April 7, 2026 Tuesday in the Octave of Easter Gospel: John 20:11-18
Today is Tuesday of the Easter Octave. The passage from Saint John’s Gospel depicts the beautiful scene of Mary Magdalene meeting the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
On the first day of the week (Sunday), early in the morning while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb. She stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she bent down to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been laid—one at the head and the other at the feet (cf. Jn 20:1, 11–12). How much she loved Jesus, that the risen Lord made her the first woman to enter His tomb. Her choice to go inside meant she longed to meet Jesus there. For she still viewed life and death according to the logic of this passing world, rather than the logic of God as revealed by Jesus.
Jesus met Mary Magdalene at the place of His burial and said to her:“Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (cf. Jn 20:17) He did not speak these words to any other disciple—intending to show that He is always with us: in the sacraments, whenever we pray to Him, in every person we encounter, and in the Scriptures we read. He wants us to bring the good news of His resurrection to all people, so the world may rediscover the Savior hidden in their lives through our service—especially by seeing our renewed way of life.
During this Easter Octave, let us join in prayer to God:
O God, who have bestowed on us paschal remedies, endow your people with heavenly gifts, so that, possessed of perfect freedom, they may rejoice in heaven over what gladdens them now on earth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
April 6, 2026 Monday in the Octave of Easter Gospel: Matthew 28:8-15
Today is the Monday of the Easter Octave. The passage from Saint Matthew’s Gospel recounts the narrative of the risen Lord Jesus Christ meeting Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, who loved Jesus deeply, went to His Holy Sepulchre after His death to recall the days they had spent with Him. This resembles what we do today when we visit cemeteries to remember our departed loved ones. The angel said to them:”You are not to be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised, just as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” (cf. Mt 28:5-7)
Filled with awe and joy, they ran to report this to the disciples—and on their way, Jesus met them again, inviting them to proclaim the good news to the Apostles: “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” (cf. Mt 28:10)
Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord! For these two women who loved Jesus dearly, what they experienced that morning was destined to be unforgettable throughout their lives. They were more blessed than the disciples of Jesus, for the risen Lord first appeared to them and commissioned them to announce to the Apostles and the Church the joyful news of His glorious resurrection.
We, having received Christian Baptism and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are called like those women to share the mission of proclaiming to the world the resurrection of the Savior. Let us therefore join in prayer to the risen Lord Jesus Christ, that we may worthily fulfil this mission:
O God, who give constant increase to your Church by new offspring, grant that your servants may hold fast in their lives to the Sacrament they have received in faith. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
April 5, 2026 The Resurrection of the Lord Gospel: John 20:1-9; Matthew 28:1-10; Luke 24:13-35
Today is the Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord. In accordance with the tradition of the Church, from this day forward, the Church enters into the Octave of Easter. The traditional Gospel reading for the daytime Mass of the Resurrection is taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle. Of course, the recently revised Lectionary also offers two alternative options: one may choose the Gospel of the Resurrection Vigil Mass (Matthew 28:1-10) or the account by St. Luke of the risen Lord’s encounter with the two disciples on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). I wish to take this opportunity to share some reflections.
St. John tells us: Mary Magdalene came to Jesus’ tomb and, finding it empty, ran to report to the Apostles, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him” (cf. Jn 20:2). Then Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved came to the empty tomb. Peter entered first, followed by the disciple whom Jesus loved (cf. Jn 20:1-9). This is precisely a true reflection of how we Christians come to embrace the view of life Jesus taught—for we too once regarded the tomb as the end of life. When St. Peter entered that empty tomb, he immediately believed. This shows that he no longer saw the tomb as the end of each person’ss life, but as the starting point of our journey to new life.
St. Matthew and St. Luke tell us of the risen Jesus’ encounters with people. St. Matthew recounts that after His Resurrection, Jesus met with Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. St. Luke tells us that Jesus met with the two disciples on the way to Emmaus. He did not rebuke them; rather, He gave them peace, enlightened their words and actions, and inspired them to announce the good news of His Resurrection to the Apostles. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, along with the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, obeying the inspiration of the Lord, reported to the community of the Apostles all they had seen and their experience of meeting the risen Lord, thus setting an example for us.
Today, the risen Lord also invites us to proclaim to the world the good news of His Resurrection. Let us now together offer our prayer to the risen Lord:
O God, who on this day, through your Only Begotten Son, have conquered death and unlocked for us the path to eternity, grant, we pray, that we who keep the solemnity of the Lord’s Resurrection may, through the renewal brought by your Spirit, rise up in the light of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
全属于祢 
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