Jesus Appears to the Disciples

In today’s gospel we observe that the disciples of Jesus find themselves in a hopeless, confused, anxious situation. Their dreams of being part of the Messianic Kingdom seems to be over. They are afraid of the jews who are trying to kill them. The disciples have no sense of direction of what they should do next. It seems easier to remain in a state of inertia paralyzed with fear rather than to do anything.  They miss their friend and rabbi Jesus but it seems that their experiences with Jesus have also been pushed into the background.  They have forgotten the miracles, teaching and the mission.

However, Jesus is a true friend. Just when they were losing hope and the ability to continue the mission, he appears to them with his wounds not as a ghost but alive. He immediately blessed them with His peace. It is the peace of Christ that consoles them even though their challenging situation hasn’t changed. Jesus once again reminds them of their pending mission and gives them authority, strength, guidance and power through the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that helps us experience the love of the trinity. It transforms us into Christ like individuals and communities with the gifts and charisms of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore when we face challenging situations each of us must keep in mind that we won’t be able to be witnesses for Christ and bring His kingdom based only on our own individual strength but it is the Holy Spirit that will help us in continuing the mission.