“Today, I invite you to focus on one person: Peter.
Because yes, the Resurrection of Jesus is the greatest miracle—but in today’s reading, we also see another miracle: the transformation of Peter.
Before the Resurrection, Peter was afraid. He denied Jesus three times. He ran away. He kept silent.
But today, that same Peter stands before the crowd—no longer hiding, no longer afraid—and boldly proclaims: “Jesus… you crucified—but God raised Him up.”
What happened to Peter? He encountered the Risen Lord. And that encounter changed everything. From fear to courage. From denial to witness. From weakness to mission.
And this is where the message becomes very real for us—especially for us Filipinos. Because many of us are like Peter. We believe in Jesus…we go to Mass…we try to be good…But sometimes:
- we are shy to speak about our faith
- we compromise our values because of pressure
- we lose hope when life becomes difficult
- we remain silent when we should stand for what is right
And so the truth is this: Many of us are “good” Christians… but not yet courageous Christians.
Peter reminds us today: If Jesus is truly alive, something in us must change. Easter is not just something we celebrate—it is something that must transform us.
From being passive we become involved.
From being silent we begin to witness.
From being afraid we learn to trust.
From living for ourselves we begin to serve others.
My dear brothers and sisters, what changed Peter can also change us. Not because Peter was strong—but because Jesus is alive.
So today, let us ask ourselves honestly:
Where am I still afraid?
Where am I still silent?
Where am I still hiding?
We are Easter people.
Let us not remain the same. Let us go out—with courage in our hearts, faith in our lives, and hope that cannot be shaken.
Because Christ is risen. And because He lives—we can live differently.”