Thursday, March 31, 2016 Octave of Easter, Thursday
1st Reading: Acts 3:11-26 Gospel: Luke 24:35-48
The two disciples told what had happened on the road and how Jesus made himself known when he broke bread with them.
As they went on talking about this, Jesus himself stood in their midst. (And he said to them, “Peace to you.”) In their panic and fright they thought they were seeing a ghost, but he said to them, “Why are you upset, and why do such ideas cross your mind? Look at my hands and feet and see that it is I myself. Touch me and see for yourselves that a ghost has no flesh and bones as I have.” (As he said this, he showed his hands and feet.)
In their joy they didn’t dare believe and were still astonished. So he said to them, “Have you anything to eat?” and they gave him a piece of broiled fish. He took it and ate it before them.
Then Jesus said to them, “Remember the words I spoke to you when I was still with you: Everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms had to be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he went on, “You see what was written: the Messiah had to suffer and on the third day rise from the dead. Then repentance and forgiveness in his name would be proclaimed to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Now you shall be witnesses to this.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life
Experience)
The disciples did not recognize Jesus until he showed them his scars. If Jesus chose to be identified by the marks of his sufferings, could his followers establish their identity on better marks? Suffering draws significance to a Christian from how it enhances self- denial. It is self-denial that jumpstarts genuine discipleship on the basis of Jesus’ challenge when he said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). When suffering predisposes us to self-denial, every occasion to suffer is a chance to respond to this challenge.
Not every kind of suffering, however, is beneficial. If one suffers from sexually communicated disease, for example, because of an active life of promiscuity, God will leave him where he is. The better option is to shape up.
Suffering is beneficial if not resulting from comeuppance. When one suffers the results of another person’s misuse of freedom, such is meritorious. God acts fairly this way. Since he cannot strike dead the person who in freedom makes others suffer, it is but fitting that God amply compensates the person suffering.
While we embrace suffering as mark of our identity, let us make sure we get the right mark lest God will leave us where we are. — Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com.
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