In the Gospel yesterday, two of Jesus’ disciples were on their way to Emmaus, yet failed to recognize Him. As He walked with them, Jesus interpreted for them what refers to Him in all the Scriptures. Their hearts burning for all that He said, they asked Jesus to stay with them. While He was at table with them, He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. This profound moment can be seen as a reminder or a reaffirmation of the significance of the Last Supper and the Eucharist, which bring forth the recognition of the disciples.
Today’s Gospel continues from yesterday. The disciples recounted the events of yesterday, when suddenly, in their midst stood Jesus, who greeted them with the words, “Peace be with you.” But the disciples were startled and troubled, thinking they were seeing a ghost. Jesus reassured them, saying, “Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” He then showed them his hands and feet to prove that he was indeed the risen Lord.
The disciples were still in disbelief and amazement as Jesus asked them for something to eat. They gave Him a piece of baked fish, which He ate in front of them. Jesus then spoke to them about the Scriptures, opening their minds to understand that everything written about him in the Law of Moses and in the prophets and Psalms must be fulfilled.
Jesus reminded them that He would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, as it was written. He also instructed them that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached in His Name to all the nations, starting from Jerusalem. He then called on the disciples to be witnesses to these things.
My Reflection:
1. One of the most significant events that happened after Jesus’ Resurrection was His appearance to His disciples, where He ate fish with them. This may seem like a trivial detail, but the significance of Jesus eating fish was to show that He had risen bodily, and He was not just a spirit or a ghost. In doing so, Jesus dispelled any doubts and uncertainties that His disciples may have had about His resurrection. In Luke’s Gospel, Chapter 24, Jesus invited His disciples to touch Him and see that He was not a spirit but had flesh and bones. He then ate the fish to show that He could physically consume food, demonstrating His physical Resurrection.
2. Jesus spoke to His disciples, referring to how everything written about Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled. While it is commonly known that some of these prophecies were fulfilled during His earthly life, I would like to emphasize that there are others that are yet to be fulfilled. This includes His Second Coming and the end of the world, as well as other prophecies that have not yet been fully realized. It’s essential to remember that our faith is not confined to the past but encompasses both the present and the future. As faithful Catholics, we must continue to trust in God’s plan and eagerly anticipate the fulfillment of all that has been promised to us.
3. In relation to the Gospel reading from today’s Mass, we can look at the First Reading where Saint Peter the Apostle Peter reminded the people of Israel about the words of Moses and the Prophets, including Samuel. He emphasized that these Prophets had foretold of the Coming of the Messiah, and that Jesus was the fulfillment of these prophecies.
4. To me, it seems that Peter was rebuking the children of Israel (the Jewish people), and I find this act of Peter’s to be interesting. Peter’s point in reminding the crowd of their role in Jesus’ death is to emphasize their culpability in rejecting the Messiah that God had sent to them. By doing so, He was pointing out their spiritual blindness and their need for repentance. He was also highlighting the irony of their amazement at the miracle of the healed man, as if it were something they had accomplished themselves, when they had rejected the very Person through whom the miracle had been performed.
5. In essence, Peter was saying, ‘Why are you amazed by this miracle? You are the same people who rejected Jesus, the very Person who performed this miracle through the power of God. You need to recognize your error and turn back to God.’ Peter, still using the words of Moses, was calling on the people to recognize the truth of Jesus’ divinity and to follow Him.
6. It is important to recognize that while the Christian faith has grown and flourished over the centuries, there are still many who have not yet embraced it. While it is true that Christianity remains the world’s largest religion, with over 2.4 billion followers, representing only about 31.2% of the world’s population.
7. We must also remember that there are still billions of people who practice other religions. Islam already has an estimated 1.9 billion followers (and counting), representing about 24.9% of the world’s population. Although I cherish my Muslim friends, who have been some of the nicest and most sincere people to me personally in my life, I pray that such an event, as predicted by the Pew Research Center, where Islam surpasses Christianity as the world’s largest religion in terms of the number of followers by the year 2070, will not come to pass by God’s grace. This concerning projection is based on current demographic trends, including higher fertility rates among Muslims and a younger Muslim population compared to other religious groups. Pew Research Center has also reported that Islam has been the fastest-growing major religion in the world in recent years, with an annual growth rate of around 1.8%. I have come across similar facts in the news lately. People who have no religious affiliation at all or identify as atheists and agnostics account for about 16% of the world’s population. Other religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism, account for smaller percentages of the world’s population.
