Saturday in the Octave of Easter
It seems that the third time is the charm. In today’s Gospel passage, we read that the apostles did not believe Jesus was alive after being told first by Mary Magdalene and then by the two disciples walking to the country (see Luke 24:13–35). What can we learn from this passage, and how can we apply it to our lives today?
Last Thursday, in his homily on Luke 24:35–48, Fr. Satish observed that the disciples were startled at the appearance of the risen Jesus and, up until that point, had been living as if Jesus had not risen. He pointed out that this can be the case for us, too. For us, it has been 2,000 years since this event, and most likely you attended Mass on Easter and do so every Sunday. However, how aware are we of the risen Jesus among us? When do our unbelief and hardness of heart prevent us from loving our neighbor and seeing them as children of God? How do we proclaim the Gospel and make the risen Jesus present in our own lives?
From today’s Gospel, we can also learn about hope. The disciples were sad and grieving over Jesus’ death, but His resurrection brought joy back into their lives. We see that joy can come after sorrow, peace can come after war, and hope can come after despair. That is the meaning of the Resurrection.
To live our lives with the risen Jesus, we need courage. Today’s passage follows the shorter ending of the Gospel of Mark, in which Mary Magdalene and the other women were afraid to tell the rest of the disciples. However, we see that Mary gained courage and told the apostles that Jesus had risen. During this Easter season and beyond, may you have that same courage to live more fully with the risen Jesus. May you be filled with unbounded joy.
—Sr. Emily Sandoval, FMI