The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke 24:35-48
The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way, and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread.
While they were still speaking about this, He stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at My hands and My feet, that it is I myself. Touch Me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And as He said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, He asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave Him a piece of baked fish; He took it and ate it in front of them.
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 and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And He said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”
Encountering Christ
Jesus comes to His disciples, after being raised from the dead, to offer them His peace. In both cases, Jesus also offers them proof that He was raised from the dead – not just spiritually, but physically. He invites them to touch Him and He eats with them to prove that He is not a ghost.
Jesus then opens the minds of His disciples to understand the Scriptures. He helps them to understand the point of it all: Why He died. Why He rose again. And what happens next? He fulfills all that was written and told of Him in the Old Testament. What was buried in the Old is revealed in the New.
I want to share three key points.
Firstly, the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead: Jesus says that the Messiah had to suffer and to rise from the dead. There was no other way. This is the very core of our faith – that Jesus died for our sins and that He rose from the dead. If Jesus is not the Messiah, then His death is in vain. If He didn’t die, then our sins are not forgiven. And if He wasn’t raised from the dead, then our hope of eternal life is worthless. And it is crucial not just that He was raised from the dead spiritually. But raised from the dead physically. That is why He invites his disciples to touch Him. It is why He ate a piece of baked fish in their presence. To show them that He was physically raised from the dead. This is important because it means that our resurrection will also be physical. You and I will one day be physically raised from the dead.
Secondly, repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed to all the nations: It is not a promise of wealth and happiness. It is not a promise of good health or perfect relationships. And it is not a promise that we can do whatever we want, or believe whatever we want, and it won’t matter because Jesus died for us. No. What He does promise is the forgiveness of sins in His name. And He invites us to repent and believe this – we have the gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). Where His mercy and justice meet.
And thirdly, you are a witness of these things: Jesus has one more mission for you – you are called to bear witness to the good news of the Resurrection. You and I are called to go forth and proclaim to a confused world the simple, clear message of the Gospel: That the Messiah suffered and died for our sins and for the sins of the world, and that God raised Him from the dead. And that we are invited to repent and believe this good news, that through Him our sins are forgiven. This is the message of the risen Christ.
Action of the Day
Pray for yourselves, pray for those whose faith is shaken. Pray for them by name. Offer your day for them, all of your good works, give them to God that He may bless the one you prayer for this Easter season.
