Pope Francis
By Thaddeus Jones
Apr 11 2023
On Easter Monday Pope Francis leads the recitation of the Regina Coeli prayer in Saint Peter’s Square. He recalls how the women in the Gospel hurry to share the news of the Risen Lord and teach us that we encounter Jesus by witnessing to him.
Pope Francis greeted pilgrims in Saint Peter’s Square on Easter Monday for the midday recitation of the Regina Coeli prayer, which is said in place of the Angelus during Eastertide from Easter Sunday to the end of Pentecost. The Regina Coeli, Queen of Heaven, recalls Christ’s victory over death.
In reflecting on today’s Gospel that recounts the women disciples who find the empty tomb and encounter the Risen Jesus on Easter morning, Pope Francis recalled that they were the first to go to the tomb and became the first bearers of the good news of the resurrection.
Courage and love
The Pope described how they too like all the disciples were still in mourning after Jesus’ suffering and death, but they did not let sadness or fear hold them back from going to the tomb with aromatic ointments to anoint the body of Jesus in a gesture of love and remembrance. And overcoming their fears and sadness with this courage and love is what leads them to encounter the Risen One.
The Lord among us
The discovery of the empty tomb leads the women to hurry and run off to tell the other disciples about this wonderful news, the Pope observed, and then Jesus goes to encounter them as they are on their way.
Sometimes we might that keeping God to ourselves is a way to be close to Him, but this can also be out of our own fear that if we speak openly, people might judge, criticize or challenge us and we don’t know how to respond, so best to keep it inside. Instead, the Pope explained that our going out to tell others about the Lord, brings the Lord among us.
Good News alive in us
The Pope then gave an example of how sharing good news brings the news alive in us. The birth of a child is a happy announcement people share with family and friends, and by telling people about it, the good news comes alive in us, he noted. And this happens “infinitely more for Jesus,” he explained, who is not only good news, but “life itself, ‘the resurrection and the life’.”
Nothing can stop us from proclaiming the Lord after an encounter with Him, the Pope added, and if we do not share this experience, maybe we have yet to really meet Him. The Pope suggested we ask ourselves when and how we bear witness to Jesus, and if others perceive we have met the Lord and are therefore interested and inspired to know more.
