Daily Gospel Reflection

Ever Seen a Ghost?

Welcome back to Radical and Relevant. Let's see what the genius of the gospel has to say, how it wants to speak into our lives today. Remember you're looking for a word or phrase or an idea from the gospel to anchor your life today in the Word of God. Today's reading follows on from yesterday's reading. The two men who had made the journey to Emmaus with Jesus have returned to Jerusalem. They've told the disciples what they experienced. Today we're reading from Luke chapter 24 verses 35 through 48. "Then the two told them what had happened on the road to Emmaus and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread."

As they were saying this, Jesus Himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." But they were startled and frightened and supposed that they sought a spirit. And he said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do questionings rise in your heart? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, for a spirit has no flesh and bones as you see that I do." And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and wondered, he said to them, "Have you anything to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it before them.

And then he said to them, "These are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me and the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures and said to them, "Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all the nations beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things." What jumps out at you? What does the Holy Spirit draw you to today?

There's something here that is really important and really easy to read through. And that is, Jesus asks for something to eat. He does it on more than one occasion when he appears to people after the resurrection. Why? Because if someone has just died and they appear to you, the natural tendency for thousands of years has been to believe that you're seeing a ghost. It's where stories of ghosts come from. People believe they're seeing someone who has died. What do we call that? We call that a ghost. And Jesus is demonstrating he is not just a vision. They're not having a vision. They are not seeing a ghost.

He is risen, not just in spirit, but in body. And of course, ghosts don't eat. Ghosts don't eat because they don't have a body. And so that's why after the resurrection, we see Jesus. He sees their disbelief. He can see what they're thinking. And he says, all right, let me show you in the most practical terms possible. Do you have anything to eat? They give him something to eat and he eats it and their eyes are open to another level. And he continues to open their eyes to the reality of the resurrection. How do our eyes need to be continually opened to the reality of the resurrection?

Are we living our lives as if Jesus died and rose from the dead and ascended into heaven? Or are we living our lives as if Jesus just died? Or are we living our lives as if Jesus didn't suffer horribly? He just rose from the dead? Or are we living our lives sort of with Jesus across to one side and all of that stuff across to one side, but we're living our lives over here and we sort of duck into that stuff and out of that stuff every now and then. Allow our eyes to be open to the reality of the resurrection today. Have an amazing day. Remember, be bold, be Catholic.