Several years ago, during a funeral in the streets of Sabana Yegua (Dominican Republic), the daughter of the deceased confronted me during my homily with the following words: “I am scared for my dad. Do you really believe this?” I should say that during the homily I was trying to comfort the family by sharing with them the essence of our faith: the Resurrection. I was telling them that by faith we believe that Jesus, after his death, rose and, in his Resurrection, destroyed death and gave us eternal life. All of us who are baptized in Christ enjoy this Grace. On that sunny day I was faced for the first time in my life with the question: why do I believe in the Resurrection?
To answer this question, we must start by reflecting and exploring the feelings that the group of disciples experienced after Jesus’ tragic death on the Cross. The Cross was a devastating event that shattered the hopes of those who walked with Jesus as disciples. Jesus’ detention scattered the disciples (Mt 26, 56). The hours after the Crucifixion must have been agonizing, with the disciples not knowing what was going to happen to them, not knowing what could be done, not knowing what to think. The time before the Resurrection was one of fear and anguish, with no certainty that Jesus’ promise would be fulfilled. Anxiety and despair were common emotions for the disciples. Many of us go through life with anxiety and anguish because we don't really know what the future will bring us, and the uncertainty scares us.
Matthew’s Gospel tells us about the decisive moment in which Jesus is revealed to the women as a new man (Mt 28, 1-10). These two women, in their anguish, go to the tomb, moved by the hope of confirming the Lord’s promise. They want answers to their questions. They want to verify that all is not lost. They want to see the grave. Once in the tomb, the angel encourages them not to fear. The power of the angel’s words gives them hope. In that moment of pain, loss, despair, and fear, the first thing they hear is, “Do not be afraid”, followed by the news that Jesus is alive and is on his way to Galilee. He is heading to the place where it all began and where things were more homey, friendly, familiar, and exciting for the group: Galilee, a land far away from the intrigues of the religious institution in Jerusalem; Galilee, where everything was shared in the open, nothing hidden, unlike the last week in Jerusalem. “Do not be afraid!”—those are words of encouragement.
The women reacted by running joyfully to the disciples, impressed by what they have just seen and heard. At that moment they confirmed Jesus’ promise—His Resurrection. There is no time to waste, they must announce the good news. Once they run away, wanting to share Jesus’ Resurrection with others, they meet Jesus himself, and the teacher's words are the same: "Do not be afraid". And once again comes the announcement that they will meet in Galilee. The Resurrection shatters any fear. Believing in the Resurrection gives us courage and helps us have full confidence in life. This certainty fills us with joy and hope.
I would have liked to respond to the young woman who expressed her fear with the words of the Lord: "Do not be afraid." I would have liked to have conveyed the confidence that the angel gave to the women who ran with joy in haste to announce the risen Lord. The truth is that I only answered, "Yes, I fully believe it." If I were to see her again, I would add, "I totally believe it because the Resurrection gives me courage to live life without fear and fully trust in the Lord's promise of a joyful life."
