Easter Sunday
April 5, 2026
Acts 10:34a, 37-43 | 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8 | John 20:1-9
The Gospel reading on Easter morning is about the discovery of the empty tomb by Mary Magdalene, her reporting this to Peter and John (not named but called the disciple Jesus loved), and their coming to believe in the Resurrection on seeing the cloths neatly folded up. The subsequent story in chapter 20 of St. John’s Gospel is of Jesus’ appearance to Mary Magdalene in the garden and her coming to believe in the Resurrection. Matthew’s account of this episode has Jesus telling the women not to be afraid. Thus, believing and overcoming fear are two complementary actions of responding to the Resurrection of Jesus.
None of the Gospels describe the actual manner of Jesus being raised from death, only that afterward he appeared to the women and to the disciples. All were afraid because of the shocking events of Jesus’ suffering and cruel death on the cross, and they wondered if they too were in danger of being rounded up and killed. Therefore, it appears that two aspects of Jesus being alive are to empower his disciples to overcome their fear and to be at peace. Afterward, those who witnessed the Resurrected Jesus were called to evangelize others that, through Jesus, the powers of evil and death have been conquered. Those who believe in his name will have life, called eternal life in John’s Gospel, which is a synonym for the Reign of God present in the world today.
We are called to proclaim life. In the Bible there is no dualism between flesh and spirit, but one totality. Life is anchored to our existence as creatures; it is found within creation, not apart from it. Life is a gift from God, who has created the world and endowed it with life. Jesus, through his resurrection, is bringing new life to the re-creation of the world.
As followers of Christ, we also are called to protect and preserve life. The new life that blooms in spring every year is a sign to us that we have not created this new life and therefore do not have the right to destroy it for personal benefit. Yet life on our planet is under tremendous stress, through greenhouse gases causing planetary temperature to rise precipitously, extraction of minerals leaving behind horrendous environmental destruction, mindless misuse of natural habitat on both land and water, leading to an inexorable extinction of more and more species, and the poisoning of land, water and air with chemicals and plastics that harm not only the natural environment but also rebounds back to human health as well.
Some people, in their thirst for huge profits, believe they have a right to destroy God’s living creation. Therefore, it is worth remembering the words of Pope Francis written in his encyclical Laudato Si’: “The earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor; she “groans in travail” (Rom 8:22). We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth (cf. Gen 2:7); our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters.”
Pope Francis also gave us a profound teaching about integral ecology, which is “the relationship between living organisms and the environment in which they develop. At some fundamental level, all living reality is part of a complex physical, chemical and biological network, and human beings are embedded in this network. Nature is not merely a setting in which we live. We are a part of nature, included in it, and in constant interaction with it.”
Let us remember the message of Easter; God gave life to the world and the risen and living Christ is giving new life to the re-created world. We are creatures and have no right to destroy this Gift of God. We are also disciples and friends of Christ, called to protect, preserve and promote life. Let us respond in joy and hope.
Maryknoll Father Frank Breen, from Boston, Massachusetts, ministered in Kenya for almost 30 years, where he also served as a correspondent for Maryknoll Magazine. Currently, he is Society Justice and Peace Coordinator for the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns.
To read other Scripture reflections published by the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, click here.
Featured image: Photo by Bruno van der Kraan, available in the public domain via Unsplash.
