Skip to main content

3rd Sunday of Easter 2014

By
Easter is about revelation! On Easter Sunday we revealed that the tomb was found empty. Last week Jesus revealed himself to the Apostles in the upper room, reminding us that “Blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe.” This Third Sunday of Easter, Jesus is revealed through the breaking of the Bread.

The Word for the 3rd Sunday of Easter
Acts 2:14, 22-33
Psalm 16:2, 5, 7-11
1 Peter 1:17-21
Luke 24:13-35

In our first reading from Acts of the Apostles we have Peter standing before all of Jerusalem giving witness to who Jesus was and what happened there. Not only is this meant to remind those who witnessed these events, but it provides those of us who were not there (and Luke’s primarily Gentile audience) the understanding that this messiah was in fact killed by his own people, but through that act it was also their greatest king, David, and the many other prophets who followed, who prophesied his coming.  Our Psalm takes up this theme, reminding us that the Lord will show us the right path... that the prophecy was true.

Our second reading, continuing our study of 1st Peter, continues this idea of prophecy, but adds a reminder of how we also need to be humbled by what Christ did for us… that our conduct, especially outside of the community, must be representative of how we want to be seen by the Father.

Our Gospel from Luke is a church favorite… Jesus’ appearance to Cleopas and another disciple as they were traveling to the town of Emmaus. These two disciples, like many others who came to follow Jesus, are now lost and bewildered after having been witness to his passion and death.  They thought they had found their deliverer, only to have their hopes dashed on a cross. Jesus joins these men on the road, although they do not recognize him, and the talk about the events they just experienced. During their journey Jesus reveals to them those prophesies in scripture that foretold of the Messiah. When they reach Emmaus, the men ask Jesus to join them for a meal, during which Jesus says the blessing and breaks bread with them. Through that action, at that moment, they see Jesus for who he is. Once they recognize Jesus, he vanishes from their sight, and having been astonished at what they experienced, rush back to Jerusalem to recount their experience to the Apostles (who themselves have just experienced a visit with the risen Jesus).

It was through the breaking of the bread that Jesus was revealed to those two disciples, and it is in that same breaking of the bread that Jesus is revealed to us today.

Catholic Update
Real Presence in the Eucharist
The Real Presence:  Jesus’ Gift to the Church
Messengers of God’s Mercy:  Saints John XXXIII and John Paul II
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Ascension of the Lord - Cycle C

By
Following the traditional calendar, the Solemnity of the Ascension falls on a Thursday, 40 days after the Resurrection, and 10 days before Pentecost.  But since the Ascension is such an important moment for us as Church, many dioceses, including our own, have moved this celebration to this coming Sunday (in place of the 7th Sunday of Easter). The Word for the Ascension of the Lord Acts 1:1-11 Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 Ephesians 1:17-23 or Hebrews 9:24-28, 10:19-23 Luke 24:46-53 Our first reading is from the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles.  While it might be more appropriate that this reading should follow our Gospel reading for today (as it naturally follows after Luke’s Gospel), the book-end effect of these two readings remains intact, reminding us how this was a pivotal moment for the Church.  Like most sequels, our reading opens with a recap of where we left off at the end of Luke’s Gospel with the Ascension of Jesus.  Also like most sequels, this “recap” of t...
Post a Comment
Read more

6th Sunday of Easter - Cycle A

By
If you want to have some fun, ask a Catholic (or any Christian) about the Holy Spirit.  The answers you get will likely be as varied as the people you ask.  Our faith is based on a “Trinitarian” view of God:  God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.  As a Church we do quite well teaching about God the Father, and we do an excellent job teaching about God the Son (Jesus), but when it comes to the Holy Spirit we tend to treat the subject like a “third wheel” or “odd man out.”  We spend so much time learning about God the Father and God the Son that we end up with little time to spend on the Holy Spirit.  Perhaps our readings for this week can help us to better understand the Spirit: The Word for the 6th Sunday of Easter Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20 1 Peter 3:15-18 John 14:15-21 For this 6th Sunday of Easter we open with a story from Acts of the Apostles where we hear how Philip has had great success in bringing the Gospel to the p...
Post a Comment
Read more

Feast of the Lateran Cathedral

By
November 9th marks the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica.  Why are we celebrating the dedication of a church?  Well, because this is perhaps the most important church in all of Western Christianity.  The official title of this church is:  The Cathedral Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist at the Lateran.  “The Lateran” in this case refers to the Lateran Palace which belonged to the Laterni family, an ancient noble Roman family.  The palace was acquired by Constantine and donated to the Pope in order to be the cathedral of the city of Rome.  This is where the cathedra, the Bishop’s Chair, sits.  Contrary to popular belief, St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City is not the Pope’s Cathedral.  The Pope is foremost the Bishop of Rome, so therefore his Cathedral Church is in the City of Rome (not Vatican City, which at the time of Constantine was little more than a hill outside of...
Post a Comment
Read more