Third Sunday of Easter
Lectionary: 46
Lectionary: 46
Then Peter stood up
with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
“You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.
Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
You who are Israelites, hear these words.
Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God
with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs,
which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.
This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,
you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.
But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death,
because it was impossible for him to be held by it.
For David says of him:
I saw the Lord ever before me,
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted;
my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.
“My brothers, one can confidently say to you
about the patriarch David that he died and was buried,
and his tomb is in our midst to this day.
But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him
that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,
he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,
that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld
nor did his flesh see corruption.
God raised this Jesus;
of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God,
he received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father
and poured him forth, as you see and hear.”
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
“You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.
Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
You who are Israelites, hear these words.
Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God
with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs,
which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.
This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,
you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.
But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death,
because it was impossible for him to be held by it.
For David says of him:
I saw the Lord ever before me,
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted;
my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.
“My brothers, one can confidently say to you
about the patriarch David that he died and was buried,
and his tomb is in our midst to this day.
But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him
that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,
he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,
that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld
nor did his flesh see corruption.
God raised this Jesus;
of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God,
he received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father
and poured him forth, as you see and hear.”
Responsorial Psalm PS 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
R/ (11a) Lord, you will show us the path of life.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R/ Lord, you will show us the path of life.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R/ Lord, you will show us the path of life.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R/ Lord, you will show us the path of life.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
You will show me the path to life,
abounding joy in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R/ Lord, you will show us the path of life.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R/ Lord, you will show us the path of life.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R/ Lord, you will show us the path of life.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R/ Lord, you will show us the path of life.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
You will show me the path to life,
abounding joy in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R/ Lord, you will show us the path of life.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
Reading 2 1 PT 1:17-21
Beloved:
If you invoke as Father him who judges impartially
according to each one’s works,
conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning,
realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct,
handed on by your ancestors,
not with perishable things like silver or gold
but with the precious blood of Christ
as of a spotless unblemished lamb.
He was known before the foundation of the world
but revealed in the final time for you,
who through him believe in God
who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
so that your faith and hope are in God.
If you invoke as Father him who judges impartially
according to each one’s works,
conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning,
realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct,
handed on by your ancestors,
not with perishable things like silver or gold
but with the precious blood of Christ
as of a spotless unblemished lamb.
He was known before the foundation of the world
but revealed in the final time for you,
who through him believe in God
who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
so that your faith and hope are in God.
Gospel LK 24:13-35
That very day, the
first day of the week,
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
“What are you discussing as you walk along?”
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?”
And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”
They said to him,
“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, “Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the eleven and those with them who were saying,
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted
what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
“What are you discussing as you walk along?”
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?”
And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”
They said to him,
“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, “Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the eleven and those with them who were saying,
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted
what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.
Scripture Study
May 4, 2014 - 3rd Sunday of Easter
FIRST READING: Acts 2:14; 22-28. On Pentecost day Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed the crowd, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know---this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him. 'I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will dwell in hope. For thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let thy Holy One see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou wilt make me full of gladness with thy presence.'"
EXPLANATION:
The crowds that had gathered around the Upper Room were full of amazement and anxious for an explanation. They heard the noise "as of a mighty wind" in that part of the city, and then heard the Apostles speaking foreign languages.
Peter . . . eleven: Peter, whom Jesus had made the Rock on which he was building his Church, was already recognized by the other Apostles and disciples as their official leader and head. It was he, therefore, who addressed the people and explained the events that had happened and were now happening.
Jesus of Nazareth: The name by which he was especially known to the Jews who opposed him. The lowliness of the village from which he came stressed his unimportance in their minds.
attested . . . God: The miracles Jesus had worked "in their midst" (the curing of the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus from the dead after four days in the tomb, had taken place in and beside Jerusalem), were proofs offered to them by God that Jesus was what he claimed to be---the promised Messiah and more, the real Son of God.
delivered . . . God: The chief priests and the Pharisees "planned" to end Jesus' influence among the people by putting him to death. Judas "planned" to betray him to them at the opportune moment. What they did not know was that the death of Jesus in all its details was "planned" by God from the beginning. "He was delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God" (see the account of the agony in the garden in all 4 Evangelists).
You crucified . . . men: Peter tells the Jews (that is, their leaders) that they went so far in their hatred of Jesus that they called on "lawless men," that is, Gentiles (who knew not the law of Moses), to put him to death on the cross.
God . . . up: The resurrection was the crowning act in the drama of the Incarnation. Unwittingly, but nevertheless guiltily, because of their personal, wicked designs, the Jews had helped to carry out God's eternal plan for mankind's salvation.
not . . . for him: The resurrection was part of God's plan for Christ in his human nature. He could not remain dead, since his death was the door to eternal life for all men and he himself was to be the first to come through that door.
David . . . says: Peter now cites Psalm 16: 8-11, in which it was foretold that Christ could not remain in Hades, the abode of the dead, but would be released from it. Peter goes on to show in the verses that follow (29-36), that David was still in Hades, still in his tomb, and that his words in this Psalm 16 were a prophecy fulfilled in Christ.
APPLICATION: Easter is the season of hope, of encouragement and of consolation for every true Christian. It recalls to his mind the fact of Christ's victory over death---a victory which in God's eternal plan was not for him alone, but for all men who believe in him and try to follow him. The true Christian knows that his bodily or physical death is but a necessary prelude to the new and unending life God has prepared for him. The few verses of St. Peter's sermon, preached to the Jews in Jerusalem on that first Pentecost Day, bring this consoling thought to our minds, and it is a thought which should influence and direct our way of living every day of our lives.
