Happy Easter! If you are reading this on Monday, April 6, 2026, you might be feeling that typical "post-holiday" slump. The big Sunday dinner is over, the leftovers are in the fridge, and the world seems to be moving back toward its usual frantic pace. But in the life of the Church, we are just getting started.
Today marks the beginning of the Octave of Easter. In the Catholic tradition, the Resurrection is such a massive, earth-shattering event that twenty-four hours simply isn’t enough to contain it. For the next eight days, we celebrate every single day as if it were Easter Sunday itself. It is one continuous celebration, a "super-day," if you will, designed to help the reality of the empty tomb sink deep into our bones.
The theme for today’s reflection is "The Joy that Stays." It is a concept rooted in the daily readings for this Monday in the Octave (Acts 2:14, 22-33 and Matthew 28:8-15), and it is the fuel that drives the global mission of the Church.
Fear and Great Joy: A Relatable Tension
In the Gospel reading from Matthew, we find the women leaving the tomb. The text says something fascinating: they left "with fear and great joy."
Usually, we think of fear and joy as opposites. We think fear is a negative emotion that joy eventually replaces. But if you have ever experienced a major life-changing event, getting married, holding your first child, or starting a daunting but exciting new career, you know that fear and joy often walk hand-in-hand.
This "fear" isn't the terror of a horror movie; it is awe. it is the realization that the world is much bigger, much more mysterious, and much more wonderful than you previously thought. The women were joyful because Jesus was alive, but they were fearful because everything they knew about the limits of life and death had just been rewritten.
This is the beginning of the "joy that stays." It is a joy that isn't dependent on things going perfectly. It is a joy that remains even when we are shaking in our boots, because it is rooted in the fact that God has conquered the grave.
The Boldness of the Resurrection
Moving to the first reading in Acts, we see the immediate fruit of this joy. We see Peter.
If we look back just a few days in the liturgical calendar to Good Friday, Peter was a man defined by fear, the bad kind of fear. He was hiding, denying he even knew Jesus, and trembling at the questions of a servant girl. But today, on this Easter Monday, we see a totally different man.
Peter stands up in the middle of Jerusalem, the very place where Jesus was executed, and speaks with incredible authority. He isn't whispering. He isn't apologizing. He says, "God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses."
What changed? Peter moved from the "fear" of the unknown to the "great joy" of the Resurrection. He realized that if death couldn't hold Jesus, then the opinions of the crowds couldn't hold Peter. This is the mission of every Christian: to be a witness. Not just a witness to a historical fact, but a witness to the power of the living Christ in our lives today.
The Difference Between Joy and Happiness
As we reflect on this "Joy that Stays," it is helpful to look at the distinction between joy and happiness. Often, we use these words interchangeably, but spiritually, they are quite different.
Happiness is often tied to our circumstances. It’s the "morning dew", sweet, refreshing, but prone to evaporating when the heat of life turns up. We are happy when things go our way, when we feel healthy, or when we receive good news.
Joy, however, is something much deeper. It is the "midnight joy" that no one can take from us. As spiritual teachers often remind us, joy is an enduring spiritual state rooted in God’s presence. It is what allows a person to have a smile in their heart even in the "valley of the shadow of death."
This is the joy the women felt at the tomb and the joy Peter preached in the streets. It is the joy that stays long after the Easter lilies have wilted.
Fueling the Mission: The Society of St. Peter the Apostle (SPA)
This "great joy" and the courage to proclaim it are not just historical artifacts from two thousand years ago. They are the living heartbeat of the Church right now, especially in mission territories across Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands.
At The Pontifical Mission Societies, we see this joy in action through the Society of St. Peter the Apostle (SPA). This specific society is dedicated to supporting the formation of local, indigenous clergy and religious sisters in mission lands.
Think about the seminarians and novices we support. Many of them are studying in environments where being a Christian, let alone a priest or a nun, requires real, physical courage. They live in areas where poverty is rampant, where political instability is the norm, or where Christianity is a tiny, often persecuted minority.
Like the women at the tomb, these young men and women often start their journey with a mix of "fear and great joy." They are awe-struck by their calling but perhaps a bit fearful of the responsibility and the challenges ahead.
When you support the SPA, you are directly fueling the proclamation of the Gospel. You are ensuring that there is a "Peter" in every corner of the world who can stand up and say, "We have seen the Lord!" By providing for their tuition, their housing, and their spiritual formation, you are helping them transition from the uncertainty of their vocation to the "great joy" of their mission.
Your generosity allows the message of the empty tomb to be spoken in local languages, by local voices, to people who need to hear that there is a joy that stays regardless of their economic or political situation.
Reflection: What Is Your "Fear and Great Joy"?
As we move through this Octave of Easter, it is worth asking ourselves a few questions:
- What makes me hesitate to share my faith? Is it the fear of being judged? The fear of not having all the answers? Remember Peter. He didn't have a PhD in theology when he stood up in Acts 2; he just had a relationship with the Risen Lord.
- Where am I looking for happiness instead of joy? Am I waiting for my circumstances to be perfect before I allow myself to be joyful? How can the reality of the Resurrection give me stability today, even if my life feels a bit chaotic?
- How can I support the "great joy" of others? Sometimes, our own joy is increased when we help someone else fulfill their mission.
The Celebration Has Just Begun
The world might tell you that Easter is over, but the Church tells you that the celebration has just begun. The Joy that Stays is available to you today and every day of this Octave.
We invite you to carry this joy with you into your workplace, your home, and your community. Be bold like Peter. Be awe-struck like the women at the tomb. And please, keep our mission seminarians in your prayers. They are the joyful witnesses of tomorrow, and they are counting on our spiritual and material solidarity to help them bring the Light of Christ to the ends of the earth.
May the Risen Christ fill your heart with a joy that never leaves.
About the Society of St. Peter the Apostle (SPA):
The Society of St. Peter the Apostle is one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies. Its primary goal is to use the resources of the global Church to support the education of candidates for the priesthood and religious life in mission countries. By fostering local vocations, we ensure that the Church takes deep root in every culture.
Contact Information:
The Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States
70 West 36th Street, New York, NY 10018
Email: info@propfaith.org
Website: www.missio.org | www.fraugustinedejidada.org