The Apostles believed

Friends in Christ, after the Lord’s resurrection on Easter day, we are told of a number of the different instances in which Jesus showed himself to the Apostles. We read of one such instance today; when the risen Lord appeared, it says that the Apostles thought they were seeing a ghost, but Christ insists that he has really risen, bodily. ‘Touch me, he says,’ because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ He asked for something to eat, and they gave him a piece of baked fish. Our Lord did this to demonstrate the reality of the resurrection. Ghosts don’t have flesh and bones, and they don’t eat baked fish! Only people do.

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In doing these things, being with the Apostles, resurrected – and even staying and living with them for 40 days before the Ascension – Our Lord was strengthening their Faith. He gave instructions to them for the good of the Church, and also, special graces: it says ‘he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.’

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As Bishop Knecht says, ‘it was not without reason that Our Lord wanted to convince the apostles by their senses that he had risen from the grave..he did this because they were to testify before the Jews and Gentiles to the fact of his resurrection.’

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This would allow Peter to stand up and teach: ‘The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses. He then goes on to quote scripture left and right, this previously unlearned fisherman.

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Also, because the Lord demonstrated clearly to them his resurrection, St. John would be able to write: ‘That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, and seen with our eyes, and our hands have handled, the Word of life, Jesus Christ – we declare unto you….’

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Jesus made his apostles definitive witnesses of his resurrection for the good of the Church, that the gospel would be preached to the ends of the earth.