13 April, 2023 | Thursday in the Octave of Easter

 Gospel: Lk 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."

Reflection

The apostles were terrified of the events of the passion and death of Jesus, so they locked themselves in the room for fear of Jewish authorities. Then, Jesus appears in their midst, saying ‘peace be with you.’ This is His reassuring message to His apostles amid their trouble. This is also His reassuring gift to us now. In his farewell address, Jesus promised His disciples that he would grant them peace that the world cannot give (Jn14:27). That promise continues with us too. Just as He opened the minds of His apostles to understand the scriptures, 

Activity: 

Open your mind and let it be filled with His peace so that no matter what suffering we may undergo, we will not be terrified.