Easter, along with Christmas, is the only feast in the new liturgy which lasts a whole week (an "octave"). This shows its importance to the Christian faith. Easter, as the heart of the "Paschal Mystery" (the Passion, Resurrection and Ascension of the Lord Jesus), is also the heart of our faith. During the octave we read the account of the Pentecost proclamation, mostly by Peter, of the event that transformed the whole of human history. Today we read the beautiful sermon of Peter on Pentecost Sunday and the sending of the Holy Spirit on all who accepted his message.

The gospels this week, on the other hand, recount the important appearances of the Risen Lord to His first disciples. Today we read Matthew's account of the Easter Sunday apparition to Mary Magdalene and the other women at the tomb. Each of the evangelists gives us different details of the day that transformed history. Matthew, for example, tells us of the Pharisees' bribery of the guards. Even in the face of such divine power, they still try to conceal the truth and avoid accepting Jesus as Lord.

Presumably all of us do accept Jesus as our Risen Lord. But do we really allow this earth-shaking event to penetrate to the very core of our hearts?