In yesterday's Gospel, the guards who watched Jesus' tomb were paid off by the Jewish religious leaders, and told to say that the body of Jesus was stolen by the disciples. However, given the state of fear in which the disciples were at the time, it is highly unlikely, if not impossible, that they could muster the courage needed to pull off such a stunt. They were hiding in the upper room in fear that the Jews would arrest and kill them since they were followers of Jesus. With this kind of crippling fear, there is no way they could have stolen Jesus' body.
In addition, according to the Gospels, it was the disciples' repeated encounters with the resurrected Christ that, gradually, turned their fear into hope and courage. Something has to account for this emotional change in the disciples, and the Resurrection (as well as the reception of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost) is it.
God has given us some solid reasons to believe in the resurrection of Christ. Let us trust that it occurred, and put off the old life of sin and selfishness, and put on the new life of love and holiness.
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