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
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
April 7, 2026 Tuesday in the Octave of Easter Gospel: John 20:11-18
Today is Tuesday of the Easter Octave. The passage from Saint John’s Gospel depicts the beautiful scene of Mary Magdalene meeting the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
On the first day of the week (Sunday), early in the morning while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb. She stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she bent down to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been laid—one at the head and the other at the feet (cf. Jn 20:1, 11–12). How much she loved Jesus, that the risen Lord made her the first woman to enter His tomb. Her choice to go inside meant she longed to meet Jesus there. For she still viewed life and death according to the logic of this passing world, rather than the logic of God as revealed by Jesus.
Jesus met Mary Magdalene at the place of His burial and said to her:“Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (cf. Jn 20:17) He did not speak these words to any other disciple—intending to show that He is always with us: in the sacraments, whenever we pray to Him, in every person we encounter, and in the Scriptures we read. He wants us to bring the good news of His resurrection to all people, so the world may rediscover the Savior hidden in their lives through our service—especially by seeing our renewed way of life.
During this Easter Octave, let us join in prayer to God:
O God, who have bestowed on us paschal remedies, endow your people with heavenly gifts, so that, possessed of perfect freedom, they may rejoice in heaven over what gladdens them now on earth. 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
全属于祢 
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