3rd Sunday of Easter (B)

(Edited) Reflections (from) 3rd Sunday of Easter (B), April 24, 2009

First reading: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 4
Second reading: 1 John 2:1-5
Gospel reading: Luke 24:35-48

"You are witnesses of this."

The Sunday gospels in the liturgical season of Easter, are mostly presentations of Christ's resurrection appearances to His Apostles and disciples. In this Sunday's resurrection appearance, Jesus appeared again to the disciples He walked with on the road to Emmaus. As He always does, His greeting begins with "Peace to you". When the disciples became alarmed at His presence - thinking He was a ghost - Jesus invited them to realize that He had flesh and bones. To assure them He was not a ghost, Jesus asked if they had anything to eat. When they were at table, He again opened their minds to the understanding of the Scriptures - with particular attention to the words written by the prophets about Him (that He would suffer and then be raised from the dead on the third day).

"You are witnesses of this."

Because the apostles and disciples were actual witnesses to the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, they were willing to suffer in the same way that their Master did. This is what baffles many non-Christians. If the apostles and those close to Jesus were willing to die as martyrs of the faith, then the impact of Christ's resurrection and the eventual sending of the Holy Spirit, was indeed a true reality they actually saw and experienced. And this spirit of Christ's self-sacrifice out of love for the Father and the world, flowed over not only to the Apostles and the disciples who actually saw Jesus, but also to all the members of the Church, in her growth and development in history. That is why throughout the history of the Church, she continues to give birth to many martyrs. And it is these martyrs that continue to witness to the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord.

Though we, and future generations, are not and will not be actual witnesses of the events that transpired in biblical times, we can be assured of the same quality of faith as the Apostles and the disciples had of Jesus. This is the faith we receive not only from our Baptism, but from what Jesus also said to Thomas: "Blest are they who have not seen and have believed". Our faith in the Risen Lord as an individual, a family, or community, is rooted in the context of the Eucharistic community we are part of and belong to. Every time we celebrate the Eucharist with the priest-presider, the readers, the communion ministers, the choir, and all who contribute to the worship of the Lord on Sunday, we also become witnesses of Jesus - as the bread and wine become His Body and Blood.