Third Sunday of Easter

Third Sunday of Easter
Jason McKean
Board of Directors, Faith Formation and Evangelization Team

​Last Sunday, my family went to Mass, like we do every Sunday. As we left, one of my daughters mentioned that the priest wasn't wearing green, and she could not understand why not since Easter was "over." Now I know -- and you might too -- that priests wear green only during Ordinary Time, but we're not there yet! At that point, we still had 6 weeks of Easter left to celebrate (and now, five)! She was quite surprised by this news, but, as younger kids often do, her surprise gave way to the next interesting thing in front of her, and on we went to our doughnuts and coffee.
 
I thought about this moment when I read the Gospel for this Third Week of Easter. Like my daughter, the disciples experienced their own surprise. Unlike my daughter, this was no mild surprise at a guy in a green robe. The Gospel says the disciples were "startled and terrified" by Jesus' sudden appearance, and even thought he was a ghost! Also unlike my daughter, the disciples didn't redirect to coffee and doughnuts afterwards.
 
But, they did get their own religion class, taught by Jesus himself, with two points. The first relates to my daughter's surprise at having eight weeks of Easter. Why do we even need that much? I think the answer lies a bit in what was happening in this reading. At its start, Luke writes that two disciples were explaining how they had just met Jesus on the road to Emmaus, and how "he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread." In other words, those two disciples knew what it was like to have the risen Jesus suddenly appear, and apparently told everyone else all about it. But, Luke records that immediately after Jesus showed up in the room, everyone was "startled and terrified!" It's as if the disciples' experience just hours before had been entirely forgotten.
 
See, the mystery of Easter is just so big, so unfathomable, so amazing, that I often can't quite get my mind around it, exactly. We are gifted the eight weeks of Easter to recall, reflect on, and adjust to the fact that we are so loved that Jesus went to the Cross and rose from it for us. And we need that grace and space! In a world where it's easy to be terrified by so many things, it takes a lot to get our heads around the idea that we don't have to be afraid: Peace is with us. Let's all make good use of this last five weeks of Easter to go deeper with Jesus.
 
The second point relates to the first. Just look at the effort Jesus makes to help his disciples get their minds around the fact that that, YES, it really is Him. He shows his wounds! He eats broiled fish! He "opened their minds" to understand all that had been written about him! It's A LOT, and it's just one of many times he has to come back and do it all over again! But Jesus never tires of being present to us, and being with us, and being for us. That's true even if it takes eight weeks, or a lifetime, to repent of whatever holds us apart from Him, to work at keeping His commandments, and to allow Jesus to perfect God's love in each of us.
 
And, that will remain true even when you are confused by a guy in a green robe, and momentarily distracted by doughnuts. Jesus is alive; He is here; He is here for us. May you experience that joy of Easter!