Welcoming the Holy
Here we invite you to take time for yourself in personal prayer. The following spiritual reflection offers words and images which we hope will evoke for you an experience of God.
By: Sister Ruth Maier
“Lord, show us the light of Your face.”
Opening Prayer
God of all creation, renew in us the wonder of Your glory.
Open our mind to understand the message of the Scriptures. Make known to us Jesus in the breaking of the bread.
We ask this through Jesus, our Passover and our Peace, who lives with You in unity with the Holy Spirit, God forever. Amen.
Scripture
LUKE 24: 35 - 48
The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way, and how Jesus was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
While they were still speaking about this, Jesus stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. Then Jesus 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.”
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 to eat?” They gave him a piece of fish; He took it and ate it in front of them.
Jesus 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
Again the Gospel tells us of the events of Easter Sunday. Today, it is the story according to Luke, similar in many ways to John's story from last week, of Jesus appearing to his disciples, convincing them that his resurrection has happened. He has risen from the dead and stands before them. He is alive!
He did not knock on the locked door...he appears in their midst and greets them with peace. He invites them to see his hands and his feet; to touch him. He asks for something to eat. He is not a ghost.
This Gospel reading follows Luke's story of the two disciples meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus. They have returned to Jerusalem, to the Upper Room, and as they are telling of their experience of recognizing Jesus in “the breaking of the bread,” Jesus stands among them offering them peace.
Then just as Jesus had revealed himself to the two disciples on the road as they walked to Emmaus by explaining the Scriptures to them, He now opens the minds of the Eleven to understand how the prophesies of the Scripture are fulfilled in Him and how now they are to be “witnesses of these things to all the nations.”
Jesus' death and resurrection came about in fulfillment of what had been foretold by the prophets.
Resurrection is both an event and a challenge for a new way of living. We are not just to be “incredulous for joy” and “amazed” at Jesus' resurrection, we are to be “witnesses of these things” in our every day lives.
Today's Gospel story calls us to reflect on our experience of Jesus:
Where do I meet Jesus?
How does Jesus reveal himself to me?
How do I witness to Jesus in my every day life?
Closing Prayer
God of peace, You raised Your Son to new life on the first Easter Sunday; renew within us Your gift of life.
Clam our fears as we seek to see You in our midst. Send us as messengers of the repentance and forgiveness You offer to all in Jesus' name.
Amen. Alleluia.