Faith Unfolds:
Easter Sunday 2026
April 5, 2026
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Acts 10:34-43; Psalm 118; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-9
Today the church sings out in a joyful voice: Alleluia. Alleluia. Jesus of Nazareth has been raised by God from the dead. God has vindicated Him and He is the Anointed One – forevermore to be alive to us and for us. The Resurrection tells us that God knows our human suffering and that death and suffering are not the final words. Life with God is the message. Through the Passion of Jesus, we can see the humanity’s worst actions are never the final statement. Mercy wins. Mercy breaks forth as God transforms human suffering and injustice into life.
In the First Reading, Peter testifies to the events of the Crucifixion and gives evidence of their authority to bear witness. They realize that faith is not an idea, but a testimony. Their faith demands proclamation, and so they are sent forth to speak to the very people who condemned Jesus to death. They testify to God as the giver of life who wants all people to raise their minds and consciousness to the divine project that is unfolding before them.
In the Gospel, on the first Easter morning, we see that faith precedes our full comprehension. Peter and the Beloved Disciple at first do not see anything dramatic, just neatly folded cloths in an empty tomb, but something within them shifts. They come to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead. Faith awakens even when they do not yet fully understand. The Beloved Disciple has an “aha” moment, an instance of conversion, an interior shift in his consciousness. Then Peter understands and Mary Magdalene as well.
This should reassure us that our understanding of the Resurrection is still incomplete. Faith never means full knowledge. It means we progress a little bit more along the way. We continue to evolve as we become “People of the Way.” If you have fundamental questions, then great, you are on the way. If you do not believe the whole package, then great, you are on the way. Faith is a journey that unfolds over time, and we need to ask our questions and tell our stories so we can witness the Risen Christ working within us. We can put it this way: The tomb is empty, but faith is not. It begins with questions and doubts. It grows through our searching, and like the first Disciples, it blossoms into belief, and one day we realize that we are standing courageously in front of others saying: We are witnesses to the Resurrection. Jesus lives. Jesus lives within us and is active in our world today – even when humanity does its very worst to each other. God is at work transforming our lives and calling us to be our very best selves.
We celebrate the Resurrection today, but please know that you may not feel that Easter moment today or within the next week. This quiet joy may come months afterwards. Trust that it will come. As it was with the Beloved Disciple, a moment will come over you when you realize something shifts, you gain an insight, you breathe more easily, you feel settled and centered, you know that everything will be okay. It may be a new energy, a new life, a new love, a moment of reconciliation, a surprising moment of laughter, a time when someone who is estranged takes a tiny step back into your life, a moment of understanding. It might be a moment in which your dreams, creativity, and longings are rekindled. Respect theses moments as ones in which God is reaching out to you, personally, offering you the Resurrection. God promises to be with you. God’s project for you is unfinished. God does not want you to stay in the tomb. Step out, see that God’s work for you is still in process. God has not forgotten you. Christ promises to come back for you. He will always hold a place in his heart for you. Happy Easter!
Scripture for Daily Mass
Monday: (Acts 2) Peter stands up on Pentecost to proclaim to Jews in Jerusalem that Jesus of Nazareth who they put to death has been vindicated by God and raised to new life.
Tuesday: (Acts 2) When the Jews realize the significance of their actions, they petition Peter to be baptized in the name of Jesus.
Wednesday: (Acts 3) Peter and John heal the crippled man at "the Beautiful Gate" at the temple.
Thursday: (Acts 3) All who witnessed the healing recognize that the man used to be the crippled beggar. Peter and John preach to the Jews gathered at Solomon's portico and tell them all that the prophets and scripture say about Jesus.
Friday (Acts 4) The priests, temple guards, and the Sadducees confront Peter and John and hold them in custody. The religious authorities question their teaching and healing power. The Sanhedrin dismissed them with instructions not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
Saturday (Acts 4) Peter, John, and the healed man persevere in their boldness. The Sanhedrin wait to see if this is of God or of another source of power.
Gospel:
Monday: (Matthew 28) In Matthew, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary meet Jesus on the way and he exhorts them not to be afraid. The chief priests hire soldiers to say, "the disciples came and stole the body of Jesus."
Tuesday: (John 20) Magdalene weeps outside the tomb and thinks Jesus is the gardener, until he speaks to her familiarly.
Wednesday (Luke 24) Two disciples heading towards Emmaus meet Jesus along the way and he opens the scripture for them.
Thursday (Luke 24) As they recount their story to the Eleven, Jesus appears before them, beckons them not to be afraid, and eats with them.
Friday (John 21) Six disciples are with Peter as they fish at the Sea of Tiberius. After a frustrating night of fishing, Jesus instructs them to cast their nets wide and they catch 153 large fish. The beloved disciple recognized the man on the beach as the Lord and they rush to meet him.
Saturday (Mark 16) Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene who told the Eleven about him. Two other disciples on the road returned to speak of their encounter, and then Jesus appears to them while they were at table.
Saints of the Week
No saints are remembered on the calendar during this solemn Easter Octave.
April 11: Stanislaus, bishop and martyr (1030-1079), was born near Krakow, Poland and studied canon law and theology before he renounced his family fortunes and became a priest. Elected bishop, he opposed the bellicose and immoral King Boleslaus II who often oppressed the peasantry. He excommunicated the king who ordered his murder but the soldiers refused to carry it out. The king murdered him by his own hands but then had to flee into exile.
This Week in Jesuit History
- April 5, 1635. The death of Louis Lallemant, writer and spiritual teacher.
- April 6, 1850. The first edition of La Civilta Cattolica appeared. It was the first journal of the restored Society.
- April 7, 1541. Ignatius was unanimously elected general, but he declined to accept the results.
- April 8, 1762. The French Parliament issued a decree of expulsion of the Jesuits from all their colleges and houses.
- April 9, 1615. The death of William Weston, minister to persecuted Catholics in England and later an author who wrote about his interior life during that period.
- April 10, 1585. At Rome, the death of Pope Gregory XIII, founder of the Gregorian University and the German College, whose memory will ever be cherished as that of one of the Society's greatest benefactors.
- April 11, 1573. Pope Gregory XIII suggested to the Fathers who were assembling for the Third General Congregation that it might be well for them to choose a General of some nationality other than Spanish. Later he expressed his satisfaction that they had elected Everard Mercurian, a Belgian.
