Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Thursday in the Octave of Easter, April 24, 2025

Delivered by Joana from the Parish of Saint Gabriel in the Diocese of Bandung - West Jawa, Indonesia. Acts of the Apostles 3: 11-26; Rs psalm 8: 2a.5.6-7.8-9; Luke 24: 35-48PEACEOF EASTER Thetitle of our meditation today is: Peace of Easter. We can consider that aseries of apparition of the risen Christ is an Easter gift to us. Encountersafter the resurrection in various occasions that are presented in the scriptures,give us stories and their messages. If we may say one among all these messagesthat is the most central and particular, it is the message of peace. Whenthe eleven apostles gathered to share stories from each one’s experience andperspective about their encounter with the risen Christ, then added to them wasthe two disciples who had just returned from Emmaus, a community of followersof Christ whose hearts filled with the spirit of the risen Jesus, was thenturned into a different community. The community was filled with a mixedatmosphere between stories, believing, confuse, questions, and of courseamazement. In this context of a new face of the community, Jesus once againappeared in their midst by giving a gift: Peace be with you! Themessage of peace was the main point in the Apostle Peter's sermon in the midstof the crowd, after he performed a healing miracle to a paralytic person. Themiracle also brought about a mixed atmosphere of admiration, wonder, suspicion,lack of trust, and trust. So, Peter resolved the situation by proclaiming thetruth from the risen Lord that created peace and serenity. The result was thatmany people got inspired and came to believe in Jesus Christ.  Thepeaceful message of the risen Jesus to the apostles who were confused, afraid,suspicious, and lacking in faith aims to make them believe in the Lord. Peacecan eliminate all negative feelings and thoughts. Peace brings a calmness,comfort and positive condition in every individual and its relationship withothers, so that eventually one can decide what is right that leads to action. Butsometimes the message of peace tends to be considered simply as a theory orjust a conviction. As a consequence, a peaceful life is not a reality, it’s somethingjust to be thought of or discussed. There is no example and effort to createit. On the contrary, it is not enough that people only talk, teach, convince,and describe the ways of having a life in peace. We must live in peace bothwithin ourselves and with others. At least we give concrete examples ofcreating a peaceful life. Oneexample made by the risen Jesus was to be honest about himself, involved, andunited with the apostles and his disciples. This really eliminated fear anddoubt that haunted them days and nights after the day of the resurrection.Because when there is doubt, fear, suspicion, lack of trust that continue tooccupy ourselves and our communities, peace is hopeless to exist.Let's pray. In thename of the Father ... O Father almighty, may Your Spirit fill us with peacefrom You that makes us always rejoice in sharing the divine gifts in our lives.Our Father who art in heaven ... In the name of the Father ...