Our first reading continues with Peter’s great speech, and our Gospel harmonizes with a major theme of Peter’s speech: the resurrection ought to lead to a conversion of heart.
“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and they asked Peter and the other Apostles, ‘what are we to do, my brothers?’ Peter said to them ‘repent and be baptized.’” Hearing of the reality that Christ is alive prompts the first converts to change their lives, to be baptized, and to receive the Holy Spirit. We, too, are called to let the reality of Christ’s resurrection prompt the same question in our hearts: what are we to do, having encountered the resurrected Christ? Where there is sin in our lives, this must lead to repentance. Where there is already faith, we must turn to the Gospel of today.
In the Gospel, Mary’s weeping is turned into a mission when she encounters Christ. Meeting the Resurrected Christ leads Mary to receive a mission, to tell others, “I have seen the Lord.” So too, this Easter season, we are called to say the same to our family and friends. The Lord asks the same of us as he asked of Mary: tell others who have encountered me, tell them about me.
This Easter season, let us pray for the grace to let the reality of the Resurrection call us to conversion where we find sin, and to mission to announce the Good News to others in our life.