Witnesses of These Things

Voice over by Eliz

Acts 3:11-26, Psalm: 8, Lk 24:35-48

My dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

The joy of the Resurrection continues to unfold, and today the Church calls us to a deeper understanding of what it means to be witnesses. In the readings, we see the apostles transformed from fearful men hiding behind locked doors into bold proclaimers of the truth. Their witness is not based on a feeling, but on an encounter with the Risen Lord Himself.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter seizes the moment after the healing of the crippled beggar. A crowd gathers, amazed at what has happened. Peter immediately redirects their attention: “Why do you look at us as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety?” He points beyond the miracle to the source—Jesus Christ, whom they rejected and killed, but whom God raised from the dead. Peter boldly declares, “The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.” The apostles do not preach themselves; they preach Christ crucified and risen. Their authority comes not from eloquence, but from having seen, touched, and been transformed by the living Lord.

In the Gospel of Luke, we find the disciples gathered in Jerusalem, still processing the events of the day. The two from Emmaus have just shared their story of recognizing Jesus in the breaking of the bread. As they speak, Jesus Himself stands in their midst. His first words are balm for their troubled hearts: “Peace be with you.” They are startled and terrified, thinking they see a ghost. But Jesus patiently shows them His hands and His feet. “Touch me and see,” He says, “because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” He even eats a piece of baked fish before them. Then He opens their minds to understand the Scriptures, showing how everything written about Him had to be fulfilled. And He concludes with their mission: “You are witnesses of these things.”

Pope Benedict XVI once reflected, “Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person.” That is precisely what we see here. The apostles are not witnesses to an idea; they are witnesses to a person. They saw Him crucified. They see Him risen. They touch His wounds. They eat with Him. Their witness is rooted in tangible, historical reality.

St. Augustine, contemplating this scene, wrote, “They saw and believed. They touched the Lord and proclaimed Him to the world.”

For us, this Thursday in the Octave of Easter is an invitation to become witnesses ourselves. We may not have touched His wounds physically, but we encounter Him in the Eucharist, in His Word, and in the community of the Church. We are called to testify, like Peter, that the author of life has conquered death. We are called to bring peace, like Jesus, to a fearful world.

This Easter season, let us embrace our identity as witnesses. Let our words and our lives point not to ourselves, but to the Risen Lord who still bears His wounds, who still offers peace, who still sends us out. For we, too, are witnesses of these things. Amen.

May God bless you all!