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Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he
said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and
rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the
forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the
nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these
things.” Luke 24:45–48
Jesus once again appears to a group of His disciples, and He once
again gets straight to the point. He “opened their minds” so that
they would understand all that the Scriptures revealed about Him.
He helped them to see that His death and Resurrection were
fulfillments of the teachings of Moses and the prophets. And then
Jesus says something new: “You are witnesses of these things.” As
we saw in yesterday’s Gospel, it’s clear that the disciples did not
yet understand why Jesus had to die and then rise again. They were
still in shock and traumatized by these events. Therefore, Jesus
had to carefully explain to His disciples the meaning of what had
just taken place. They needed to understand this on a level that
they couldn’t comprehend by themselves. They needed Jesus’ clear
and detailed explanation as well as a special grace by which their
minds would be opened to an understanding of these profound
mysteries of faith.
We are no different than these disciples. It’s easy to believe in
Jesus for insufficient reasons which only result in superficial
faith. Some believe simply because that’s what they were taught
when they were young. Some believe because it makes them feel
better to believe. Some believe because they don’t know of anything
better to believe. But then there are those who believe for the
right reason. Like the disciples in this resurrection appearance,
they have listened to Jesus speak clearly and in detail to them,
such as through their study of Scripture,
the Catechism, or other holy sources, and then they
were given a special grace from God that “opened their minds” to an
understanding that goes far beyond human rational abilities alone.
Are you one of those people?
If you are, then you have another duty. Not only must you continue
to internalize these truths, allowing them to deepen and change
your own life completely and totally, but you must also become a
“witness” to these things. When you grow in an authentic knowledge
of the faith revealed by our Lord, you must also share it with
others. Real faith must be shared!
Reflect, today, upon this powerful resurrection appearance. As you
do, ponder whether or not you have allowed our Lord to speak to you
in the same way that He did to these disciples, and whether or not
you have truly internalized all that He has spoken to you and
explained to you. If you are among this grouping of people, reflect
also upon your duty to be a witness of these truths to
others. Jesus wants to appear in His resurrected form to many
others, but He especially does this, today, through the mediation
of His faithful followers who are now sent forth to be witnesses to
Christ and His glorious Resurrection. My risen Jesus, You gave
Your disciples a glorious gift when You opened their minds to Your
holy Truth and taught them many things.
Please open my mind also, dear Lord, so that I will comprehend
the deep and profound mysteries of faith. Help me to understand Who
You are, why You had to die, and how to share in the new life of
Your Resurrection. Please also use me as Your witness so that many
will come to know You and share in the new life won by Your
Resurrection. Jesus, I trust in You.
Image: Luca Signorelli, Public domain, via Wikimedia
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