Praised be Jesus and Mary.
In the Gospel today, we have to be somewhat fascinated by the response of the disciples.
You know, Jesus had appeared to the holy women.
He had appeared to St. Peter.
He had appeared to these two disciples along the way.
And the present topic of their conversation is the rising of our Lord from the dead.
And how they didn't recognize him at first.
You know, that he made himself known to them.
And then he appears to them all.
And they think they're seeing a ghost.
You know, they panic.
And they're terrified even though the very topic of their conversation is the resurrection of our Lord from the dead.
We can see that even though they had evidence of his resurrection.
You know, they were, there was no understanding.
Of what it meant.
Just that it happened.
But as we hear in today's Gospel.
You know, our Lord opened their minds to be able to understand the Scriptures.
And how everything written about him had to be fulfilled.
That he had to suffer.
That he had to be put to death.
That he was to rise on the third day.
And then from Jerusalem.
Faith in him would be preached throughout the world.
Unfortunately, like the disciples.
Many people are too afraid of the truth.
To want to even face it or admit it.
So we run away from it.
We're terrified of it.
Consequently.
By never facing it.
We remain in our crippledness.
In our brokenness.
And in our paralysis or illness.
You know, whatever it may be.
Because we do not want to face Jesus.
What he is looking for is faith.
The faith that says.
I believe in him.
And who he is.
And what he has taught.
I believe that he can heal me.
That he will forgive my sins.
And then, you know, we're to put that faith into practice.
By living it.
Far too often.
We're embarrassed to bring our faith out into the world.
You know, we've fallen into the trap.
That the two things you don't talk about are politics and religion.
But, you know, these days it's only religion.
Because politics gets talked about all the time.
Yet the thing that's most important.
And the only thing that we're going to talk about for all eternity.
Is Jesus Christ.
You know, so why are we afraid?
Or embarrassed to talk about him now?
You know, it was by faith.
In the name and the person of Jesus Christ.
That the crippled man in today's first reading was healed.
And, you know, if it weren't for Saint Peter to have the courage to speak the name of Jesus.
That man would have continued to lie at the gate of the temple and beg every day.
Because he never would have been healed.
You know, how many people do not have their sins forgiven?
How many people are not healed spiritually?
Because we do not have the courage to bring the name of Jesus.
And the person of Jesus out into the world.
You know, we have to be the first ones to acknowledge the faith.
To acknowledge the person of Jesus Christ.
To be able to bring him out into the world.
By the way we live.
And by the way we speak.
So that others.
You know, not through any power or piety of our own.
But only through the power of the holy name of Jesus Christ.
Will conversions take place.
And will people.
Repent.
And be healed.