8. Based on the presented statistics, it is evident that people in modern times continue to reject Jesus Christ, similar to how the Jewish people did in the past. Today, many are amazed by the advancements in technology and the freedoms that exist, often calling this era the “best time to live.” While these technological advancements are certainly impressive, they are often misused, particularly through immoral or obscene films, series, TV programs, and other forms of media and entertainment, as well as the proliferation of pornography and self-obsession on social media.
9. Moreover, the concept of freedom has been distorted, with some promoting practices like sodomy under the guise of personal liberty. Rather than recognizing the role of God in human intelligence and scientific progress, many simply marvel at the world without acknowledging the divine influence behind it.
10. As of 2021, there are approximately 1.345 billion Catholics in the world, representing roughly just 50% of the total Christian population and 18% of the global population. While Christians from other denominations are not as dire as atheists or followers of other religions, their acceptance of Christ is often indifferent, with one foot in and one foot out. They reject the authority and teachings of the Catholic Church and the importance of the sacraments, often downplaying the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in salvation history.
11. Since today’s Gospel is a continuation of yesterday’s, it is worth looking back on its lesson that recognizing Jesus in the Scriptures from the Old Testament is not enough. We must also recognize Him in the Eucharist because these two matters of faith are intricately linked, and our spiritual eyes cannot see clearly without the other. This may explain why Christians of other denominations deny the dogmas of the Catholic Church, such as the importance of loving and revering the Our Lady. Without Holy Communion, their spiritual sight fails them, leading to blasphemies against the Blessed Virgin Mary, treating her merely as a ‘surrogate mother’ who gave birth to Jesus. They speak of her as if she were just like any other woman, without acknowledging her unique and exalted role as the Mother of God. Ironically, they would not tolerate any insult directed toward their own mothers, yet they denigrate the Mother of Christ.
12. Rejecting the Mother of God is, in a way, rejecting Jesus Himself because the Blessed Virgin Mary had a unique and essential role in the Incarnation, bringing Our Lord and Savior into the world. She is the perfect model of obedience to God and intercedes for us before the throne of grace. To reject her is to reject the fullness and integral part of God’s plan for our salvation and diminish the role of the Church as the Body of Christ on earth. This rejection is reminiscent of the disbelief and rejection of the Jewish people during the time of Christ, who failed to see the divine hand at work.
Conclusion
Let us remember that our faith is rooted in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who has revealed Himself throughout Salvation History and ultimately in the Person of Jesus Christ. As faithful believers, we must continue to trust in God’s plan and eagerly anticipate the fulfillment of all that has been promised to us. Like Saint Peter, let us call on those who have not yet embraced the Christian faith to recognize the truth of Jesus’ divinity and follow Him. Let us also be mindful of the rejection of Jesus and His teachings, whether it be by those of other religions or indifferent Christians. Rejecting the fullness of God’s plan, including the role of the Blessed Virgin, is akin to the disbelief and rejection of the Jews during the time of Christ.
As we move forward in our journey of faith, let us always remember to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and seek to follow Him with our whole heart, mind, and soul, trusting in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who has never abandoned His people—the Catholic Church, who is the present-day Israel of God; the heirs of Abraham to the promise (Genesis 22:18, Galatians 3:29).
Saint Peter the Apostle, pray for us!
Saint Joseph, pray for us!
Mama Mary, pray for us!
Amen.
She graduated cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas, the country's Pontifical and Catholic university, with an AB in Legal Management and minor units in Theology.
As an unmarried woman, prayer holds a central place in her daily life, with a focus on the Rosary and the Divine Office. Embodying her faith, she emphasizes the growth of her inner spiritual life, guided by the wisdom of Carmelite spirituality.
God manifested to her in a unique and radical manner, which made her know Who He truly is and led her to total surrender of her life to Him.
She has studied the Bible with her family, developing a particular fondness for the Old Testament.
Her adorable and intelligent toy poodle is a delightful companion in her daily life, bringing warmth and joy to her home.
Her hobbies include reading about everything, learning Japanese and German, listening to music and playing the flute.
In her leisure time, she enjoys gaming on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo 3DS, iOS and OS, and collecting things related to PlayStation and Nintendo.
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