this day. But he knew that God had sworn to him that one of his descendants would sit upon his throne and, as he was a prophet, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah. So he said that he would not be left in the region of the dead, nor would his body experience corruption. This Messiah is Jesus and we are all witnesses that God raised him to life.

MATTHEW 28:8-15
They left the tomb at once in fear, yet with great joy, and they ran to tell the news to his disciples. Suddenly, Jesus met them on the way and said, "Rejoice!" The women approached him, embraced his feet and worshiped him. But Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid! Go and tell my brothers to set out for Galilee; there they will see me." While the women were on their way, the guards returned to the city, and some of them reported to the chief priests all that had happened. The chief priests met with the elders, and decided to give the soldiers a large sum of money, with this instruction, "Say that his disciples came by night while you were asleep, and stole the body of Jesus. If Pilate comes to know of this, we will explain the situation and keep you out of trouble." The soldiers accepted the money and did as they were told. This story has circulated among the Jews until this day.

REFLECTION
Truth is a tricky thing. Stories are inherently biased, and as these get passed on from one to the other, we discover just how malleable they can be. We ourselves bend the truth every so often, whether for "noble" reasons like protecting loved ones from disgrace or disillusion, or for more selfish ones like avoiding consequences of wrong actions we persist in doing.

In today's gospel reading, the price of the truth was an easy lie from the chief priests and a "good sum of money." The high priests loved the limelight. It was imperative to keep their fellow Jews in the dark, lest the truth of the resurrection set them free—and into the light of the Risen Lord. The resurrection, after all, is the single most important event in our religious history. It signals our ransom and freedom from sin, and the triumph over death in all its forms—not just physically, but spiritually. The empty tomb is an eternal symbol of hope.

In our lives, how often are we tempted to manipulate the truth so we don't look like the bad guys? Does this approach set us free, as we hope? In this season of renewal, let us avoid trapping ourselves in webs of lies and resolve to stand for truth and the freedom it brings. The resurrection is real, and like truth, it will prevail in our lives, undenied. And this is something worth telling the world.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Lorraine Raffinan Perez
- Elizabeth Lim
… for the personal intentions of Donna
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Lorraine Philipps N. Sy
- In Memoriam (+): Yu Ba Lee
… for families who are in need of healing
… for world peace and reconciliation.

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.

Have a good day!

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