Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Peace be with you.”

 

Gospel Reading: 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."

 

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus appears to the apostles. The two men were relaying their story to the apostles about seeing Jesus on the road to Emmaus and “how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread” when Jesus appeared before them. The apostles are not only frightened but troubled with what they see. They cannot believe what they see. Jesus says to them, “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.” Even seeing his wounds, they still disbelieved. How many times in our lives have we witnessed the wonders of God and disbelieved? How many times have we been in situations where we needed Christ and were afraid to call upon him. Even with Christ standing right before them, they doubted. “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’.” Jesus has to go to great lengths to make them understand that he is not an illusion nor a ghost, that he is flesh and bones. Jesus was really present on the road to Emmaus and was really present among the apostles. He ate with them and he broke bread with them. He did this to make sure that they understood that he was truly resurrected.

 

It is through his resurrection that the scriptures are fulfilled. The apostles are the witnesses that provide the evidence that we need to believe. More importantly, it is the resurrection that defeats death and sin. It is our hope for eternal life. The cross is the narrow door to heaven. It is the pathway we must follow to find eternal life. The hope of our own resurrection gives us the strength to overcome the sorrow and despair of sin. Jesus told the apostles, “You are witnesses of these things.” The apostles were commanded to go out and spread the word. We too are called to be witnesses to the resurrection of Christ. We must go out into the world and spread the good news of the Gospels. We must go out a preach repentance and forgiveness of sins through the cross.  Through “the breaking of the bread,” Christ is revealed to us every time we go to Mass.  His real presence in the Eucharist nourishes us and leads us to the narrow gates.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, Jesus open my mind to your word.

Give me the strength to spread the word to others.

Let me be the witness to your resurrection.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon