Homily for 3rd Sunday of Easter, April 19th, 2026

At times, when we find it hard to persevere on the right path, or whenever we notice weakness in our faith, we might say to ourselves: “If only I had lived at the time of Jesus’ physical presence, I would have been one of his best friends and a most faithful disciple!” 

Today’s gospel passage (Luke 24:13-35) might eliminate such nonsense from our bag of justifications.  

Far from it: perhaps, in fright, we would have fled or we would have been among those crying out: “Crucify him, away with him, we have no king but Caesar!” 

Except for the Blessed Mother, the disciple whom Jesus loved (John) and a few women, the others who had shared with Jesus everything for a significant number of years, were nowhere to be found when he was nailed to a cross. 

Things began to change not because Jesus was physically present as he had been for those years they had spent together, but precisely because his “presences” were now different and all sustained by the Holy Spirit. 

They were presences like those that we are offered by the Catholic Church on this Sunday. 

Hence, far from considering ourselves “spiritually shortchanged” for being Jesus’ disciples 2000 years after his resurrection and ascension into heaven, we should make the most of the new ways in which he decided to be present in our life, and through them, we may reach the Father’s eternal home, our most desired destination. 

This is the meaning of the challenging phrase we read at the end of today’s gospel passage: With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. (Luke 24:31) 

The “vanishing” of the Risen Lord sets in motion the effectiveness of his new presences.  

After all, he is our Master and, as such, his new presences are deemed by him to be the right ones for our sanctification and for a share in his resurrection. 

Undoubtedly, it is dangerously easy to overlook any of these presences: 

1. The Holy Trinity dwells in us:”Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” John 14:23 
2. Jesus is God’s Word offering us immortality: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.” John 8:51 
3. Jesus is present in the Eucharist: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” John 6:51 
4. Jesus is present whenever we assemble: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20 
5. Jesus is present in the presiding priest:“Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” Luke 10:16 
6. Jesus is present in the needy around us, the least of our brothers and sisters: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40 

This gospel passage is providentially offered to our consideration because it is easy to live our daily life without taking advantage of all the new presences of the Risen Lord. 

The first presence that we tend to forget anytime our hopes are dashed, and we feel downcast, might be the presence of the Holy Trinity in our hearts.  

We can be so taken by our troubles that we forget that we are priceless in the eyes of our God. 

It is easy for us to forget also his message of patient endurance.  

So, Jesus, whom the Father sent to ease our anguish, becomes unrecognizable as he is replaced by our desire for quick deliverance. 

Mindful of this tendency, whenever our troubles are so intense that we can only think of a miraculous escape, we must resort to the three presences of the Risen Lord prominent in today’s gospel passage: 1. Jesus as Word of God, 2. the breaking of the Bread (Eucharist) and 3. the Christian Assembly, the Church. 

The correct use of Holy Scripture whenever we are despondent and troubled, will show us that it is the Risen Lord who is journeying with us, walking us slowly through the Sacred Text, so that we can progress from pain and confusion to acceptance of our trials, to trust in the power and love of the Father, all the way to the incredible experience of our hearts burning within us so intensely that we will be ready for future tests. 

Today, we also rediscover the unfathomable value of being “Church.”  We are certain that, at our Sunday holy gatherings, the breaking of the Bread will be always offered as well as all the other presences of the Risen Lord to get us reassurance, comfort and light.