04/08 Thursday 8^th Week of Easter

Gospel, Luke (28:36-49)

 

Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Luke

 

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

³⁶ While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ³⁷ They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. ³⁸ He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. ⁴¹ While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” ⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he took it and ate in their presence. ⁴⁴ Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶ and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

 

Reflection

After having revealed himself to Mary Magdalene and the two disciples, Jesus appears to the group to clear up their doubts and strengthen their Faith in the face of impending persecution. The constant fear and weariness the group now face, has made them almost forget the victorious message of Easter.

³⁶ While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

 ³⁷They were frightened and full of fear, thinking that they were seeing a ghost.

 Fear seems logical. They had seen him suffer, die and be buried only a few hours earlier, although enough to break him down from all the messianic illusion and hope in the face of such obvious failure. Therefore, it must be a ghost, they think, a collective hallucination.

 Showing them, that it was truly Him whom they had known. He needs to prove to them that he is the authentic Resurrection and shows them His pierced hands, chest and feet. This event undeniably proves that Jesus is alive, that death did not overcome him.

In the face of the scandal of the cross, it was necessary that He prove everything to be in accordance with the Scriptures. God’s ways are consistent, as Paul claimed, by way of showing His wisdom and strength in what is folly and weakness for men (1 Cor 1:25).

The central nucleus of the apostolic proclamation is the historical person of Jesus, the Messiah, His death and resurrection; are an apostolic testimony of the resurrection.

 

Prayer

God our Father, give us your Spirit to make us courageous witnesses of your salvation and of your love before all men, so that, as a Christian family we may continue to build your Church as a home of hope in this world. Amen.