THURSDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER: Let us invite the Risen Jesus to penetrate the walls of our “upper room” today

Posted on April 13, 2023 by franksantucci

He said to them,
“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.”

Luke 24:44

“Handed on to his Apostles by Jesus, this word has lost none of its power in the course of the ages. We have experienced the fact that because it issued from the mouth of him who is himself eternal life, it is always spirit and life.”

Eugene de Mazenod, Pastoral Letter 1844

Today we can understand in a deeper way the experience of the disciples locked in the upper room because they were afraid. The risen Jesus appeared to them and opened their minds to his presence in the Scriptures. Let us invite the Risen Jesus to penetrate the walls of our “upper room” today and give him time to open our minds to understand how present he is whenever we read the Word of God.

This entry was posted in WRITINGS. Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to THURSDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER: Let us invite the Risen Jesus to penetrate the walls of our “upper room” today

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Lay Oblate says:
    April 13, 2023 at 13:10

    I must confess that I have gotten into the habit of reading the full daily scripture readings before entering into this place of listening and reflection. And today as I read Luke’s Gospel I found myself thinking that “I do not understand and yet I believe.” I believe that Jesus died on the Cross and that he was resurrected and that he ascended into heaven – body and soul… He ascended into heaven fully body and soul. Do I see him as I look out? A light has been turned on, as if I have just turned a corner and walked out of the darkness…

    Eugene’s writes that “…this word has lost non of its power in the course of ages.” And the light is so full and vast that it seems to be blind me everything around me. It is hard to breathe and to stop the tears that fall from my eyes. That which I experience/d I am curiously reluctant to turn away from or let go of. I am reminded of Mary’s experience of Jesus in the garden.

    I close my eyes and then look again: nothing and everything has changed. A moment of ecstasy and I find myself repeating the Mary’s words and those of the disciples: “I have seen the Lord and he is Risen…” My heart has seen and curiously it understands that which my mind cannot.

    Frank’s words about inviting Jesus to penetrate the walls of our “upper room”… perhaps that is what my prayer and time with God has been about… My heart, the deepest and fullest part of my being seems to understand that which my mind cannot fathom. I feel like I am forever changed and yet were I to look in a mirror I would see the same person that I was yesterday.

    But joyfully I am not…

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *