We continue today the celebration of Easter Day for the fifth time: every day within the octave of a solemnity is celebrated as if it were the solemnity itself. This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it!
In the gospel passage today the risen Jesus appears suddenly (he stood in the midst of the Apostles who were talking about him) and said: Peace be with you! He must have been a sight to see with his glorified, risen body. They were terrified and thought it was a ghost! But he calmed them by asking for something to eat. He took some baked fish and began to eat it.
Then he explained to them about the prophecies concerning him that were now fulfilled – especially those written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins was to be preached to all the nations beginning from Jerusalem. Then he tells them that you are witness of these things.
It is important to reflect upon, during the Easter Season, especially Easter week, some of the attributes of the Risen Body. What was it like for Jesus to be now risen and existing in a glorified state – a newness of life that he will share with those who believe in him. There are seven attributes, St. Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologica tells us, concerning the risen, glorified body:
Identity: We retain our original identity; we are essentially the same person we were before we died; Integrity: We retain all of our body parts, or regain them if for some reason we have lost them in life; Quality: Our bodies will be youthful and we will retain our gender – we will still be male and female; Impassibility: We will be incapable of suffering, and therefore not be susceptible to pain and death; Subtlety: Our bodies will be free from restraint by matter (we will be able to pass through matter at will); our bodies will still be palpable (able to be felt and touched); Agility: We will have complete freedom of movement, our souls will direct our bodies without hindrance; Clarity: The glory of our souls will be visible in our bodies. We will be beautiful and radiant (this is reminiscent of Jesus' own transfiguration on the mountain).
Jesus, in the gospel passage is manifesting all seven of these attributes. Isn't it wonderful what we have to look forward to! And we will have it, if we live our daily lives as though we want it!
In the same gospel passage, and in the first reading we see the importance of bringing the Good News about Jesus' life, death and resurrection to all who need to be reconciled to God – to those who need to repent of their past misdeeds, for those who need to be receptive of God's never-failing mercy and forgiveness. Jesus sends out the Apostles to all the nations to be his ambassadors of mercy! As Divine Mercy Sunday approaches we pray that many more in the waiting world will be open to the extraordinary graces that come from believing in Jesus, asking for mercy, being willing to be merciful to others and to trust in Jesus for absolutely everything we need.
A glorious life awaits those who allow themselves to be saturated with the mercy, peace and love of God – may we be counted among those who are thus saturated – and may we be instruments in the saturation of others!
This IS the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice!
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