3rd Sunday of Easter
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran
We have been reading and reflecting on the appearances of Jesus to his disciples, and the experiences of those disciples. Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene who was weeping by the gravesite of Jesus. Mary Magdalene did not recognize Jesus. She mistook Jesus to be a gardener. Jesus opened her eyes to recognize him. The effect of the experience was that Jesus made her the first bearer of the good news of his resurrection.
Jesus appeared to the two men returning to their village called Emmaus. They did not recognize Jesus. They mistook him to be a stranger. Their eyes opened to recognize him at the breaking of bread. The effect of the experience was that Jesus empowered them to go back to Jerusalem to share the good news of his resurrection with the other disciples.
Today, we read that Jesus appeared to his disciples and they mistook him to be a ghost. He opened their eyes and sent them to be witnesses to the power of his resurrection. He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” 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. You are witnesses of these things.”
Peter preached these words of Jesus as we see in the first reading. Peter said, “Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.” Peter who was fearful and denied Jesus three times became transformed by the power of the resurrection. He began to preach boldly to the Jews whom he feared.
Many people in the world do not know Jesus and do not experience him. Some see Jesus as a gardener; some as a stranger, and others as a ghost. They can only know him and experience him through us who are his followers. We are to share the good news of the transforming power of the resurrection to the world.
Jesus needs us as witnesses to continue his mission. Jesus needs Spirit-filled followers to be his eyes, ears, hands, and feet, to bear witness to his love, mercy, and forgiveness through our interactions with our brothers and sisters.
We must daily invite Jesus and the Holy Spirit to help us, especially when we read the scriptures. Therefore, let us pray with the psalmist today: “Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord.” The light of His face will illuminate and cast away the shadows of ignorance from our minds, increase our faith, and finally, make us firm witnesses to the resurrected Christ.
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