Reflection for April 9 Thursday in the Octave of Easter: Luke 24:35-48

Gospel: 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 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."

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Reflection:

Who moves and inspires us to go on when we feel spiritually and emotionally weary and tired? Of course, it is none other than Jesus. In those quiet moments when our strength seems to fade and our hearts grow heavy, we turn to Him in prayer.

We lift up our burdens, our fears, and our doubts, asking for His help and strength. And when we sincerely open our hearts to Him, we begin to feel renewed—strengthened from within—ready once again to face the many trials in our lives.

When the disciples of Jesus were feeling weary and discouraged, burdened by the thought that He had not risen, He suddenly stood in their midst and greeted them, “Peace be with you.” In their confusion and fear, He gently asked, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts?” In that sacred moment, Jesus revealed Himself to them—not only to prove that He had truly risen, but to remind them that He had never left them.

If we are honest with ourselves, we often find our own hearts reflected in the lives of the apostles. We, too, experience doubt. We, too, feel abandoned at times. We, too, question the presence of the Lord in our lives, wondering if He truly sees us, if He truly hears us, if He is truly with us.

And yet, even in our questioning, the Lord does not turn away from us. Instead, He comes to us—quietly, gently—speaking peace into our restless hearts.

At times, we may ask: If Jesus is truly present, why do we still experience hardships, struggles, and pain? But perhaps it is in these very moments of difficulty that His presence becomes even more real. For it is in our weakness that His strength sustains us, and in our trials that His grace carries us through.

What, then, does this Gospel remind us? It assures us that we are never alone. The Risen Jesus walks with us each day, especially in moments of struggle and uncertainty. He remains by our side—guiding us, strengthening us, and lifting us up when we fall.

As we continue our journey of faith, may we learn to recognize His presence even in the ordinary moments of our lives. May we trust that He is always near, even when we do not feel Him.

And so we ask ourselves: When doubts arise and our hearts grow weary, will we continue to question His presence—or will we choose to trust, believe, and allow the Risen Jesus to fill us with His peace?—Marino J. Dasmarinas