Third Sunday of Easter: Gospel  B 

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. 

· The two disciples are recounting the Emmaus apparition of Jesus to them.

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. 

· Do you think your reaction would be any different if Jesus appeared to you? How do you think you would react if Jesus would appear to you now?

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. 

· What questions do you imagine were going through the disciples’ minds? Were they anticipating Jesus to condemn them for their abandoning him? Was it shame or guilt that they felt? Where they wondering why they didn’t believe the women and didn’t believe the two disciples on their way to Eammaus?

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. 

· They had seen Jesus raise someone from the dead. But the countenance of Jesus was not that of one having been dead and coming back to life. He was resurrected and glorified and yet still had the normal human qualities. His eating of food is meant to confirm this in their minds, so that their witness may be credible. The resurrected body is different in many ways.

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.

· Recall that Jesus also broke open the scriptures to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. How often do we read and reflect on the Word of God as a guide to our life? The full understanding of Jesus needs the revealed Word of God to lead us to the truth.

 You are witnesses of these things. 

· They were witnesses of the resurrected Jesus; now they were being sent to proclaim their witness to others.  Do we see ourselves as witnesses for Jesus? When was the last time we actually shared our witness?

· How strong is my awareness of Jesus in my life today? Does the witness of my life reflect this?