Profound Transformation of Jesus' Resurrection
Listening to the Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit you have taught the hearts of your faithful. In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Listening to the Word
The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way, and how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of bread.
While they were still speaking about this, 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. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? 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.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 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.
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 Christ 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.
Reflection
Jesus's resurrection is narrated by the evangelists through stories of encounters with angels that are dissuading us from looking in a tomb for the one who is alive.
Other gospel narratives tell us of Jesus being standing in the midst of his disciples, even walking along with them though he is not immediately recognized.
These manifestations of Jesus to the disciples after his death on the cross are not meant to be chronological reports of a dead person who mysteriously comes back to life and would resume his work after few days of forced inactivity. Neither is the Risen Christ playing hide and seek with his disciples.
In these encounters, we are dealing with Jesus's person not any more subject to the limitations of the human condition, he has definitely overcome death, his body is glorified. He can now be present anywhere and at any time in the fullness of his life to those who believe in him.
This turn of events is absolutely overwhelming for the history of humanity: it proclaims the unquestionable victory of the Lord over death. It sanctions the truth of Jesus's mission of salvation - "For us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man"
From time immemorial humanity had been looking to be connected with the divine to obtain salvation. The children of Abraham had been claiming of a special election by God and captured God's presence in their pilgrimage journey through the centuries. Jesus is born in the midst of this people and embracing this religious background starts a community of disciples who are called to live according to his radical vision of the kingdom of God. His understanding of the kingdom and praxis coupled by his claim to be close to God are felt as a threat to the existing system of worship to the point that the religious authorities decide to do away with him. Nevertheless, the scandalous death on a cross was not the end of the story no matter all the elements to admit defeat were in place.
Enlightened by faith the disciples start proclaiming fearlessly the resurrection of the Lord. Jesus has touched their hearts no fear anymore, they are transformed by the Easter encounter with Jesus. This is the convincing sign of Jesus resurrection, the conversion of the hearts of the disciples, the transformation of our heart.
I believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior;
I believe that living his Gospel one can find the true God;
I believe that victory rests with those who stretch their hands to bless,
to share with the needy, to cure the sick, to protect the vulnerable, to practice justice...
I believe that pursuing the way of violence, oppression, revenge, exploitation lead one far from God
I believe because Jesus died on the cross for our salvation,
including the salvation of those who are still resisting his love and blindly continue to do as nothing has changed since Good Friday.
Reflection Questions
Gospel Reflections
Allowing Jesus to Change Us
Who Is Jesus for Me? From Encounter to Mission
