20260407 THE DYNAMICS OF FAITH IN THE RESURRECTION
07 April 2026, Easter Tuesday
First reading | Acts 2:36-41 |
You must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus
On the day of Pentecost, Peter spoke to the Jews: ‘The whole House of Israel can be certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.’
Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the apostles, ‘What must we do, brothers?’ ‘You must repent,’ Peter answered ‘and every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise that was made is for you and your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God will call to himself.’ He spoke to them for a long time using many arguments, and he urged them, ‘Save yourselves from this perverse generation.’ They were convinced by his arguments, and they accepted what he said and were baptised. That very day about three thousand were added to their number.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 32(33):4-5,18-20,22 |
The Lord fills the earth with his love.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
The word of the Lord is faithful
and all his works to be trusted.
The Lord loves justice and right
and fills the earth with his love.
The Lord fills the earth with his love.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord looks on those who revere him,
on those who hope in his love,
to rescue their souls from death,
to keep them alive in famine.
The Lord fills the earth with his love.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Our soul is waiting for the Lord.
The Lord is our help and our shield.
May your love be upon us, O Lord,
as we place all our hope in you.
The Lord fills the earth with his love.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Sequence |
Victimae Paschali Laudes
Christians, to the Paschal Victim
offer sacrifice and praise.
The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb;
and Christ, the undefiled,
hath sinners to his Father reconciled.
Death with life contended:
combat strangely ended!
Life’s own Champion, slain,
yet lives to reign.
Tell us, Mary:
say what thou didst see
upon the way.
The tomb the Living did enclose;
I saw Christ’s glory as he rose!
The angels there attesting;
shroud with grave-clothes resting.
Christ, my hope, has risen:
he goes before you into Galilee.
That Christ is truly risen
from the dead we know.
Victorious king, thy mercy show!
Gospel Acclamation | Ps117:24 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
This day was made by the Lord:
we rejoice and are glad.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 20:11-18 |
'I have seen the Lord and he has spoken to me'
Mary stayed outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, still weeping, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away’ she replied ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.’ As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not recognise him. Jesus said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.’ Jesus said, ‘Mary!’ She knew him then and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbuni!’ – which means Master. Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and find the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ So Mary of Magdala went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her.
THE DYNAMICS OF FAITH IN THE RESURRECTION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 2:36-41; PS 33:4-5,18-20,22; JN 20:11-18]
Christ is Risen. This is the heart of the Church’s proclamation. The resurrection of Christ is the central doctrine of the Christian faith. The Church began with faith in the resurrection of Christ. Without this confession of faith in the resurrection, all the other doctrines will not hold water, whether it is the Incarnation, the identity of Jesus as Lord, Saviour and Son of God, the inerrancy of Scripture, the efficacious power of the sacraments, or the authority of the institutions.
But how do we arrive at faith in the Risen Lord when we have not seen Him ourselves? How do we enter into the faith of the apostles who claimed that they had seen the Risen Lord and were witnesses to Him? Unless we can enter into the faith of the apostles and make it our own, we cannot truly proclaim that Jesus is risen and that He is Lord. What, then, are the stages by which we arrive at the apostolic faith, which is the faith of the Church?
Firstly, faith begins with proclamation. One can come to faith only through the proclamation of the Lord’s witnesses. This is what St Paul wrote: “But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim Him? And how are they to proclaim Him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'” (Rom 10:14f). Indeed, this was what St Peter did at Pentecost, as we read in today’s first reading. Proclamation, therefore, is necessary to bring people to faith — not just proclamation, but proclamation with faith and conviction. It is not only what we say but how we say it. Proclamation is not merely an intellectual discourse; it is teaching rooted in faith, seeking to strike the hearts of the listeners.
