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. (Lk 24:35-40)
Today’s Gospel is a continuation of yesterday’s Gospel in which two disciples were on the road to Emmaus and encountered the Risen Lord, though they had failed to recognize Him until the breaking of the bread.
Even though they had seen the Lord and were recounting the event to others who had seen Him as well, when Jesus appeared in front of them, they were truly spooked.
Jesus moved quickly to reassure them. He offered them the sight of His hands and His feet. He told them that they could touch Him. As the Gospel continued, He even asked for some food to eat. That should reassure them. After all, ghosts do not eat; but, living people do.
How many times has Jesus entered our lives and yet we found ourselves spooked? It may have been in dramatic ways after much praying on our part. Perhaps a miraculous intervention of a loved one who was critically ill and who pulled through. It may have been much more subtle, yet telling enough for us to know that it held the imprint of the divine.
Jesus comes into our lives in a myriad of ways. I do not want to spook you too much; however, at this very minute, He is looking over your shoulder as you read this reflection. His message to you is the same every day, every moment: “I love you. I do not want you to be afraid of me. I have big plans for you.”
FAITH ACTION: Spend some time (15-30 minutes) in silence today, giving the Lord an opportunity to speak with you.