Happy Easter, everyone! Today is Sunday, April 5, 2026, and if you are reading this, you are likely feeling the same profound sense of hope and renewal that I am. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
As I sat down this morning with my coffee to look over the daily readings on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website, I was struck by how the Liturgy of the Word on this greatest of all Sundays isn't just a celebration of a historical event. It is a missionary mandate. Many of you follow my social media presence because you want to find ways to live out your faith more vibrantly in the modern world. One of the best ways to do that: and something I try to do every single day: is to look at the daily USCCB readings through a "missionary lens."
Today, I want to walk you through how I do that, specifically using the readings for Easter Sunday, and how they connect to the vital work we do at The Pontifical Mission Societies, particularly through the Society of St. Peter the Apostle.
The Power of the Daily Reading Habit
For many Catholics, the USCCB daily readings are a staple of morning prayer. But it is easy to fall into the habit of reading them as a checklist item. To find missionary inspiration, we have to change our approach. We have to ask: “Lord, who are you sending me to today? How does this Word empower me to support the global Church?”
Missionary inspiration isn't just for those of us in clerical collars or for those boarding planes to distant lands. It is for every baptized Christian. As Pope Francis often reminds us, we are "missionary disciples." The daily readings are our field manual.
First Reading: Acts 10:34a, 37-43 – The Prototype of Local Clergy
In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we see Peter standing in the house of Cornelius. This is a massive moment in the history of the Church. Peter, the fisherman from Galilee, is realizing that the Gospel is for everyone: not just a select few. He says, “I see that God shows no partiality.”
When I read this, I think immediately of the Society of St. Peter the Apostle. This branch of the Pontifical Mission Societies was founded specifically to support the formation of local clergy in mission territories. Why is that so important? Because just as Peter was the "local" voice that could speak to his people, the Church today needs priests and sisters who are born and raised in the communities they serve.
In mission lands across Africa, Asia, and Oceania, there are thousands of young men who have heard the call to the priesthood, just as Peter did. But many of these dioceses are very poor. They lack the funds to build seminaries, buy textbooks, or even provide daily meals for seminarians. When we read about Peter’s boldness in Acts, we should be inspired to support the "new Peters" of our time. Every time we help a seminarian in a mission territory, we are ensuring that Peter’s testimony: “He commissioned us to preach to the people”: continues in every language and every culture.
The Gospel: John 20:1-9 – The Missionary Race
The Gospel today is full of movement. Mary Magdalene runs to the tomb. Peter and John run to the tomb. There is an urgency here that is the very heartbeat of mission.
Notice that they didn't just sit and wait for news. They went out. They searched. They ran. In the missionary life, there is no such thing as standing still. If we aren't moving toward Christ, or moving toward our neighbor to bring them Christ, we are stagnating.
Mary Magdalene is often called the "Apostle to the Apostles" because she was the first one sent to tell the Good News. This is the essence of the missionary spirit. It starts with an encounter with the empty tomb: the realization that death does not have the final word: and it ends with the "sending."
When you read the USCCB Gospel of the day, look for the "sending" moment. Sometimes it’s explicit, like "Go and make disciples." Other times, like today, it’s in the urgency of the disciples' footsteps. This Easter, I’m asking myself: How fast am I running to share the joy of the Resurrection with someone who feels hopeless?
The Five-Fold Path to Missionary Discernment
Researching how to better guide you all, I’ve been looking at the framework provided by the USCCB called "Creating a Culture of Encounter." It suggests a five-step process: See, Judge, Act, Celebrate, and Missionary Action. We can apply this to our daily reading of Scripture:
- See: As you read the USCCB text, what do you see in the world around you that relates? Do you see the "empty tombs" in your neighborhood: places where people feel abandoned?
- Judge (or Discern): What is the Word of God saying about this situation? In the light of the Resurrection, how should we view poverty, loneliness, or the lack of priests in mission lands?
- Act: What is one small thing you can do today? Maybe it’s a prayer for a seminarian in Nigeria, or a small donation to the Society of St. Peter the Apostle.
- Celebrate: Thank God for the grace of the Word. The Resurrection is the ultimate reason to celebrate!
- Missionary Action: How do you carry this word beyond your prayer closet?
Why the Society of St. Peter the Apostle Matters Now
I want to take a moment to talk about why our focus on clergy formation is so central to finding inspiration in the readings. In many parts of the world, the Church is growing at a staggering rate. In places like Southeast Asia and Central Africa, the "harvest is abundant," just as the Gospel says.
However, the "laborers" need training. The Society of St. Peter the Apostle provides the backbone for this. We believe that the best way to sustain a mission is to empower the local people to lead it. When you read the daily readings and see the apostles working together, you are seeing the first "Presbyterate." By supporting seminarians today, we are quite literally fulfilling the biblical vision of a Church that reaches the ends of the earth through its own sons and daughters.
I’ve had the privilege of meeting seminarians from mission territories who have benefited from the Society’s support. Their zeal is infectious. They don't take their education for granted. They know that they are being formed to be the shepherds for people who may have never heard the name of Jesus. When I read the USCCB readings with their faces in my mind, the text comes alive in a whole new way.
Practical Tips for Your Daily Reflection
If you want to start this practice, here are a few simple tips for your daily USCCB reading time:
- Look for the "Clergy Connection": Whenever you read about the Apostles, pray for our modern-day seminarians and priests in the missions.
- Identify the "Missionary Value": Is the reading talking about sacrifice? Charity? Courage? Boldness? Pick one value and try to live it out for 24 hours.
- Use the USCCB Audio or Video Reflections: Sometimes hearing the Word read aloud or watching a short reflection can help you catch a missionary detail you might have missed while reading.
- Keep a Missionary Journal: Write down one sentence each day about how the readings called you to "go out" of yourself.
A Closing Easter Prayer
As we celebrate this glorious day, let us ask the Lord to open our eyes as He did for the disciples on the road to Emmaus (which we will hear about later this week!). May the daily readings of the Church not just be words on a screen, but a fire in our hearts.
May we be inspired by the example of St. Peter and the early Church to support those who are answering the call to the priesthood and religious life in mission lands. Let us ensure that no vocation is lost because of a lack of means.
The tomb is empty. The world is waiting. Let’s get to work.
A very blessed and happy Easter to you and your families!
– Fr. Deji