Three Gifts Jesus Gave in the Cenacle

Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Easter

Jesus stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified. (Lk 24:37)

Peace, Presence, and Understanding

When Jesus appeared to the disciples after Emmaus, scripture says their reaction was “startled” and “terrified”.  They may have been thinking back to the horrors of the cross, or the reality that they’re going to be next.  They went from this fearful state to boldly proclaiming the resurrection to the world.  They went from being fearful to fearless.  What did Jesus give them to make such a transformation?  Three things:  Peace.  Presence.  Understanding.

They received these three gifts and changed the world.  These are also three gifts that we can give to each other to continue the message of the resurrection:  he lives, and I live in him and he lives in me. 

First:  Peace.  It’s the first word Jesus said after he entered the room. They thought they were seeing a ghost.  Jesus sensed their anxiety and said, “Peace be with you.”  Peace allowed the disciples to go from being ‘troubled’ to ‘joyful’, from being doubters to having their minds opened. 

How might a situation change if you and I would first summon the peace of Christ?  In the middle of an argument, imagine radiating a peaceful presence.  Take a few deep breaths, say silently  “Peace be with you”, and when you need to talk, speak soft, low, and slow. 

The resurrected Jesus entered a room filled with fear and grief, doubt and despair.  His first words in this tense situation were “Peace be with you.”  People living the resurrection also enter a tense situation with the same three words.  “Peace be with you.” 

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The second gift the resurrected Jesus gave to the disciples is presence.  He first came to them.  He stood in their midst.  He appeared in the flesh.  He invited them to touch him.  He ate a piece of baked fish with them.  Their encounter was personal, you might even say intimate.  Jesus was present to them as a person, but also present to their needs, their emotions, and their doubts.  “Look… it is I myself.. Touch me.”

How might a situation change if you and I modeled the same presence as Jesus?  It is sometimes too easy to do things remotely which is ok, but at times it also means impersonally.  Just like Jesus came to the disciples, we can reach out to others.  We can stand in the midst of them.  Jesus affirmed his presence and said, “Touch me… I am with you.” Jesus looked into their hearts and read their emotions.  Being present to another means listening to both the words, seeing the body language, and looking into the heart. 

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Understanding.  With peace and presence, there came understanding. Jesus saw their doubt and probed for a deeper understanding.  “Why are you troubled?”  “Why do questions arise in your hearts?”  He understood what they were feeling.  After understanding their emotional state, he then “opened their minds” to deepen their understanding of the events. 

How might a situation change if you and I modeled the same desire to understand another person?  We could do this by exploring the deeper feelings and emotions.  “Why are you troubled?”   We can put into practice the prayer of Saint Francis, “O Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be understood as to understand.”

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As disciples, we have come to the upper room we call Mass. You may have come with some fear, pain, and uncertainty.  You’ve heard Jesus proclaimed in the scriptures and will soon see Jesus in the breaking of the bread.  There may be a number of reasons you have come here, but on the top of the list is to experience peace of God, the presence of Jesus, and understanding of the Holy Spirit.  You came to be reminded that he knows well what you are going through and he is here to walk with you. 

As people of the resurrection, follow the example of Jesus.  Look at the needs around you and try to meet those needs.  Offer to others who are sometimes frightened, confused, and troubled those three precious gifts Jesus gave to the first disciples in that upper room.  Peace, Presence, and Understanding.