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Fr. Hubert: My dear brothers and sisters, on this third Sunday of Easter, I invite you to recall the account of the Lord's passion that we proclaimed on Good Friday. In that account, three times, Peter was asked whether he was one of the disciples of Jesus. And three times, he answered, I am not his disciple. I do not know him. I do not know what you are talking about.
Faced with adversity, Peter denied his master, not once, but three times. As for the other disciples, they all fled because of fear that what happened to Jesus could happen to them. However, today's readings bear witness to a radical change after the Lord's resurrection. The apostles are no longer afraid. They are ready to face persecution.
They are ready to be thrown in prison and even to be put to death for the sake of the truth. The truth of the resurrection of Jesus. And when it became strictly forbidden to preach in the name of Jesus, Peter and the other apostles declared, we must obey God rather than men. We can truly see that there is transformation happening in the lives of the apostles. Peter, who previously denied his master out of fear, can now stand up, raise his voice and proclaim, this Jesus whom you crucified, God has raised him.
God has freed him from death and we are all witnesses. A complete transformation has taken place in the lives of the apostles. Peter and the other apostles are no longer afraid because they have encountered the risen Lord. They saw him. They touched him.
They ate with him. And from that moment, nothing could stop them from proclaiming the good news of the resurrection. My brothers and sisters, have we encountered the risen Lord? Have you encountered the risen Lord? If so, then we can no longer live in fear.
If Christ has conquered death, then nothing should frighten us. Let us not be afraid to proclaim the good news, the good news of God's love for humanity. Let us not be afraid to proclaim justice. Let us not be afraid to proclaim peace despite the opposition of the world. And Pope Leo gives us an example.
As the successor of Peter, his response to the attacks that has faced him in the in recent days has been a message of peace. Blessed are the peacemakers. His response has been a message of prophetic courage and firm firmness. I am not afraid, he said. And I will continue to raise my voice against war and violence in the world.
This is an example set for us. And following the example of Pope Leo, let us not be afraid. Let us take courage to proclaim the good news despite the opposition around us. The opposition of the world. Today's gospel tells the story of the two disciples of Emmaus.
They were sad and discouraged because the one they hoped that he would be the Messiah had been put to death. In their discouragement, they decide to return to their village. For them, it is the end of an adventure that had lasted only a short time. And yet, this apparent end is only a beginning. Jesus is no longer confined to the tomb.
Jesus is truly alive and he walks with his disciples. He listens to them. He asks questions and he patiently explains the scriptures to them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. My sisters and brothers, in the story of the disciples of Emmaus, Jesus confirms his name of Emmanuel, God with us.
In the midst of our doubts and discouragement, he is with us. In the darkness of our uncertainties, he is with us. Even in the suffering of illness, God is with us to bring us healing, to bring us hope, and to give us new life. Our human life is a pilgrimage toward fullness of life in God. And on our way, even in the darkest moments, the risen Christ is here in our midst.
Like a faithful companion, he walks with us, not to leave us after a while, but he walks with us to stay with us and dwell with us. Jesus, who made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of the bread is here present in our midst. He is present in his word. He is also present in his body and blood which we are going to receive at the Eucharistic table. Jesus is also present in our brothers and sisters.
But like the disciples of Emmaus, our eyes are sometimes prevented from recognizing his presence. Let us pray my brothers and sisters that the fire of the gospel may burn brightly in our hearts so that we may proclaim the good news without fear. May the bread and wine that we receive at the table of the Lord, open our eyes to his real presence here among us. He's really present, not just in the Eucharist, but in every human being created in the image and likeness of God. Let us open our eyes to see Jesus who is working with us, who is leading us to the fullness of life in God.
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