Gospel
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 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.”
It was the moment that would be remembered forever. After appearing to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, he now stood before them where they gathered.
They saw his wounds and he even ate with them, lest they think he was not really human as well as divine.
And he asked them why they are troubled. Why do questions arise in your hearts.
We who have said yes to Jesus can still find moments when we question. But unlike the disciples our questions are not the reality of the risen Lord for we have testimony in the Gospels for that. Our questions are usually around what it means for us.
Yes, Jesus is the real deal but what does that mean for me? Does he make my life better? Does he make my life easier? Will my prayers all be answered and my efforts rewarded in the life?
We want the answer to always be yes but that would mean God thinks like we do and sees this world like we do. But our understanding of God and the world is limited and finite. We don’t always see what is best for us much less what will keep us on our faith journey to God … and what will one day derail us.
I believe Jesus wants the best for us but in the context of the right priorities and the end goal.
Our absolute end goal is to be with God in heaven one day. We get there by following Jesus’ commandments and building a life around God, not around the world. Many things we ask for will take us off that path and we hopefully will be denied them. Even if they appear good at the time.
We are also always going to struggle in this life for it part of life. Hopefully, it strengthens us and prepares us. Jesus never promised the easy way of life or an easy road to eternal life. But he does promise to be with us and give us his joy and hope and peace so that we can persevere to the end.
This Easter octave should be a time of integrating more prayer and focus and meditation so we can grow in understanding and trust more.
Jesus is with us and the Holy Spirit is there to guide us. We can have questions still, but trust in his way. If we always choose to follow his path our journey will always bring us to him and to a life that is best for us.
We can be assured is we follow his way faithfully we will reach the best results and the promised life in heaven.
Deacon Tony Pynes 
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