Overview:

Monday in the Octave of Easter

A Reflection for Monday in the Octave of Easter

The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.
And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day. (Mt 28:15)

Find today’s readings here.

The truth is up against it these days. So many obstacles to overcome, so much unwillingness to face hard realities of contemporary life or of history. We shut off critical thinking and fall back on easy prejudices, mental gymnastics or a diminishing self-kindness that protects us from difficult choices, sacrifices or unpleasant facts.

Some thoughts are too woke to be entertained at all; others are the dreary rants of boomers who are, I guess, not ok.

Young men huddle in the manosphere where nothing can penetrate the boys club barriers they erect, tripping too easily from sardonic provocation into blunt women-hating. Good luck with that fellas.

Do I fall into the trap of a deceitful bothsiderism if I point out that self-described progressives have thrown up their own battlements in mental shortcuts and stereotypes of “the other side?” Are they high fences that similarly exclude perspectives on possible dialogue, negotiation and, dare we use the word, progress?

In today’s Gospel, the women among Jesus’ disciples are the first to know and share the truth. Will anyone believe them, or will their witness be dismissed expressly because they are women? Some among the men surely will have to see for themselves before they will believe women delivered of a metaphysical privilege denied them.

The guards likewise were among the first witnesses. But their testimony is corrupted and redirected, serving the scheming purposes of the powerful seeking to derail the truth before it reaches the masses of Jerusalem. Bought off by money, they tell a lie, one which still circulates, Scripture tells us.

Truth will always have to contend with pettiness and mendacity; its victory is not assured. Lies are swift and greedy for attention. In our times, we have to take custody of our eyes and our minds and keep our hearts and hope focused on truth, knowing that many characters out there are ready to spread misinformation and falsehoods for money.

That truth is not always welcome. It can ask a lot of us. But the risen, joyous Jesus urges once again: “Do not be afraid.” Go to Galilee, and there we will see him.

It’s easy to imagine the disciples excitedly heading off to Galilee, the women who already know the truth accompanying them. I wonder how many others joined them that first meeting. Did a few of those dissembling guards think better of the deal they made, joining the procession to Galilee instead among the earliest members of the faith breaking out of this broken tomb?

Kevin Clarke is America’s chief correspondent and the author of Oscar Romero: Love Must Win Out (Liturgical Press).