Petition: Lord, as you rose from the tomb to bring light to the world, illuminate the darkness of my heart with your hope and joy.  Inflame my heart so as to make me a tireless herald of your message.

 

Gospel Passage: Matthew 28: 8-15

 

So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, Greetings! And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me. While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, You must say, His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep. If this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Jews to this day.

 

Introductory Prayer: At the dawn of your Resurrection, you brought forth a newfound hope for all who follow you.  Help me live this hope in my daily life.  May my heart shun any fear or doubt. Teach me to cling to this confidence of risen life with you and live as a joyful herald of hope.

 

1.   Jesus met them.

 

Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Jesus did not meet his followers in the tomb, for he had conquered death.  Jesus comes to meet his followers on the path of hope leading away from the tomb. Filled with fear and great joy, they were running to spread the news of the empty tomb and there, on the path of hope, Jesus met them.  In that moment, how their hope was bolstered!  Christ is alive, and death has now lost its sting! In our lives, you come to meet us too, Lord Jesus. You come to us in our moments of fear and of joy. You come to distill in our hearts the confidence of your love and truth. You come to build our hope on the path to heaven. And where do we still meet you? You come to us in prayer, the Church, the sacraments, and charity, but especially in your most delicate expression of love: the Eucharist. Thank you, Lord, for never abandoning me. When I meet you on the way, bolster my hope so that I tirelessly extend the message of salvation to all nations.

 

2.   Do not be afraid!

 

The first words of Christ address the looming fear in the hearts of his followers. There is nothing to fear; Christ is our risen hope! The previous words of Christ when he raised Jarius daughter echo in their minds, Fear is useless. What is needed is trust. Upon seeing the Risen Lord, the disciples become heralds of hope to his other followers. The disciples eagerly proclaim the joy of the Resurrection with zeal impossible to contain. So often, Lord Jesus, I lack this same zeal. Many times I remain locked in fear, afraid of going out to proclaim your Kingdom. Help me to rise above my anxieties to trust in you. May the reality of your love push me forward to commit my time and energies for the Church. I want to spread your message of life and not remain bound up in the tomb. Open my eyes to see the needs of the Church and grant me the courage to respond generously.

 

3.   You must say

 

At the dawn of the Resurrection, the guards and chief priests sought to spread the darkness of lies.  Ever since Christ came into the world, he has been and always will be a sign of contradiction.  There will always be those who prefer the darkness of their hearts than the light of Christ.  The fear of these lies and persecutions, however, did not daunt the hope of the first Christians. Although hunted down and martyred, the first Christians fearlessly proclaimed Christ's message to all nations, and by their many trials, they conquered.

 

Conversation: Lord, never let me forsake hope in the midst of my sufferings or trials. Today, as with the first Christians, it seems like society works against the cause of Christ and that our chance of success is bleak at best. Yet in this tribulation, you call noble souls to stand up in hope, to fight for the Church and to lay down their lives for the sake of their brothers and sisters. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. By my suffering and fidelity to the mission you entrust into my hands, I can change this world. Lord, teach me to grasp the hope of your Resurrection tightly, so that no matter what difficulties I face in extending your Kingdom, I will always be faithful to you.

 

Questionnaire:

 

1. How deep are my daily encounters with Christ in prayer and the sacraments?  Does my prayer life fill me with hope?

 

2. What fears do I wrestle with in regards to responding to God's will for my life?  How do I overcome those fears and build trust?

 

3. Do I look upon the world with hope, confident in Christ and confident that he will use my fidelity and sufferings to help save souls?