Touch me and see - Lk 24: 35-48
In the liturgy of the Church, we continue to experience the joy of Jesus' resurrection. St. Luke in today's Paschal narrative, recalls how the Church of the first centuries brought into consciousness the reality of the Resurrection. It points out four paths that are also our paths today.
The first way is through the testimony of the disciples. The apostles were the first skeptics. They did not believe the women who spoke of the resurrection. Thomas did not believe his friends. In the Cenacle they still doubted. They thought Jesus was a ghost. They gave up only before the facts. Jesus showed them his arms, legs and a pierced side. Being a witness obliges. Christ is not received in order to keep Him only for oneself, as Mary Magdalene wanted to do. The experience of Christ presence is to be shared with others. Witnessing should be authentic and gentle. It cannot resemble information from the Internet or a newspaper title. Witnessing should be "the force that develops the buds of life, leads others to wake up from sleep."
The second way is through the witness of the Holy Spirit. Jesus will not leave us alone when we talk about Him. He will be present through his Spirit and in difficult situations he will tell us words and solutions. The Holy Spirit recalls the words of Jesus: And the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of everything that I have told you (cf. Jn 14:26). During contemplation and prayer, the Holy Spirit "works" inside us, shapes and carves the image of Jesus in us, and collects His words. When we live in the Spirit, He Himself "brings out" words from within us that bear witness.
The third way is through the word of God. The Risen Jesus gives a "biblical lecture" first to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, then to the Apostles in the Upper Room. Part of the disciples' disbelief is due to their memory gap. Usually, a person hears what he wants to hear and easily forgets what he does not care about. The knowledge that Jesus would die on the cross was unacceptable to the disciples. That is why they did not understand Jesus' announcement about death and wanted to forget it quickly. When the prophecy comes true, they are completely surprised. They never really believed in the Passion and Death of the Messiah. And they forgot that Jesus also predicted his resurrection. The shock of Master's death shattered their faith and caused memory loss.
Stopping on the cross, on dying is accepting only half of the Good News. The cross, suffering, and death can obscure the truth about the resurrection. A cross that is not accepted or overstressed may collapse like a log at the feet. And fill life with sadness, bitterness, pain, and with its shadow obscure joy and hope.
The fourth way of life with the perspective of the resurrection is the Eucharist. The disciples on the way to Emmaus recognize Christ in the breaking of bread. In the Upper Room, too, Jesus comes into close contact with his disciples through a shared meal, which is a symbol of the Eucharist, the community gathering in the breaking of bread. For the first Christians, each Eucharist was an Easter joy, a memory of Jesus' resurrection. From it we draw strength to live Jesus and bear witness to Him with hope. In the Eucharist, the Risen Christ comes to us and says: Why do doubts arise in your heart? Look at my arms and legs. Look at my heart pierced with love. Touch me. See for yourself! Believe it! It is me.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george