3RD SUNDAY OF EASTER, YR, B: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: SEE MY HANDS AND MY FEET

(Luke 24:35–48)

Jesus continues to appear and reappear after His resurrection. He comes to make us see Him. He comes to make us feel Him. He wants to stay with us. He wants to communicate with us. He wants to commune with us. He wants us to experience Him in reality. He wants us to live beyond theories and hearsays.

The Gospel of today is a follow-up from the Emmaus story. The two disciples told the story of the event on the road and how they knew Jesus during the breaking of the bread. The other disciples may have doubted. Jesus came in and authenticated the message of the two. He came to bear witness to the witness they were bearing about Him. He came to give them reasons to move on. He came to show them His Hands and Feet. He shows how ready He is to help us.

AKACHI: THE HANDS OF GOD

Jesus has got a mark in His hands with which He is to be known. They became marks of recognition (ahumarachi), God’s mark, and divine imprint.

Let us reflect a little on the hand of God. This is the hand with which man was formed out of clay. This is the hand that took up the cross. This is the hand that received the nails drilled with the hammer.

It is the hand that indicates divine presence. When one is called, he answers by raising his hands. Jesus raised His hands today and showed it to the disciples. He means to say: It is I. I am present. I am living. I live for you. Take my hand and give me yours. Let me create you anew. By the power of my hand, I will make out something new in you.

AKARAKA (Divine Destiny)

Jesus shows the disciples that it is in his hands to save. It is in His destiny to suffer and die. It is a divine mandate. It is what he received from God (Onatarachi ya). He bore witness (aka ebe) with His life to God. He is pierced that He may make our own akaraka to shine in Him (ka anyi chakee).It is in Christ’s destiny to change our own destiny for good. Look at your hands. Whose marks do you bear? Do you have the marks of righteousness, of peace, and of love? May God make all He has deposited in you to shine. Your destiny will never be denied even after many delays and nailing.

ENYEMAKA (DIVINE ASSISTANCE/ SANCTIFYING GRACE)

The Igbo Catechism ‘nke abuo’ defines Sanctifying Grace as: Aka Chineke tiirim, I ji mara ihe oma, meekwa ihe oma (God’s hand on me, the divine assistance helping me to know and do good). Enyemaka in Igbo will mean literally (give hand, I give my hand).

Jesus gives us his helping hands today. He knows we can’t do without it. Let us in humility and holiness receive those hands. These hands are capable of lifting us up, saving us from drowning, carrying us to God and away from evil, catapulting us to our destiny, feeding us and indeed handling the troubles troubling us spiritually and otherwise.

AKA DI OCHA (Clean Hands)

The hands shown to the apostles today are pure, and they purify. Jesus shows us these hands that we may learn from Him to keep our hands clean. Not to put our hands in things that dishonour God. He challenges us to keep our hands clean even when we bear the marks of hatred, injustice, bitterness, accusations, etc. Don’t drive nails into people’s hands again. Don’t destroy the people placed in your hands. Handle the responsibilities given to you by God well. God will bless the works of your pure hands.

SEE MY FEET

With the feet of Christ, He went about doing good; preaching, healing, feeding the people, and raising the dead.

By calling us to see His feet, Jesus reminds us of what He did with His feet. With my feet, I walk towards you. Why not walk towards me? Why do you walk away from me? Keep my feet ever in mind and ensure you continue to walk in the path of life eternal.

HANDS AND FEET: A NEXUS

With His feet, Jesus walks towards us. He walks with us. May we also walk up to Him in faith, hope, and charity. When we walk to Jesus as He walks towards us, we shall meet Him and embrace Him with our hands. We shall be healed by His Holy Touch. We shall receive the blessings from His hands. May the marks of Christ’s hands and feet attract abundant blessings and grace for us.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

LET US PRAY

Thank You, dear Lord, for showing us the mysteries of Your Redemptive marks. Give us the grace never to relent in walking the path Your feet trace for us. Grant that we may merit to receive the blessings flowing from Your holy hands, that we may savour the joy of Your eternal bliss after bearing witness to you here on earth through Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy Sunday (Third Sunday of Easter)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh