WEEK TWENTY: APPEARANCES OF THE RISEN LORD - DAY 2
MORNING FACE TO FACE WITH GOD:
Begin with Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Prayer on Luke 24: 36-47: The Appearance in Jerusalem:"...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...."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."...While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them...Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. And he said to them, "Thus it is written that the Messiah 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."
Read the Reflection; ask for the grace to be glad and rejoice intensely because of the great joy and the glory of Christ our Lord (#221)
The hallmark of the Risen Lord's appearances is the replacement of fear with His peace! The first reaction of the disciples to Jesus' Presence is fear and terror. They think they are seeing a ghost. They had a similar reaction to Jesus when he came to them on the water. They reacted in the same way on numerous occasions when they were overwhelmed by Jesus' authority over demons and the elements. In the Resurrection appearances, Jesus offers peace to His disciples. Eirene is the Greek word for peace, used some 90 times in the New Testament. Jesus' peace is the unassailable assurance that has been given to us by Jesus who has overcome Satan, sin, and permanent death, and has restored us to covenant union with our Triune God! This assurance is the solid foundation on which our relationship with God has been firmly established. No power on earth can overcome Jesus' peace, because "in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily, and you share in this fullness in him, who is the head of every principality and power." (Colossians 2: 9-10) In this appearance, Jesus also allays whatever doubts his disciples might have had about His resurrection and the resurrected state. Jesus makes it clear that He still has a body even when He was raised from the dead. To prove this point, He asked for and ate food given to Him. He opens their minds to understand the scriptures, as He did with the two disciples on their way to Emmaus. Most importantly, Jesus commissions His disciples for their future ministry. Imagine you are with the disciples and are witnessing the presence and peace of your Risen Lord!
Love has entered the room, you are there and see Jesus standing in the flesh. Your mind can not comprehend what is going on, you recall your own actions as Jesus was being crucified for your sins. You feel like turning away because of your sinfulness but you are drawn to Him. His words bring peace to your heart, you know he died for you and is now sharing His will, the will of the Father. When standing before the burning bush God sees all and you see all but you receive forgiveness for your unfaithfulness. The natural reaction is repentance, not wanting to hurt the One who loves you so much. You turn towards God in daily life, you share the message of forgiveness and repentance in actions more than words. Encounter Christ in your daily prayer, receive the gift of healing and become a disciple in a world that denies Him, show what repentance looks like.
What is God saying to you?
Dear Lord, I love You with all my heart, all my soul and all my mind. I am sorry for my sinful ways, for my actions that do not share the joy of Christ with others. I ThankYou for loving me anyway, for sitting with me each day and revealing truth, for unpacking scripture in many different ways. Prayers for the gift of grace that is in motion, for plans that are coming together. Fortify these actions Lord and may my actions be those of Yours, I ask this in Jesus name, Amen.
Mary, Queen of Peace, Pray for us.
St Joesph, Most Just, Pray for us.
Viva Cristo Rey
Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4b
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