Easter Thursday – Acts 3:11-26; John 24:35-48

The Body of Christ!

He himself in a simple sign.

“Peace be with you!” Jesus greets them – and what a greeting it is! “Why are you so agitated, and why do these doubts rise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; yes, it really is me. Touch me and see for yourselves – a ghost hasn’t got flesh and bones, as you can see I have.” Then, with the most delightfully ordinary request, he adds, “Have you anything here to eat?”

Notice the scene: they see him, they listen, they touch – and then they watch as he eats. That last detail is more than culinary curiosity; it’s a delicious proof of resurrection, but also a reminder that this risen friendship is as delightfully normal as sharing a slice of bread.

The Christ who will soon ascend to the right hand of the Father hasn’t suddenly put on airs. He’s still the mate you share meals with, the friend who savours life’s simple tastes. Why can’t it be like that now? In truth, it is! Jesus remains close, hidden under the humble guise of Eucharistic bread. Every Mass is a feast of meeting the Risen One – as warm, as real, as that first breakfast by the lakeside.

And while our hearts may still thump with fear or flicker with doubt, we hear St Peter’s rallying cry: “Now repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, and so that the Lord may send the time of comfort. Then he will send you the Christ he has destined, namely Jesus, whom heaven must hold until the restoration of all things.”

So, in our own moments of trembling – whether over bills, relationships, or simply the state of the world – our souls can echo that simple, life‑changing invitation: Peace be with you.

Risen Lord, in your wounds I find my confidence; from your pierced hands flows the calm my anxious heart craves. Embrace me in your Easter joy, and help me savour each humble, heavenly crumb of your love. Amen.