First reading Acts 2:14,22-33
God raised this man Jesus to life, and all of us are witnesses to this
On the day of Pentecost Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed the crowd in a loud voice: ‘Men of Israel, listen to what I am going to say: Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God by the miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him when he was among you, as you all know. This man, who was put into your power by the deliberate intention and foreknowledge of God, you took and had crucified by men outside the Law. You killed him, but God raised him to life, freeing him from the pangs of Hades; for it was impossible for him to be held in its power since, as David says of him:
I saw the Lord before me always,
for with him at my right hand nothing can shake me.
So my heart was glad
and my tongue cried out with joy;
my body, too, will rest in the hope
that you will not abandon my soul to Hades
nor allow your holy one to experience corruption.
You have made known the way of life to me,
you will fill me with gladness through your presence.
‘Brothers, no one can deny that the patriarch David himself is dead and buried: his tomb is still with us. But since he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn him an oath to make one of his descendants succeed him on the throne, what he foresaw and spoke about was the resurrection of the Christ: he is the one who was not abandoned to Hades, and whose body did not experience corruption. God raised this man Jesus to life, and all of us are witnesses to that. Now raised to the heights by God’s right hand, he has received from the Father the Holy Spirit, who was promised, and what you see and hear is the outpouring of that Spirit.’
Responsorial Psalm 15(16):1-2,5,7-11
Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. (Or: Alleluia)
Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, You are my Lord.
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
you yourself who secure my lot.
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord before me always;
with him at my right hand,
I shall not be moved.
And so, my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;
Even my flesh shall rest in hope.
For you will not abandon my soul to hell,
Nor let your holy one see corruption.
You will show me the path of life,
the fullness of joy in your presence,
at your right hand, bliss forever.
Gospel Matthew 28:8-15
Tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee: they will see me there
Filled with awe and great joy the women came quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell the disciples.
And there, coming to meet them, was Jesus. ‘Greetings’ he said. And the women came up to him and, falling down before him, clasped his feet. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee; they will see me there.’
While they were on their way, some of the guard went off into the city to tell the chief priests all that had happened. These held a meeting with the elders and, after some discussion, handed a considerable sum of money to the soldiers with these instructions, ‘This is what you must say, “His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.” And should the governor come to hear of this, we undertake to put things right with him ourselves and to see that you do not get into trouble.’ The soldiers took the money and carried out their instructions, and to this day that is the story among the Jews.
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From fear to joy
“On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed the crowd in a loud voice, ‘Men of Israel, listen to what I am going to say…’” The first reading today starts with Peter’s bold proclamation about Jesus Christ, who was crucified, yet raised by God. This same Peter, who once was afraid and hid in the Upper Room, now stands before the crowd and testifies about Jesus. His faith is no longer based on what others said, but rooted in his encounter with the Risen Lord. This is what gives him boldness. Faith is not just knowing about Jesus; it is knowing Him personally. When we encounter Him, we cannot remain silent.
In the Gospel, we see the women joyfully leaving the empty tomb and running to share the news. Along the way, they encounter Jesus, and their overwhelming joy propels them into mission. In contrast, the guards and religious leaders face the same empty tomb, but choose to respond with fear and suspicion. Instead of receiving the truth, they create a false story to explain it away. Today, God continues to act in our lives, sometimes in unexpected ways. May we respond with trust, even when we do not fully understand, rather than resisting and clinging to what is safe.
Reflective question:
How can I witness to Him today, through words, actions, or presence?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
