Peace in the Risen Lord, Homily, 3rd Sunday of Easter – Cycle B– 4/19/15

The past few years I’ve had the opportunity to see family and friends that I have not seen in years at weddings, funerals, and helping them through illness and other trials.   It was good seeing these friends and family members and catching up with them after many years.  It was like old times and we quickly picked up where we left off years ago.  This was a very joyful experience. 

Unfortunately there were a few people that I did not look forward seeing. For some reason or another there was a rift between us that had not been resolved.   I desired to reconcile, but they were not ready to do so.   I knew it would be very uncomfortable being with them and it made me very anxious. I’m sure that some of you have been in similar situations.  It can be quite stressful.

In today’s Gospel we hear about another encounter of the disciples with

the risen Jesus.  The disciples who met Jesus on the way to Emmaus had returned to Jerusalem.  They were telling the story to the other disciples how they recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread.  These other disciples were probably hidden away in fear as Jesus had just been killed and they feared for their own lives.

As the two disciples were telling their story, Jesus appears to the other disciples. They were probably a bit anxious to see Jesus, as they did not leave him on good terms. They had abandoned him in the garden of Gethsemane and left him with the guards to be captured, put on trial, tortured, and killed.  They bailed out on Jesus and left him alone.  What they did would be hard for anyone to forgive.  They knew this and may have felt troubled by Jesus appearing to them.  Also, it must have been frightening to hear that someone had risen from the dead and they may have thought he was a ghost. 

Jesus recognizes that the disciples are troubled and speaks these words of comfort to them: “Peace be with you.”  He knows they are troubled and puts them at ease by offering them his peace.   It’s probably not what the disciple’s expected to hear, but what they needed.   To show them that he had is alive and present to them in the flesh Jesus offers them to touch him.  

Jesus then shares a meal of baked fish to establish fellowship and shows that he is truly alive with a glorified immortal body and not a ghost. He reveals to the disciples the meaning of his resurrection by explaining what the Scriptures said that he would suffer, die, and rise from the dead.    Finally the disciples’ get their mission: to preach repentance for forgiveness of sins in Jesus name.  

Jesus’ encounter with the disciples in Jerusalem is a model of our encounter with him each Sunday that we come to Mass.   Each week we come with our own struggles, anxieties, and stresses just like the disciples. 

We have broken relationships that need mending and people unwilling to be mended.   We have money issues trying to make ends meet that seem impossible to overcome. We have worries about our health and our loved ones.   And to add more fuel to the fire we have sinned against God, others, and ourselves.  We, like the disciples, may be troubled, and question whether Jesus will be present to us, and forgive us.

But each week as we come to Mass we can experience the same encounter the disciples did in Jerusalem.  We start off with the priest, in persona Christi, telling us “Peace be with you”. We’re receiving the peace that only Jesus can offer.  Our minds are being opened up to the Scripture, through the readings, proclamation of the Gospel, and preaching to make sense of God’s word in the context of our lives.  We then get the beautiful gift of being communion with the Lord by sharing in the Eucharistic meal where Jesus is truly present to us in the sacrament. Through the Eucharist we are forgiven of our venial sin. When we receive Jesus in the sacrament we are given the gift of becoming what we eat: to become Jesus to others.

Through Christ’s sacrifice we also become adopted sons and daughters of the Father. We are then sent out like the disciples to “Go announce the Gospel of the Lord.”  

As we come to Mass each week we need to keep in mind that Jesus did the ultimate for us by offering his life in sacrifice to forgive each of our own sins, and those of the whole world.  We need to be willing believe he is our Savior, to ask for his forgiveness, and to accept it.  This should fill us with Joy!    If we let our minds be opened up to the true gift of all that is offered in the Mass, and that Jesus is truly present and offers us forgiveness, it should bring us peace to help us through our troubles.  Our troubles may still be there, but with Jesus’ presence through the sacraments and the Body of Christ, we can make it through any challenging time. 

May the peace that Jesus offers provide us opportunities to share this good news of mercy with others so we can carry out Christ’s mission as his disciples.  God bless you.