“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
Breaking Bread, Breaking Barriers: The Resurrection and the Great Commission
Luke 24:35-48
Then they recounted what had taken place on the way, and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. While they were still speaking about this, he stood in the midst of them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. But 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 the 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 had to 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. And behold I send the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Grace Prayed For
Lord, grant us the grace to encounter You as deeply as the first disciples, to touch and see the reality of Your resurrection in our lives. Open our minds to the scriptures, ignite in us a burning desire to witness to Your love, and empower us with Your Spirit to fulfill the Great Commission. Help us to know that you are alive and we are sent in your name.
Reflection
Imagine the scene: disbelief mingling with overwhelming joy, fear giving way to astonished wonder. The disciples, huddled together, recounting their encounter with the risen Christ, suddenly find Him standing among them. This moment, raw and real, bridges the gap between their shattered hopes and the incomprehensible reality of the resurrection. Jesus’ invitation to touch His wounds, to witness Him eating, is a visceral reminder that this is no phantom, no mere spirit. It is He, risen and gloriously present. His subsequent opening of their minds to the scriptures is the spark that ignites their mission. The Great Commission, “You are witnesses of these things,” isn’t just a command; it’s a sharing of His very life, a commission rooted in their tangible encounter with His resurrected self. We, too, are called to this witnessing, to become living testimonies of the resurrection’s power—power that not only overcomes death but also transforms us into messengers of His forgiveness and love.
Growing in Intimacy/Union with Jesus
This passage fosters a profound intimacy with Jesus by demonstrating His tangible presence and his continued teaching and guidance after his resurrection. By entering into the initial fear and confusion of the disciples, then their transformation through his direct proof of his reality, we can experience a closer relationship with Christ. By having a better idea of how they felt, we can better understand how he comforts, teaches, and ultimately sends us out to be his living witnesses. The realness of his presence, the eating, the showing of wounds, brings Christ into a place where a true connection with him, like a friend, is more possible.
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Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post