Homily for Thursday in the Octave of Easter

As we just heard, Jesus’ followers had difficulty believing that the man standing before them was the same Jesus they had come to know and love. They believed they were seeing a ghost.

They had been so traumatized by the Crucifixion just a few days earlier, that they struggled to believe that Jesus was really alive. It was too much for them.

Perhaps, even today, we struggle to take in the good news of Easter, to really believe it. It is easier to identify with the death of Jesus than with His Resurrection. We can easily connect with His suffering.

Maybe that is why we need seven weeks of Easter: to take it all in; to recognize that the Risen LORD is indeed standing among us, saying to us what He said to His disciples, “Peace be with you.

He offers us that peace of mind and heart, which is the fruit of His love and poured into us by the Holy Spirit.

When we allow ourselves to receive this gift, He sends us out as ambassadors of reconciliation, love, and peace, just as He sent out His disciples nearly 2,000 years ago.

May our hearts be open to the reality of that love so that we may go forth and truly and fully share it with others.