Church of the
Annunciation

We have been proclaiming and listening to the Gospel according to St. Matthew. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus asks Peter, James and John to watch with him. They fall asleep! As we listen to Matthew’s passion narrative attentively we learn that there are women who do watch with Jesus. Women from Galilee are watching when Jesus dies on the cross. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary are watching when Joseph of Arimathea wraps the lifeless body of Jesus in a cloth and places the body in a tomb. And, after Sabbath rest, early in the morning of the new day, these women come back to the tomb “to watch.”  The women who experience the acute sadness of Jesus’ death and burial are the first ones to hear the good news that he has been raised. The earth quakes and lightning strikes! An angelic messenger announces that Jesus who was crucified has been raised. He is not here. Come see. Go tell his disciples that Jesus goes before them to Galilee. They will see him there. The two Mary(s) run frightened and overjoyed with this startling announcement when Jesus greets them! He calms their fears and personally commissions them to tell the disciples that he awaits them where it all began. Like the women, we have been watching and now, calmed and encouraged, we hear the announcement of the resurrection of Christ and we are commissioned to share the good news of Gospel joy. That is the title of the exhortation of Pope Francis: “The Gospel of Joy.” He invites all of us to be open to a personal encounter with Jesus Christ and then to share the wonder and consolation of that meeting. Pope Francis invites Catholics to renew their baptismal promises to better understand the responsibilities that come with newness of life. When the eleven return to the mountain in Galilee, Jesus sends them to make disciples of all nations, to baptize and to observe all that he had commanded them to do. He makes a promise that has come true for us: “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”