Jesus Appears to Those in the Upper Room

Homily for Thursday of the First Week in Easter

In all three readings today, one theme rises again and again: God restores what we break, and He does it through the Risen Christ.

In Acts, Peter speaks boldly to the crowd. He doesn’t sugarcoat their past—he names their rejection of Jesus—but he also doesn’t leave them in guilt. Instead, he points them toward conversion, toward turning back so that, as he says, “times of refreshment” may come from the Lord. Peter’s message is not condemnation; it’s invitation.

Psalm 8 reminds us why this invitation matters. God has crowned humanity with dignity—“a little lower than the angels”—and entrusted us with His creation. Yet we know how easily we lose sight of that dignity, in ourselves and in others. We forget who we are meant to be.

Then the Gospel brings it all home. The disciples are frightened, confused, unsure what to believe. Jesus doesn’t scold them. He stands among them. He shows His wounds. He eats with them. He opens their minds. He restores their peace. And then He sends them out as witnesses.

That’s the pattern:

We fail. God comes close. Christ restores. And then He sends.

So today, the question is simple: Where in your life is Jesus trying to stand in your midst and say, “Peace be with you”?

Where is He inviting you to turn back, to be refreshed, to remember your dignity, and to live as a witness of His mercy?

The readings may be long, but the message is short:

Christ is risen, Christ is patient, and Christ is still opening our minds and hearts—if we let Him.