Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 5, 2026
On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The full readings of the day from the Lectionary are available here.
Are you out of breath just hearing today’s gospel? Mary ran to Peter; Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb, though not even keeping together (John subtly notes, ‘the other disciple outran Peter”).
Running, panting, faster running…
The disciples ran because they wanted to see the tomb outside Jerusalem’s walls where Jesus’ dead body had been buried. Have you experienced any ‘deadness’ in your life—a deadness of discouragement, of indifference, of pain, or of grief? Maybe there has been deadness in a family relationship, in the culture of our work or school, or in part of your heart? These situations can be imagined as also being placed in the tomb with our Lord’s body on Good Friday—sealed behind the stone, covered over, and perhaps to be forgotten.
But now, we hear Mary announce: “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb.” Have you heard the news? The tomb has been opened! Let us run with Peter and John to see the tomb—is everything as you left it? Let us look with John, who “went in…and believed.” Let us see how things appear now: sunlight shines, scattering darkness, and the burial cloths are folded up. The ‘deadness’ they once wrapped, including those own areas of our lives we mourn as spiritless and dead, are bound up no longer.
JESUS IS ALIVE!
Jesus Christ, through his glorious cross and triumph over sin, offers us eternal life after our earthly death. Thanks be to God for this unfathomable gift! Yet, Jesus offers us even more than this: He offers his resurrected life to us today for our lives and families as they are right now. Now there are people in our homes who need to experience the joy, hope, and peace of the risen Lord. Let us rejoice today and, like the disciples, run to share with others this Good News!
Prayer
Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Vincent Ferrer was the most famous missionary of the 14th century.
He was born in 1350 to an English noble family living in Spain. When he was a child, his parents received an omen that Vincent would become a great holy man, and they taught him prayer and fasting and care for the poor. He joined the Dominican order and became a brilliant student. He progressed quickly through his education and took on a chair in philosophy in the best university of the region at the age of 21. He became known as a great preacher and teacher.
Vincent lived during a great schism in the Church, when rival popes were reigning from Rome and Avignon. He was called upon to serve as confessor and advisor to one of the rival popes, and his pleas for unity were ignored. His role was a great strain on him and he became sick. During his illness, he received a vision from Sts. Francis and Dominic, who told him that he was to go about preaching penance as they had done. His health was restored and he got permission to leave the papal court.
Thousands would gather to hear him preach as he traveled from town to town, and some even started to follow him around. Eventually, those who remained close to him were organized into a religious community; some of the group would stay behind in a place he visited to help people establish greater devotion and faithfulness in their lives.
Conversions and miracles were reported when people heard him preach. He spoke mainly on the realities of sin, death, hell, and eternity, and he preached with such vigor that many sobbed and some fainted. Though he only spoke in Spanish, he could be understood by those who spoke French, Italian, and German, as well as many who spoke other languages.
The disunity in the Church continued to trouble him, and his advice helped finally to bring about a resolution. He died on this date in 1419, during Holy Week, and his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Vincent Ferrer, great missionary and miracle-worker—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Vincent Ferrer is in the public domain. Last accessed February 17, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
