Monday in the Octave of Easter
Mt 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.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Live Into the Joy
Why is it that so often our joy is mingled with fear? It’s as if we’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop. We are afraid to give ourselves completely over to joy because we don’t think it will last and we don’t want to be disappointed.
As he so often does in the Gospels, Jesus tells Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to not be afraid. He wants them to revel in their joy – to become immersed in it. He doesn’t say that everything will go smoothly and that there won’t be difficulties to come, but he wants them to be present to the moment and to truly experience and live into the joy they are feeling, and then to go and share that joy with others.
How might you give yourself over to the joy of the Easter season, even if only for a few minutes?
—Mandy Dillon is a Retreat Coordinator at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington, IL and is also in the Spiritual Direction Internship program there.
Prayer
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” – John 15:11
Risen Christ, help us to truly experience and dwell in the joy of your resurrection as we move through this Easter season. Amen.
—Mandy Dillon