Daily Catholic Lectio
Monday, 1 April 2024
Monday in the Easter Octave
Acts 2:14, 22-33. Matthew 28:8-15
Jesus met them
According to the Matthean resurrection narrative, two groups move from the tomb of Jesus. The first group, consisting of women, ran to announce the good news to the apostles; the second group, consisting of soldiers, went to meet the chief priests. Jesus met the first group of people; the second group of people are busy spreading rumours.
(a) ‘They embraced his feet’
The women embraced Jesus’ feet or clung to him. This expression has literary and theological significance. The expression conveys to the reader that Jesus was not a phantasm or spirit but possessed a body that could be touched and embraced. This is Matthew’s way of presenting the body characteristics of Jesus. And the theological significance is that the gesture of embracing someone’s feet implies the recognition of divinity or God. The women clung to Jesus as their God and worshipped him.
(b) ‘God, tell my brothers’
Here, Jesus calls his apostles brothers, while in John, he calls them friends. ‘Brothers’ was the name given to the believers in the early Church. By addressing his apostles as brothers, Jesus confirms that they need not be afraid, guilty, or ashamed about what had happened to Jesus or what they did to Jesus. Jesus not only forgave them, but also owned them as his brothers.
(c) ‘Go to Galilee’
Galilee was the starting point of Jesus’ ministry. From Jerusalem – end point – the disciples are now called to go to Galilee. From there, they will come again to Jerusalem to bear witness (First Reading). The troubled disciples are now taken to the starting point once again.
God does not give up on us. He continues to remain with us. It is necessary that we return to the Galilee – starting point – of life, always.
On the other hand, the soldiers get into the city to spread rumours about Jesus’ resurrection. The disciples become living testimonies.
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“We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Rom 5:3-5). (Jubilee A. D. 2025, bite 62)
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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