This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ,
not by water alone, but by water and blood.
The Spirit is the one that testifies,
and the Spirit is truth. 1 John 5:6

Today we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, so it is appropriate that the readings today have mention of water and blood. Jesus shed this for us, so we may have life. His mercy is great! Anyone who has had a life that was lukewarm in faith and found the zest of faith knows this.

In our world today, all too often our faith is very lukewarm. How often do we actually stop and pray. In a given day how much time do we spend in prayer and reflection? Or do we reserve all thought for Sunday alone? But once Mass is over do we ponder what we heard, and discuss it? Or do we forget about it, because something might have tugged at our conscience. "The Spirit is the one that truly does testify, for the Spirit is truth." It is in those moments of consious reflection that we need to look at and correct what is brought to light. Next time at Mass let God's Word be the voice that speaks to us.

He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15

The apostles where told after the accounts of witnessing that Jesus is alive, to go out into the world and proclaim the Gospel. Which they did, as todays first reading also tells us they continued to encounter problems from the Sanhedrin, for a healing of a man to boot. It wasn't just that, they thought they stopped the people from leaving. They were loosing their control over the people. Isn't that what Jesus came to do in the first place, to free us from bondage. When people are stopped from growing in faith what happens to them. They sin, they die a horrible death. Why? For what purpose did the Sanhedrin want to stop the people from growing. I hope not because of money lost due to lack of people to contribute to their way of life. Or is it the fact that they are so set in their ways that they do not want to change.

The apostles too had hardened hearts for they did not recognize Jesus when he appeared to them, were they too, set in their ways and afraid of change? But finally they opened their eyes, to go out to proclaim the Gospel. How hardened are we to change? Little do we realize we change constantly, just as we change our furniture or clothes, or our hair styles. We pierce our bodies, tattoo them, mold and shape them by cosmetic surgery. If we are willing to go to those lengths to change ourselves, exterior selves, why not go the whole gamut and change the interior self too.

Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead. John 21:12-14

Each time Jesus appeared to those who knew him and loved him, never saw him as he was before. Who are you, they wanted to ask. Yet we hear through their testimony this man knew them and what was taught to them. We are seeing the many faces of Jesus after his resurrection. How he appears to his apostles physically each time differently, yet they recognize him by the breaking of bread only. Today we have a set visual of what we see as the face of Jesus, the face before resurrection. How is it then that he kept appearing in a different facial form to the apostles? What purpose then was this for? Was it to help us understand that he will appear in like manner to us, only to recognize him in the breaking of bread too. How will we recognize him today, just as the apostles did not recognize him then, will we know? Will our faith be what allows us to see the truth of Jesus' countenance. Since He is Risen, will we be able to recognize him in the Eucharist, after all, three times it was in the breaking of bread that he was recognized. And in like manner the fish. God Bless

While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Luke 24:35-38

One thing I love about this reading, is Jesus standing in their midst and them not seeing him. Just as when he had done the breaking of  bread and then he vanished from the one's who traveled to Emmaus. This is not so much a miracle but more of the fact that Jesus was revealing His Divine Nature to reinforce what has been written.  This is needed for us to see the truth.  Should Jesus not have risen and revealed himself, we would not have this testimony.

"Peace Be With You," he says to them. So they will not jump out of their skin, frightened, but they were anyway. I can imagine their feeling a bit uneasy, after all, they saw what happened to him, and the likelihood of  Jesus being there and alive, is to put it mildly, a shock to them. I think it would be a shock to us too.

The questions Jesus asks them, should say a lot. We ask these questions too, yet for different reasons.  Why are we troubled? Why do questions arise in our hearts about the reality of God? The apostles shouldn't have been troubled, after all they were with Jesus for three years, knowing he is the Son of God. Even though this is true they still questioned, just as we do today. Do we often wonder what our reactions would be, if we were the one's in Jesus' time. But for us it is different, we have their testimony, so should he appear standing next to us, we would know without a doubt it is him. It is only when we lack faith in God, that we would be frightened of the truth

And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight. Luke 24:30-31

What a powerful testimony, my God, you have a way with letting us know where Jesus is. The two men on the road to Emmaus, had a burning within them while listening to a man speak of the Gospels. Little did they know that he was speaking directly to their hearts.

How amazed they were when you said the blessing then broke the bread, it's as if their eyes were opened as well as their ears. Then on top of it to see you vanish from their sight, wow!

Wow, indeed, God most definitely has a way of getting himself across to us doesn't he. He isn't playing disruptive music while they are contemplating what just happened. They were able to hear and see without what we have today. Music that most times takes away from the very receiving of Jesus. It  was the silence around them that enabled them to know his presence, to see his presence.

Today we put so much into us that it makes this very act that the ones on the road to Emmaus have experienced difficult to understand. Jesus wanted us to know where he is. What a loving God we have to let us know where we can always find him. To partake of him, so we too may have life with him. Glory to God for revealing to us were we will always find Jesus in our midst.