“PEACE BE WITH YOU!”
A Happy 3rd Sunday of Easter to you. Trust that you are continuing to rejoice in the Resurrection of the Lord during this Eastertide.
Today’s scripture readings all point us to Jesus, who suffered, was crucified & died, & raised from the dead by God (see text of First Reading from Acts 3:15,18 & text of Gospel from Luke 24:46). Jesus, in addressing his disciples in Luke 24, explained the scriptures to them, & helped them to understand clearly that he would have to suffer & rise to life on the third day. He also taught them that repentance for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in His Name. Likewise, in very clear & vivid language, Peter, speaking boldly under the influence of the Holy Spirit in Act 3, declared that Jesus died & rose from the dead & urged all the people to repent, turn to God, be baptized in the name of Jesus & have their sins wiped clean.
What a wonderful gift that that the Risen Lord Jesus has given us – the forgiveness of our sins & our salvation through the grace of baptism! As St Paul said so powerfully in Romans 10:9-10, “… if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.”
In our Gospel account, the Risen Lord came to the disciples in their fears, sadness, doubt & disbelief in today’s Gospel & imparted His Resurrection Greeting to them “Peace be with you.” (Luke 24:36). He showed them His wounded hands & feet, the signs of His crucified love for them. Like in last Sunday’s Gospel from John 20, we again encounter the wounds of Christ. These wounds of pain & death are also the great sign of His Easter victory! This sight filled them with such an unspeakable joy that they were amazed & dumbfounded (cf Luke 24:40-41). Only when they had received the Peace of the Risen Christ & experienced the Joy of His presence were they able to then understand the meaning of the scriptures related to the suffering, death & resurrection of Jesus.
What about you, brothers & sisters? Do you sometimes have difficulties in believing that God loves you? Have you ever, in the face of the challenges of poor health, strained relationships, stressful work pressure & financial burdens, experienced a deep sense of fear? Then, like the disciples in today’s Gospel, open your mind & heart to the presence of the Risen Lord. He is standing here, in the midst of all your distress! He loves you & cares for you! Touch His wounds & be healed & renewed, because ‘By His wounds we are healed’ (cf Isaiah 53;5)! Let the healing mercy you receive from Jesus flow out to others! May His greeting of PEACE calm your fears & the JOY of His presence fill you with hope.
Here’s a moving & beautiful worship song titled “Deeper In Love”. May the Love of the Risen Lord grow ever stronger in your heart & life.
https://youtu.be/odYUixQ_kZ4?si=mP2Zs5ON2rWpAQbD
Article by Damian Boon, HFC Blog Team Lead