Reassuring Presence!

During this Octave of Easter, we see Jesus appearing to his disciples to let them know that he is alive and to give them that reassuring presence. Yesterday, the disciples on the road to Emmaus encountered the risen Lord and they came to know him in the breaking of the bread. Today, Luke 24:35-48, Jesus appears to the disciples to reassure them. However, at the beginning, they were terrified because they thought they were seeing a ghost. Jesus reassures them by saying that it is I and he shows them his hands and feet. He even ate a piece of baked fish in front of them. Then, Jesus gives them these reassuring words, "Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things" (Lk 24). The disciples have witnessed the resurrection of Jesus, now they are to proclaim the Good News. That is the mission entrusted to us in our present day. We are a resurrection people, we are a redeemed people, and this is the way of life that we need to live and share each day. As Jesus reassures the early disciples, he reassures us in our faith, and we need to reassure one another, because Jesus, as promised, is always with us until the end of time. God Bless You!!!