Relentless Enemies

After the death of Jesus, His disciples, their hearts broken, took His holy body down from the Cross. They wrapped it in a clean shroud and laid it in a new tomb cut from rock, close to Calvary. They rolled a great stone across the entrance, and silence fell upon the hill. All nature seemed to mourn the death of its Creator.

But the enemies of the Master found no rest. They remembered that Jesus had openly said that He would rise again on the third day. Fearing that His words might be fulfilled, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate and said:

“Sir, we remember that this man said, while He was still alive: After three days, I rise again. Therefore order that the tomb be guarded until the third day, lest His disciples come and steal Him away and say to the people: He has risen from the dead.”

Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you can.” So they sealed the stone and set soldiers to watch the tomb.

While the enemies of Jesus kept watch over a sealed tomb, His disciples, overwhelmed with fear, hid behind locked doors. They were haunted by the memory of the Master’s sufferings – His scourging, His crown of thorns, the torments He endured, and His death on the Cross. They feared being discovered, seized, and subjected to the same fate. How could such trembling men even think of confronting the guards, rolling away the stone, and stealing His body? What an absurd fear on the part of the Pharisees. No – their hearts were broken, their faith shaken, and all hope seemed lost. They expected nothing.

Jesus Rises by His Own Power

Three days after the death of Jesus, at dawn on Sunday, a violent earthquake shook the city of Jerusalem. Like lightning, an Angel of the Lord descended from Heaven. He approached the stone that sealed the tomb, rolled it away, and sat upon it. He opened the tomb so that all might see it was empty, for Jesus had risen from the dead, just as He had foretold.

The guards, struck with terror, fell to the ground as if dead. Darkness gave way to the light of Easter; all Heaven rejoiced, and Satan, defeated, raged in fury. Christ came forth from the tomb, victorious over sin and death. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the greatest proof of His divinity and the pledge of our own resurrection.

At dawn, women came weeping to the tomb, intending to anoint Jesus. When they arrived, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. They entered the tomb and saw that the body of Jesus was no longer there. Two Angels appeared beside them in dazzling garments. Frightened, they bowed their faces to the ground. One of the Angels said:

“Do not be afraid. I know that you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen, as He said.”

Meanwhile, the guards, recovering from their shock, ran into the city and reported everything to the chief priests. The elders then gave them a large sum of money and said:

“You must not speak of these things. You are to say: ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him while we were asleep.’”

The soldiers took the money, and the rumor spread among the people.

Countless striking signs bore witness that Christ had truly risen, victorious over Satan and all his forces. For forty days, the risen Jesus appeared to many witnesses, who heard Him, touched Him, and bore testimony to His Resurrection.

This is the great event the Church celebrates each year at Easter.

An Unexpected Visit

Night fell over Jerusalem. In a house with shuttered windows, a small group of men was gathered. The disciples spoke in hushed tones; every sound from the street made them tremble. The door was locked – they were afraid. Their Master had been crucified, and they feared that they too would be taken.

Suddenly, without the door opening or the latch moving, a presence stood in the midst of the room. They lifted their eyes – and saw Him. It was Jesus. He stood there, alive, in their midst.

Frozen with fear, none of them dared to speak at first. Some thought they were seeing a ghost. But Jesus said gently, in the voice they knew so well:

“Peace be with you.”

These words soothed their sorrow. Then Jesus showed them His hands and His side, still marked by the nails and the spear. The wounds were real, yet transfigured – the same wounds, but in a glorified body.

Their fear turned into unspeakable joy. The disciples could no longer contain themselves. The One they had seen die on the Cross now stood before them alive. They understood that Jesus had conquered death and that His Resurrection was the undeniable proof of His divinity.

Jesus said to them again:

“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.”

Then He breathed on them and added:

“Receive the Holy Spirit.”

The Apostles still had enemies, but they were no longer the same men. They knew that Jesus was alive, that He had come to them through locked doors, and that from now on, no closed door, no attack, no sin could prevent the Risen One from reaching them.

Thomas the Doubter

Thomas had not been there when Jesus appeared to the disciples. When the others told him with joy, “We have seen the Lord,” his heart tightened. He had so hoped that Jesus would free Himself from His enemies, as He had done before. He had suffered deeply at the death of the One he adored as God made man. He feared being deceived by what seemed to him a beautiful illusion, and he felt he could not endure another disappointment. So he answered with a firmness that concealed his wound:

“If I do not see in His hands the mark of the nails, if I do not put my finger into the place of the nails, and my hand into His side, I do not believe.”

Eight days passed – days of anguish for poor Thomas, while the joy of the others only deepened his pain.

One evening, the disciples were again gathered, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked. Suddenly, Jesus stood in their midst and said:

“Peace be with you.”

Then He turned to Thomas, whose heart was pounding:

“Bring your finger here, and see My hands. Bring your hand, and place it in My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believe.”

Thomas stood speechless. He saw the wounds; he felt the gentleness and love in that beloved voice. He understood that Jesus had heard his doubt, and that the Master had come not to condemn him, but to lift him from his weakness. Then, humbled, repentant, and filled with joy, the Apostle fell down and cried out:

“My Lord and my God!”

Jesus said to him:

“Because you see Me, you believe. Blessed are those who do not see and yet believe.”

Under the Sky of the Ascension

Forty days had passed since the Resurrection. During that time, Jesus had appeared to His disciples, speaking to them about the Kingdom of God, eating with them, comforting them, and continuing to teach them.

One day, He arranged to meet them outside Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives. The morning air was clear; it was a beautiful spring day. When the disciples were gathered, Jesus appeared to them. Seeing Him, they adored Him, recognizing Him as their God. They rejoiced in His presence, yet sensed that a great mystery was about to unfold.

At the summit, Jesus spoke to them:

“All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and teach all nations; preach the Gospel to every creature. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I command you. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

His words were simple, yet solemn. He reminded them that they would be His witnesses “to the ends of the earth,” and that they would soon receive the strength of the Holy Spirit.

Then Jesus raised His hands to bless them.

And as He was still speaking, something wondrous happened: before their eyes, He began to rise. Slowly, by His own power, Jesus ascended toward Heaven, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

The disciples remained there, motionless, gazing upward, their hearts longing to follow their Master.

Then two Angels in white garments appeared beside them and said:

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into Heaven, will come again in the same way as you have seen Him go into Heaven.”

They went down from the mountain, deeply moved yet at peace. They felt they were no longer alone. Jesus was no longer visible, but He was not absent. He had gone to the Father to prepare a place for them, and in the meantime, He sent them into the world with the promise of His glorious return.

A Transforming Fire

After the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven, the Apostles spent nine days in the Upper Room with the Blessed Virgin Mary, who continued to form in them the spirit of Her divine Son. They were of one heart and one soul.

As they prayed together with Her, a sound came from Heaven like a mighty wind, filling the house, and tongues of fire came to rest upon them. The Holy Spirit, whom Jesus had promised, transformed these simple and timid men into bold witnesses of the Gospel.

By a miracle of God, they spoke in languages they had never learned, and their words burned with zeal. Those who heard them were moved; convinced by their preaching and by the miracles worked in the name of Jesus Christ, thousands were converted and asked for baptism.

From that day, the true religion of Jesus spread rapidly throughout the world. All human forces united against it, and even the fiercest persecutions could not halt its progress. No chain, no sword, no empire could extinguish it. The Church, born from the breath of Christ and strengthened by the Holy Spirit, has stood firm for two thousand years and will remain until the end of time. For the Lord has promised: He will be with her until the end of the age, and the gates of hell shall never prevail against His Church.