April 8, 2026 Wednesday of the Easter Octave Gospel: Luke 24:13-35
Today is Wednesday of the Easter Octave. The Gospel according to Saint Luke gives us the story of the Risen Lord Jesus meeting two men on their way to Emmaus.
These two disciples on their way to Emmaus—“As they talked and debated, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing Him”(cf. Lk 24:16)—what was it that hindered their eyes so that they did not recognize the Risen Lord Jesus? Some brothers and sisters in the faith would say: It was their tears, their sorrowful emotions… What I want to say is: They despaired at the death of Jesus, and despair made them unable to see the Risen Lord. They had thought: Jesus had been crucified; He could not have risen. They had hoped that Jesus would lead them in a revolt, defeat the Romans, and restore the glory of Israel. Now all this had come to nothing.
In this narrative, we see that the Risen Lord Jesus did not rebuke these disciples who failed to recognize Him. “He began with Moses and all the Prophets and interpreted for them the passages about Himself in all the Scriptures”(cf. Lk 24:27). His words made their cold hearts burn within them. Perhaps our hearts too can grow cold for various reasons, and coldness makes us no longer want to listen to God’s Word. Yet our Lord Jesus Christ still accompanies us: He chooses to walk with us, and with His Body and Blood heals our wounded hearts, fills us again with His life, heals our inner wounds, gives us courage and strength, inspires us to return to the parish, to meet our brothers and sisters, and tell them all that the Savior Jesus Christ has done for us.
O God, who gladden us year by year with the solemnity of the Lord’s Resurrection, graciously grant, that, by celebrating these present festivities, we may merit through them to reach eternal joys. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
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