Secondly, besides proclamation, the way to bring people to faith is through testimony. There is nothing more convincing than personal testimony. Faith in God is never the outcome of an intellectual process by which we come to agree on facts. That would be mere reasoning, and it is limited because reasoning can change with new evidence or findings. This is why scientific theories continue to evolve as new evidence is discovered. But personal testimony is based on a personal encounter and a lived experience. Again, this is what we read in the early testimonies and accounts of the resurrection appearances. The Lord appeared to the apostles and the disciples. According to St Paul, “He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me” (1 Cor 15:5-8). In the Gospel, we have Mary Magdalene, who saw the Lord and “went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that He had said these things to her.”
Thirdly, we need to substantiate our testimonies with credible reasons; otherwise, we can be accused of subjectivism, emotionalism, or even hallucination. Faith is never against reason, and so it is our duty to show the logic of our faith and belief. Again, this was what St Peter did: “He spoke to them for a long time, using many arguments, and he urged them, ‘Save yourselves from this perverse generation.’ They were convinced by his arguments, accepted what he said, and were baptised. That very day, about three thousand were added to their number.” Clearly, it was not only their testimonies that brought about the conversion of his listeners, but also his ability to show, through Scripture and reasoning, that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah foretold by the prophets.
As such, although the resurrection can only be perceived by faith, we cannot do without reason as well. We need to help people understand and gain confidence to believe. That was how conversion in the early Church took place. It was not only through personal testimony and proclamation, but also through a systematic explanation of their faith in the Risen Lord. Of course, we cannot prove the resurrection, but we can establish facts that strengthen our case for belief. Otherwise, we might appear credulous and superstitious. For many intellectuals today, without some reasonable explanation, it would be difficult for them to make the leap of faith, lest they be accused of being too credulous. Theology precisely seeks understanding so that one might believe. It offers a systematic presentation of the credibility of a doctrine. Reason does not destroy faith but rather buttresses it more firmly. And for those who already believe through study, they may come to understand more deeply what they already hold.
Fourthly, we need to make an act of repentance. This is not just repentance from sin, although that is included. This fundamental repentance is a call to believe. In the Gospel, Jesus began His ministry by proclaiming, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the Good News” (Mk 1:15). In other words, we are called to repent by believing in the Good News. If we accept the Good News in faith, then great things can happen. If we believe in it, the result is repentance from our sins. The motivation for change is never fear but love. This was the response of the listeners to Peter’s first homily: “They were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the apostles, ‘What must we do, brothers?’ ‘You must repent,’ Peter answered, ‘and every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise that was made is for you and your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.'” Thus, the call for change is grounded in the promise of the Holy Spirit and the gift of sonship in Christ.
Finally, those who believe will receive the power of the Holy Spirit and come to know the Risen Lord personally, for this is precisely the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit does not announce new things but brings us into a personal encounter with the Lord. “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you” (Jn 16:12-14). This explains why the Charismatic Renewal has helped many Christians experience a personal encounter with the Risen Lord through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Only through the grace of the Holy Spirit can we know the Father through the Son.
Furthermore, through the same Holy Spirit, the apostles were able to perform the same works that Jesus did, as He promised: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (Jn 14:12-14). We read that in the early Church, when they prayed in the name of the Lord and in the power of the Spirit, miracles and wonders occurred: “‘And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to Your servants to speak Your word with all boldness, while You stretch out Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.’ And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:29-31). Clearly, such miracles are possible only because the Lord is risen, since every healing is done in His name.
In the final analysis, the foundation of faith, the motivation for proclamation, and the power of belief in Christ’s resurrection must rest on a personal encounter with the Risen Lord in prayer, worship, and daily life, witnessing to His presence and love at work in us. This gift is given to those who are receptive to His love. The psalmist says, “The Lord looks on those who revere Him, on those who hope in His love, to rescue their souls from death, to keep them alive in famine.” When we love the Lord like Mary, He will reward us with the gift of seeing Him. We can see Him through the intellect, but we see more deeply through the heart, for the heart has an intuition of the lover that the intellect does not. It is no wonder that Scripture records that our Lord appeared to Mary Magdalene even before the apostles, perhaps because she loved the Lord most among all His disciples.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
