Kia tau te rangimārie ki a koutou
In every Easter week I love the readings the Church gives us, and I especially love the readings of Wednesday of Easter week. Every year we hear the story of the crippled man at the beautiful gate of the temple who begged Peter and John for money or food. Acts of the Apostles tells us Peter looked intently at him, as did John. Peter then said, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk.” We then hear the Emmaus story; the disciples walking along the road were downcast and even cynical about Jesus, “We were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel.” As we know, in their disillusionment “Jesus drew near and walked with them.” As he spoke with them on the road their “hearts were burning within them.” They begged Jesus “stay with us” and as he broke bread with them their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.” Then he vanished from their sight.
For me these are wonderful readings and I draw the conclusion that Jesus remained with the rest of the disciples interiorly, just as he does with us when we receive the Eucharist and when we stay with him in prayer. The disciples experience of Jesus must have grown and developed as the Easter days wore on and they became more and more convinced of his presence with them. We do not know how many days later it was that Peter and John met the beggar at the temple gate, but whenever it was, through them Jesus drew near to him. The power of Jesus was still with the rest of his disciples. The power and the presence of the risen Jesus is still with us.
In these days of the ongoing war that Russia has declared on Ukraine, in these days when we know our whole society has been changed by the pandemic, and these days in which some people are finding it difficult to make ends meet financially and life is very challenging and difficult for some, there is a question for us.
How are we the presence of Jesus to others? How are we the presence of Jesus particularly to those who suffer and are looking for something more?
“I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk.”
John Risen and reconciling God, your greeting after the grave acknowledged the trauma and turmoil of that time and our own. The message of peace was what your disciples needed to hear, and what the world needs now. When we are reunited with those from whom we’ve been separated, may our greetings, too, be of peace, and may we see all division in the light of your