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Reflection

Peace be with you

Our gospel today begins after the two friends of Jesus had met him on the road to Emmaus; ‘the disciples told their story of what had happened to them on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of the bread.’

Having met Jesus they went back to Jerusalem bursting with the good news that he was alive. While they are talking, Jesus appears and repeats the words he used twice in last Sunday’s gospel; ‘Peace be with you.’ Despite Jesus already having appeared to them, they were in state of alarm and fright, thinking they were seeing a ghost.’ Jesus speaks very directly to them; ‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts?’ To calm these doubts Jesus invites them to touch him to prove that he is not a ghost. He goes further and shows them the wounds in his hands and feet. While their joy was so great, they could not believe it, and they stood (there) dumbfounded. It is obvious from this that Thomas was not the only one who doubted that Jesus had in fact risen from the dead!

We can only imagine the confusion of the disciples. They had spent three years accompanying Jesus as he preached and healed. They had eaten and prayed with him. They were his closest friends. They were with him when he was betrayed. They knew Peter denied knowing him. They saw him being arrested, condemned and crucified. They knew he had died on the cross and had been buried. Now, here he is standing amongst them, talking to them and showing them the wounds he suffered while being crucified. It is any wonder that they are agitated, frightened, dumbfounded and think that that are seeing a ghost! We can almost feel their fear, confusion and doubt. Their reaction is very human and normal.