THURSDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER - Lk 24:35-48 - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

"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" Lk 24:39

READING OF THE DAY

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:11-26

As the crippled man who had been cured clung to Peter and John,

all the people hurried in amazement toward them

in the portico called “Solomon’s Portico.”

When Peter saw this, he addressed the people,

“You children of Israel, why are you amazed at this,

and why do you look so intently at us

as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety?

The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,

the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus

whom you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence,

when he had decided to release him.

You denied the Holy and Righteous One

and asked that a murderer be released to you.

The author of life you put to death,

but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.

And by faith in his name,

this man, whom you see and know, his name has made strong,

and the faith that comes through it

has given him this perfect health,

in the presence of all of you.

Now I know, brothers and sisters,

that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did;

but God has thus brought to fulfillment

what he had announced beforehand

through the mouth of all the prophets,

that his Christ would suffer.

Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away,

and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment

and send you the Christ already appointed for you, Jesus,

whom heaven must receive until the times of universal restoration

of which God spoke through the mouth

of his holy prophets from of old.

For Moses said:

A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you

from among your own kin;

to him you shall listen in all that he may say to you.

Everyone who does not listen to that prophet

will be cut off from the people.

“Moreover, all the prophets who spoke,

from Samuel and those afterwards, also announced these days.

You are the children of the prophets

and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors

when he said to Abraham,

In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

For you first, God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you

by turning each of you from your evil ways.”

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke

Lk 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.”

THURSDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER - Lk 24:35-48

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear people of God,

Today's Word of God says that Jesus always loves and accompanies His disciples. When Jesus died, the disciples were extremely terrified, worried, and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus clearly understood the hearts of His disciples, so He appeared to strengthen their faith that His resurrection was real. At the same time, He continued to guide, explain, and enlighten 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."

Today's Word of God said Jesus appeared to the disciples at the meal to strengthen their faith.

He wanted to show His disciples that He was truly alive, He was a real person eating and drinking with them; and letting them touch the nail holes through which He had suffered. Increasingly, God gives His disciples a greater sense of assurance that Jesus' resurrection is real, not an illusion. God also repeated what the Bible said about Him: "Jesus Christ must suffer, die, and after three days, He will rise again." He Himself took all human sins and brought them to the cross, to die to atone for sin and save humanity. His disciples will be witnesses to the Words that God has taught and lived.

Today, God also wants all of His disciples:

- to Be witnesses for God, testify about all the words and deeds that Jesus Himself lived and taught to people.

Moreover, God wants all of His disciples, as well as everyone:

- to Listen and practice what God has taught: which is to believe absolutely in Jesus Christ who died and was resurrected to save humanity, and those who live that faith will be saved by God.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

PRAYER TO GOD AT 3.00PM