Thursday in the Octave of Easter
Octave of Easter Thursday 8 April 2010 Incredulous for Joy Alleluia! And happy Easter! Today we celebrate the fifth day in the Octave of Easter. Like all other days in the Octave, today is a solemnity, the highest feast of the Church. But of course, most of our country has already left Easter far behind. And most likely, we too have been back to work this week – the daily grind of everyday life.
Today’s readings remind us that the joy of Easter continues. In particular, we can consider the response of the disciples when Jesus appeared to them and showed him his wounds. In the gospel passage from Luke, they are described as “incredulous for joy and amazed” (Lk 24:41). The word “incredulous” can indicate something akin to “unbelieving,” but here it means something more like astonishment. Jesus appearing to the disciples and showing them his wounds seems unbelievable! Even though they had come to believe in the resurrection and some had already seen Jesus after his resurrection (on the road to Emmaus, for example), Jesus’ appearing to them again is just so unexpected that they can’t help but be amazed...and delighted!
This amazement, this being incredulous for joy, was something that the disciples kept with them when they went back to the daily grind of their everyday life. The joy of Jesus’ resurrection had transformed them – it had changed who they were. Already being a disciple of Jesus had fundamentally shaped the direction of their lives, leading them to abandon trades like fishing or tax collecting. But Jesus’ resurrection from the dead altered their discipleship because Jesus was no mere ethical teacher; he was God incarnate, the only Son sent to redeem us from our sins and give us a share in the divine inheritance, that we might ALL truly become God’s children.
In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear Peter boldly proclaiming Christ crucified and resurrected, indicating that Jesus is the fulfillment of all those words of the Old Testament, whether of Moses or the prophets. Peter’s joy and amazement at Jesus resurrection cannot be kept to himself; it leads him to perform healings and to preach the gospel. Yes, even the message of repentance and conversion is something joyful, for it is in repentance and conversion that we come to know the joy of the resurrection. And that is why we have the 40-day Lenten season to prepare the 50-day season of Easter. Even in the midst of Lenten sacrifice, we can rejoice in being brought closer to God. Now, in the midst of Easter celebration, we can experience the joy of this great gift- Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.
As Christ’s disciples today, we must strive to maintain the joy and amazement of the early Church. Like Peter, we must let the knowledge of Christ’s resurrection transform our everyday life. With such great joy in our souls, everything we do becomes an opportunity to praise God – from the laundry to the dishes to the work commute to interacting with coworkers to caring for our family. Today, let us commit ourselves to living the joy of Easter in our everyday lives. We must continue to be amazed, overjoyed, and excited about Christ’s resurrection... and attitude of gratefulness will spill over into everything that we do!!!
- Maria Morrow