Good morning, good people! May the Lord give you peace and blessings in the Easter Octave.
It is April 24, 2025. We reflect on Acts 3:11–26 and Luke 24:35–48. Cardinal John Henry Newman once prayed: “Jesus, help me to spread your fragrance wherever I am. Fill my heart with your Spirit and your life. Give your light through me and remain in me in such a way that every person I come in contact with can feel your presence in me.”
This captures the heart of Easter: letting the light and fragrance of the Risen Christ flow through us. In today’s first reading, St. Peter gives all credit for the healing of the crippled man to the Risen Lord.
He does not seek attention or glory for himself. When things go right, we often claim the success. But Peter shows us a better way: pointing all glory to Jesus.
Meeting Christ brings more than miracles—it brings peace. Not a peace that is the mere absence of struggle, but a deep, unshakable assurance that, in Christ, “all shall be well.”
It is the surest sign of His presence. Pope Francis reminds us, “The world tells us to seek success, power, and money; God tells us to seek humility, service, and love.”
In the Gospel, the Risen Lord appears among His disciples and says, “Peace be with you.” This was not a ghost or a memory. The Lord let them touch Him. He ate with them.
His body was transformed, but His love remained the same. In every Eucharist, we too meet this same Christ—alive, present, and full of peace.
He then says: “You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised.” (Luke 24:48-49)
The promise is the Holy Spirit, and the mission is clear: to be instruments of peace and witnesses of love. As we listen, accept, and follow the Word of God, we are sent forth to spread His light in our homes, among friends, and within our communities.
In a quiet act of compassion, Pope Francis once washed the feet of young inmates in a juvenile prison on Holy Thursday. Among them was a Muslim boy. When asked why he included non-Christians, the Pope simply said, “We are all brothers. We must serve each other with love.” This small gesture spoke louder than any sermon.
It echoed the Risen Christ, who knelt to serve, and now sends us out to do the same. May we welcome the peace of the Risen Lord into our hearts, and may it overflow into every encounter we have today.
Be a witness. Be His peace. Have a lovely and blessed day!