"We also will come with you."

                                                                John 21:1-14

Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee's sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We also will come with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?" They answered him, "No."
So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something." So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you just caught."
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, "Come, have breakfast." And none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.

Refelction:

Believe and have faith to the risen Lord and He will surely reveal to your life in a very special way. Open our hearts so He can freely own us.

“Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me”

                                                                    Luke 24:35-48

The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way, and how they had come to recognize him 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 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. 

Commentary of the day :

Saint Cyril of Alexandria (380-444), Bishop, Doctor of the Church
Commentary on Saint John's Gospel, ch. 12

“Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me”

Saint Matthew, in his Gospel, writes that Christ took Peter, James and John, led them up a high mountain and was transfigured before them: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. But, since they were not able to bear such a vision, they fell prostrate (Mt 17,1f). This is why, in order to conform himself in everything to the Father's plan, our Lord Jesus appeared again in the upper room under the appearance he had before and not according to the glory that is owing to him, appropriate to the Temple of his transfigured body. He did not want faith in the resurrection to be founded on some other appearance or a different body than the one he received from the Virgin Mary and with which he had died on a cross, according to the Scriptures. Indeed, death had no power except over the flesh from which it was going to be cast out. For, if his dead body had not been raised, what kind of death has been vanquished? ... It could not have been just a soul, nor an angel, nor even simply the Word of God...


Moreover, the fact that the Lord entered through locked doors, anyone who is sensible will count as proof of his resurrection too. He greets his disciples with these words: “Peace be with you”, revealing in this way that he himself is peace. For those amongst whom he makes himself present receive a perfectly calm and peaceful spirit from it. Without doubt this is what Saint Paul wished for the faithful when he said: “May the peace of Christ that surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ” (Phil 4,7). 

"Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."

Luke 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?" They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?"
And he replied to them, "What sort of things?" They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see."
And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?"
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning (within us) while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?"
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them
who were saying, "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Reflection:

A lot of stories had been narrated regarding Jesus' appearance at Emmaus. Today i am inviting you to ponder and reflect on this line  "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." This is a simple start for all of us as we begin Easter. Have we ever ask the grace of God to stay with us even for a moment? 

Today, we are all invited to let Jesus stay in our hearts. If we take this opportunity we can truly share in HIS resurrection. The risen Christ is with us! Believe in the Eucharist and be transformed.

#SemCarl