The Easter Octave shows us that the Risen Jesus, in His glorified Body, was the same person, yet somehow different. He had the same two natures—human and divine—yet He was somehow different. The Resurrection “narratives” in the Gospels (including John 21, 1-14) demonstrate some of the ways in which Jesus was different after His rising from the dead: most famously – as we will hear this coming Sunday – the Risen Lord had a physical body that could pass through solid matter.
All four Gospels are clear about this: in His Risen Body, Jesus looks different to His disciples. He looks different enough to cause some confusion in their minds: at least enough confusion for them to be tempted to “dare” ask Him “Who are you?” For personal reflection during this Octave and throughout the Fifty Days of Easter, we would do well to ask: do we expect the Lord to appear to us in some certain way and only in that way? How might God want to surprise us in making Himself known to us in unexpected ways? How might God want to show us His love today? Are we ready?
Let us pray. “O God, bring to perfection the spirit of life we receive in and through the dying and rising of your Son. Free us from our own expectations and from seeking only the passing things in life. Help us set our hearts on the things that truly last, the things of your eternal Kingdom. Through Christ our lord. Amen.”
