Third Sunday of Easter
Lectionary: 47
Reading 1
Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
Peter said to the people:
"The God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus,
whom you handed over and denied in Pilate's presence
when he had decided to release him.
You denied the Holy and Righteous One
and asked that a murderer be released to you.
The author of life you put to death,
but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.
Now I know, brothers,
that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did;
but God has thus brought to fulfillment
what he had announced beforehand
through the mouth of all the prophets,
that his Christ would suffer.
Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away."
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9
R. (7a) Lord, let your face shine on us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
When I call, answer me, O my just God,
you who relieve me when I am in distress;
have pity on me, and hear my prayer!
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Know that the LORD does wonders for his faithful one;
the LORD will hear me when I call upon him.
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, let the light of your countenance shine upon us!
You put gladness into my heart.
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
As soon as I lie down, I fall peacefully asleep,
for you alone, O LORD,
bring security to my dwelling.
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading 2
1 John 2:1-5a
My children, I am writing this to you
so that you may not commit sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous one.
He is expiation for our sins,
and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.
The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep
his commandments.
Those who say, "I know him," but do not keep his commandments
are liars, and the truth is not in them.
But whoever keeps his word,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
Alleluia
Cf. Luke 24:32
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Lord Jesus, open the Scriptures to us;
make our hearts burn while you speak to us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 24:35-48
The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way,
and how Jesus was made known to them
in the breaking of bread.
While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
"Peace be with you."
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, "Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have."
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?"
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.
He said to them,
"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled."
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them,
"Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Spiritual Knowledge From Within
“Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” Luke 24:38–39
Imagine if Jesus appeared to you. What if He showed you the wounds in His hands and feet and invited you to touch Him so as to believe. Would you believe? Most likely you would, to a certain extent. It would be the beginning of an experience that could be life-changing, just as it was for these disciples. Our Lord’s appearance to the disciples led to their transformation from men who were confused and doubtful to men who were filled with joy and zeal. Eventually, they would go forth preaching about Jesus as witnesses to His death and Resurrection with courage and with a desire that all who heard them would turn to Jesus as their Savior.
In the first reading of today’s Mass, Saint Peter is recorded as doing this very thing. After healing a crippled man at the gate of the Temple, a crowd gathered in amazement and Peter preached to them about Jesus. He concluded His sermon by saying, “God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer. Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.”
Today, we are entrusted with the same mission given to our Lord’s disciples, and we must preach with the same zeal, courage and conviction with which they preached. First, we must become as certain as they were about Jesus’ triumph over sin and death. We must turn from all sin and believe that the fullness of life is found only in Christ Jesus. But then we must commit ourselves to the proclamation of this faith with every fiber of our being.
Begin by considering how deeply you believe in Jesus as the Savior of the World. Though it might be tempting to think that having Jesus appear to you in person would help deepen your faith in Him, the truth is that the first disciples were not primarily convinced because of the physical appearances of Jesus. Rather, this gift came primarily through the spiritual touching of their minds. After appearing to the disciples physically, we read that Jesus “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” This was what convinced them more than anything—the spiritual gift of understanding. And that gift is offered to you today, just as it was to the first followers of Jesus.
Saint Thomas Aquinas explains that the spiritual gift of understanding is a gift that reveals to us the very essence of God. He explains that it is a much deeper form of knowledge than that which is obtained through our five senses. Thus, simply seeing something with our eyes, touching it or hearing it is not nearly as convincing as the knowledge obtained through the spiritual gift of understanding. The gift of understanding enables us to “read inwardly” and to penetrate the very essence of something. For that reason, the physical appearance of Jesus might have been the first step toward believing, but it wasn’t until these same disciples encountered our Lord within their souls, perceiving the very essence of His Resurrection inwardly, that they were forever changed. Only this form of knowledge could then convince them to go forth and proclaim the message of salvation.
Reflect, today, upon your own knowledge of Jesus and the transforming power of His Resurrection in your life. Has God spoken to you within the depths of your soul? Have you perceived this inward knowledge and had your mind opened? Listen attentively to our Lord—not just with your ears but primarily with your spirit. It is there, within you, that you, like the first disciples, will come to know and believe in the life, death and resurrection of Christ so that you can then go forth empowered to proclaim these truths to others.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
I’LL PASS
“Everything written about Me in the law of Moses and the prophets and psalms had to be fulfilled.” —Luke 24:44
Wouldn’t it have been a wonderful thing to have walked with Jesus and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus? We would have heard every Scripture in the Old Testament that prophesied about Jesus’ Passion, death, and Resurrection.
Well, the Church has just read to us in the daily liturgies of Lent many of those same Old Testament Scriptures that Jesus opened up for the disciples (Lk 24:27). The disciples passed those Scriptures on to many others; these Scriptures have since been passed on by the Church, all the way down to us.
During Easter, we focus on celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus. The Lord Himself, however, testifies: “If [you will] not listen to Moses and the prophets, [you] will not be convinced even if one should rise from the dead” (Lk 16:31). Faith in the risen Jesus comes through hearing the Word of God (Rm 10:17). Therefore, during this season of Easter, attend Mass as frequently as possible, even daily, to hear the Word of God. Meditate on this Word day and night (Ps 1:2; Jos 1:8). Treasure it in your heart (Lk 2:19). Devour the prophetic Word during this season of Easter (Jer 15:16).
What kind of passing will you do with the Lenten and Easter Scriptures that prophesy about Jesus? Will you pass them on to those you meet? Or will you merely pass them up, and let new life in Christ pass you by?
Prayer: Father, give me a heart to seek You, ears to hear You, and the will to worship, love, and serve You.
Promise: “God raised [Jesus] from the dead, and we are His witnesses.” —Acts 3:15
Praise: “O Lord, our Lord, how glorious is Your name over all the earth!” (Ps 8:2) Alleluia to You, risen Lord Jesus, our Savior!
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
Jesus came to this world to reconcile humanity to God. We were alienated from God, from one another, from our own true self and from creation. The purpose of the Incarnation is now complete with Jesus undergoing death on the cross and coming back to life. It was not easy for the disciples to believe that they are seeing Jesus come back to life. All the three readings of today speak about forgiveness of sins. Jesus commissions his disciples to go and proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations beginning from Jerusalem. Peter is doing precisely that with the Jewish leaders, asking them to repent so that their sins, especially the sin of killing Jesus, may be forgiven. Our human tendency is to turn away from God. We too need repentance, a turning towards God so that our sins can be forgiven by God through Jesus’ death on the cross.
Prayers
My revealing Lord, You showed Yourself to Your disciples not only physically but spiritually, revealing Your very essence to them interiorly. Please bestow this gift upon me, dear Lord. May I come to know You and believe in You with all my heart. As I do, please use me as an instrument of Your mercy to others. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, open our minds to understand the Scriptures that we may fully comprehend the truth of your word. Anoint us with your power and give us joy and boldness to proclaim the Gospel in word and deed.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 104: The Chaplet of Mercy
Prayer is essential to our Christian walk. When you pray, it is good to speak from the heart, pouring out your soul to God. But prayer must also follow your faith and all you know of God. It must reflect your true knowledge of God and call upon His Mercy. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is one such prayer that perfectly reflects your faith in the Mercy of God. (See Diary #475-476).
Do you pray? Do you pray every day? Is your prayer centered in faith and truth, enabling you to continually call on the Mercy of God? If you do not pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, try it every day for a week. Be faithful and trust in the faith revealed in the words spoken. You will see the doors of God’s Mercy open if you commit yourself to this prayer.
Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have Mercy on us and on the whole world. Jesus, I trust in You.
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