It is 18th April 2021. We celebrate the Third Sunday of Easter.
The readings are from Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; the second reading is from 1 John 2:1-5; and the Gospel from Luke 24:35-48.
In the first reading, St. Peter pointed out to the authorities and listeners that that they killed Jesus. “To this we are witnesses.” (Acts.3:15)
The responsorial intercedes with David, “Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.” (Ps.4:2). In the life of David, there were three things disturbed and distanced him from God. the adulty with Bathsheba, the Census, and the revolt of his son Absalom.
In the second reading, St. John invites us to demonstrate our love for God by obeying God’s commandments. “Whoever obeys his word, truly the love of God has reached perfection in this person.” (1 Jn.2:4)
The world around us is interested to meet Jesus. Are you Jesus? After a long meeting, a group of salesmen were running to board a flight in the terminal. While he was running, he accidently hit the try of apples on display by a young blind girl. Everyone made it to the flight, there was something in Him stopped him to go back to help the vendor girl. He took a deep breath, waved his hands to his colleagues from far, went back to the terminal to see the girl was collecting all the apples alone. He joined her collecting them and helped her arrange her stall. He took some money and gave to her for the damage he had caused but she refused to get it. But she asked him, “Are you Jesus?” He answered with the emphatic no. She continued, “I only asked because I prayed for Jesus to help me gather the apples. He sent you to help me, so you are like Him – only He knows who will do His will. Thank you for hearing His call, Sir.” As the man was waiting for the next flight, he asked himself, “Am I Jesus?
As the two disciples shared their story of what they had experienced on the road and they recognised Jesus in the breaking of the bread. During their sharing, Jesus appears among them and surprised them with joy and filled them with fear. Instead of recognising Him, they were alarmed and frightened and took Him for a ghost.
We too are invited to have an experience of walking with the Risen Lord in the Emmaus experience. Emmaus experience is unique, personal, intimate, and profound indeed. It happens to all of us daily when we participate in faith breaking the Word and the bread in the Sacrament of the Eucharist and in daily interpersonal encounters with one another. What is experienced personally with Jesus and in the Word of God needs to be shared with everyone as the Good News.
Without this experience, we cannot be witnesses to the Lord and the Gospel.
The inattentional blindness in us does not allow us to have this experience. Whatever is contrary to our expectation, we do not notice. We failed to see what is before us, due to lack of attention.
It was not an automatic comprehension by the disciples, but Jesus leads them to recognise Him by sense of touch and appeals to their reason. Just like the disciples, we cannot understand what is going on and only the risen Christ leads us from mystery to revelation, from fear to cheer, from experience to message, from a believer to a witness. It is by being the witnesses of the Risen Lord, we experience the Peace of Christ and we become the messengers of peace.
It was not mere eyewitnesses but witnesses to the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus. The understanding of Jesus whether historical or of faith developed from the kerygma or teaching of the Risen Lord.
“If Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain.” (1 Cor.15:14
Does the Eucharist make any sense to us? When we do not know and believe, it does not sense at all.
Are we walking with Jesus yet not recognized Him?
A man went to a doctor. He told his doctor that he had an appointment that was so important. The doctor wanted to who the person was. The replied the doctor saying that his wife was in coma and she had not recognized him in five years now. The doctor was surprised, and asked him, if she did not know who he was, why he went every morning faithfully for the breakfast. He smiled and said, ‘She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is.’ The doctor was with tears in the eyes said to himself, ‘That is the kind of love I want in my life.’ True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.
What troubles my heart or what obstructs me to see Jesus? We all need a kind of love that recognises the presence of the other as one is. Jesus is walking with us today in very many people we least expect.
Yes, we all take time to come closer to Jesus due to our attachments to sin, refusing to obey the commandments of the Lord and failed to experience Jesus in others due to our inattentional blindness.
The Risen Lord walks with us in moment of shattered dreams and hopes, the sudden death of loved ones, a bad habit that brings about pain in us and others, bitter disappointment, frustration, depression.
Do we feel Jesus is with us and supports us? Does the Eucharistic banquet open and heal our hearts?
May we make the people around to feel the presence of the Risen Lord by being witnesses of love, hope and healing. Have a lovely week ahead. May God bless you.