April 5, Monday in the Octave of Easter

Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.-- Psalm 16:1

Mass readings: Acts 2:14,22-33 / Matthew 28:8-15

The Empty Tomb

As a child I was afraid of cemeteries. If my father drove past one, I would cover my eyes and wish he would go faster. When I was 10, my grandfather died. The day of his burial was the first time I actually ever went into a cemetery. There I found sadness, but also peace.

Tombs are mentioned in both readings today. In Acts, Peter says, ''One can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day.'' Two millennia later, David is still dead and buried. Not so with Jesus. Matthew tells us both Christians and Jews agreed Jesus' tomb was empty. The disagreement was over why: trickery or resurrection? Christians know the answer: Jesus is risen.

Prayer: Father, may Your Son's resurrection fill us with an abiding peace.