April 9, 2026
Thursday of the Octave of Easter
Gospel: Luke 24:35-48

Today is Thursday of the Octave of Easter. The Gospel according to Saint Luke gives us a narrative of the disciples who had previously gone to Emmaus returning to the community to tell the Apostles about their encounter with the Risen Lord, and of the Risen Lord’s appearance to the astonished and fearful disciples.

Perhaps we would think: the Risen Lord Jesus Christ would rebuke them for their ignorance, or rebuke Peter for denying Him three times, or praise Saint John for accompanying Jesus and receiving the Blessed Virgin Mary as his mother. But He did not do so. He only said to them, “Peace be with you.” (cf. Luke 24:36) He further invited them to touch His hands and feet, inviting them to experience the love He holds for the world. He did not rebuke the disciples in this way because He loved the world deeply, even to the end.

Today, the Risen Lord Jesus Christ also appears among us in different forms. He appears in our lives as the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the naked, and the imprisoned. There He waits for us, inviting us to meet Him and receive Him—desiring to be with us every day in this way.

As the Evangelist Luke records: the Risen Lord Jesus Christ “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” (cf. Luke 24:45) We live in this changing world and also need the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit to experience the Word of God in our lives. Like Jesus Christ, we should proclaim the Kingdom of God to everyone we meet in our daily lives, leading them, like us, to belong to the new world spoken of by Jesus.

O God, who have united the many nations
in confessing your name,
grant that those reborn in the font of Baptism
may be one in the faith of their hearts
and the homage of their deeds.
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

©Totus Tuus 2026
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica