At Easter, we are called to spread the good news of the Resurrection. Let us go and rejoice together!

April 5, 2026: The Resurrection of the Lord
Acts 10:34a, 37–43
Psalm 118:1–2, 16–17, 22–23
1 Corinthians 5:6b–8
Matthew 28:1–10

Together, We Go

A reflection by Rachel Esser

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad!” (Psalm 118:24) Happy Easter to all! For those of us in wintry climates, spring is just starting to appear with buds beginning to push their way out of the ground, brighter skies, and longer days. People are out walking again, and the world is coming back to life! Every extra minute of sunshine is a mini resurrection, and today we celebrate the Resurrection.

Easter is all about new life, and we see this lived out in many ways. We have the Resurrection of Jesus, of course, but we also bring new members into the church this weekend. The Easter Vigil is my favorite Mass of the year in part because of the ritual and symbolism, but also because I love watching new members be initiated and received into the church. I have so much appreciation for the vitality converts bring to the church and the space for exploration and discernment offered by OCIA programs. I often question why I remain Catholic when LGBTQIA+ affirming churches with gender-inclusive clergy exist, so to see people choose not just to stay in the Catholic Church but to intentionally enter into this community of faith is always a needed boost. It reminds me that there’s something deeper drawing people into and sustaining our faith underneath the many issues that often consume the foreground.

There is also new life in our communal exiting from Lent and entering into the Easter season. Our second reading from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians speaks of yeast and leavening. Similar to our experience of Lent and Easter, Paul bids us to “clear out the old yeast” so that we “may become a fresh batch of dough…unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). Notice that Paul does not say perfection. Maybe you forgot your Lenten promise and missed some days here and there, or it simply became unsustainable. What matters is that we cleared out the old yeast, that we could begin again by renewing our baptismal promises and act with sincerity going forward. This calling to new life in Easter is a form of commissioning. We hear multiple commissions throughout the readings today, namely the commissioning of women in the gospel.

The first witnesses to the Resurrection in every gospel are women. The very laying of the foundation of Christianity was placed in the trustworthy and faith-filled hands of women. Matthew’s gospel narrative tells us that while the soldiers “were shaken by fear” of the angel and “became like dead men,” Mary Magdalene and the other Mary remained to hear what the messenger had to say (Matthew 28:4). They are sent to preach the good news to the rest of the disciples and go together, “fearful yet overjoyed” (Matthew 28:8). That may be how many of us are approaching Easter this year. Fearful of war and deportations and poverty, but overjoyed by love and generosity and the things we’re too excited not to share.

The word “commission” broken down to its parts, com (with) and mission (sent), can be interpreted as “together, we go.” With Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, there was no racing to see who made it to the tomb first. They arrived together, stayed together, and went together to spread the good news they’d been entrusted with. Our Easter commissioning is not something we need to do alone. There is power in speaking a truth that no one else is speaking, but our voices are also stronger when we unite with others. I am reminded of the recent No Kings protests that occurred across the country and the strength of this movement that continues to draw people out of their homes and into the streets.

Turning to the Easter Vigil once again, in the passing of the flame from the Easter candle from person to person, we each commission one another in our work. In times when the church refuses to commission us because of our gender or our sexuality, we take responsibility to commission one another to do the work that needs to be done because we know that we can do it. The Synod Working Group 5, meant to study the role of women in the church, recently released their final report. Unsurprisingly, women are still being denied access to ordained ministry. Nevertheless, there are many praises and defenses of women’s ministerial work to be found, and I have begun to see women preach in Catholic spaces more and more in the past few years. I was privileged to take part in a prayer service honoring women leaders this Lent in which I bore witness to powerful preaching and leadership from women in my community, who reminded us that we do not need permission to take up space. It is still uncommon, but space is being carved out, whether the magisterium supports it or not.

A final source of new life I’d like to mention this Easter is the people who inspire us. Perhaps for you that’s Mary Magdalene, the apostle to the apostles, or Mary the Mother of God, our greatest intercessor. Maybe you look to the disciples on the road to Emmaus helping to hold together a community at risk of falling apart in a time of crisis. I’m partial to Veronica and her simple yet bold act of kindness in wiping the blood, sweat, and tears from Jesus’ face. There is not one way to preach the good news. Perhaps you preach by your actions, art, legal advocacy, writing, or community building. Just as Jesus and the disciples’ own ministry was varied, ours is too. So, fearful yet overjoyed, we go out to preach the good news, together, with all our varied gifts and talents.

Together, we light our candles.
Together, we sing.
Together, we witness.
Together, we call for justice.
Together, we mourn.
Together, we rejoice.
Together, this Easter season, we go.

Rachel Esser (she/her) is a St. Louis, Missouri native currently working towards her MA in Theology and Ministry at Boston College. She joined DignityUSA in 2024 and loves being a part of the Young Adult Caucus. She hopes to continue the work already being done for LGBTQ+ advocacy and inclusion in the church through her own call to ministry.