It so affected St. Peter's audience that day that 3,000 joined the Apostles (2:41), and this was an audience which up to then paid little or no heed to the "man" who had been crucified, some seven weeks earlier on Mount calvary.
How much greater should not its impact be on us, who already know who Christ really was, and who know the meaning his resurrection has for us?
However, let us not forget, that in the audience, too, were men who shut their ears and their minds to the facts told by St. Peter, men who continued to oppose Christ and revile him, and who did their utmost to put an end to his faithful followers. But in vain. Christ had triumphed, the Church he had founded would triumph, and millions of his faithful followers down through the centuries, have entered the eternal kingdom which his life, death and resurrection opened to them.
While we have still today, thank God, millions who are striving to follow Christ and to make their way to heaven, we have millions too (apart from those who through no fault of theirs have not heard his "good news," and for whom God will provide), millions who, like those unrepentant Jews of Jerusalem, shut their ears and their minds to the facts of the Incarnation and to its relevance to them.
Death, even eternal death, has, they proclaim, no fears for them; yet in their every action they are proving their love of life by their attachment to the very limited comforts and consolations which the fleeting life of this earth can give them. Are they not in their theories contradicting their own very actions, and contradicting the natural desire to continue living---a desire which the Creator instilled in every intelligent being, and which God arranged to satisfy, through the merciful mystery of the Incarnation?
Charity, true love of God and neighbor, demands that we pray frequently and fervently that God will open the eyes of our fellowman to the light of the true Christian faith, that they too may profit by the Incarnation, that they too may rise to a life of eternal happiness. As for ourselves, let each one of us be another St. Peter in our own small way, by letting the light of faith, which God has given us, shine brightly before all men in our words and especially in our deeds.
SECOND READING: 1 Peter 1: 17-21. You invoke as Father him
who judges each one impartially according to his deeds; conduct yourselves with
fear throughout the time of your exile. You know that you were ransomed from
the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as
silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb
without blemish or spot. He was destined before the foundation of the world but
was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake. Through him you have
confidence in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that
your faith and hope are in God.
EXPLANATION:
On this Epistle see last Sunday's Second Reading.
You . . . Father: When the Apostles asked Jesus to teach them to pray he gave them the "Lord's Prayer," which begins by invoking God as "Our Father." This became one of the liturgical prayers of the Christian assemblies from the very first days of the Church. The Jews in the Old Testament sometimes called Yahweh their father, but in the mouth of Christians it had a new and objectively true meaning, for they knew Christ was their brother, hence they too were children of God.
judges each one: While God is a true loving Father, he is also a just judge, and we prove our true sonship by our actions in relation to him and our neighbor.
conduct . . . exile: We are adopted sons of God here on earth---a period of exile from our real home---but we shall get the inheritance promised us only if we serve God reverently and truly during this period of trial. Fear means reverence and due respect in this context.
ransomed . . . ways: Before their conversion to Christianity they were all pagans or Jews. Neither Judaism nor paganism could ever have made them sons of God and heirs to heaven, but Christ had earned this right and title for them.
not silver . . . blood: Christ assumed human nature, and gladly offered his human life by shedding his blood on the cross, in order to open to us eternal life.
lamb . . . blemish: He who had no sin became a "sin-offering," that is, a true sacrifice for us sinners.
before . . . world: The eternal decree of God, before the universe or man was created, had planned an eternal life for man, the masterpiece of creation, the one creature in the universe who through his spiritual gifts had the "image" of God in him.
manifest . . . times: The whole period of time that passed between creation and the coming of Christ, the completion and perfection of creation, was looked on as a period of waiting, of preparation. Christ's coming marked the end of those periods---"the fulness of time," as St. Paul calls it. No other such world-changing event will ever again come until the end of time.
confidence in God: Because of Christ we have learned of God's infinite love and mercy for us, and it was by raising Christ from the dead that God proved that Christ was his Son in human nature and restored to him the glory of the Godhead of which "he had emptied himself," while living on earth among us.
your faith . . . God: Because of all he has already done for us we can firmly trust and feel secure that we will attain heaven, the reward earned for us by Christ through God's mercy and love.
APPLICATION: St. Peter’s message to us today is this: we are sons of God because of his infinite mercy in sending Christ to us as our brother. So we can rightly call God our "Father." But we must behave as true, loyal sons, during our "time of exile" on this earth, for our merciful Father is also the absolutely just God who will judge each one of us "impartially according to our deeds" when we lay down our earthly life.
The fact that we are adopted sons of God, and thus co-heirs of Christ to the eternal kingdom, is the foundation, the title-deed, to our future possession of the promised inheritance. But we must live our lives in accordance with the conditions laid down in those title-deeds. We must follow Christ all through our earthly life if we are to join him in the eternal kingdom.
Our Lord himself put this very emphatically and clearly when he said : "If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mt. 16:24). This does not mean that life must be one long martyrdom, but it means that we must keep our human passions and unlawful earthly desires under control. Millions of Christians in the past have done this, and nobody could say they lived a miserable life on this earth. There are millions of Christians today who are keeping the laws of God and living as loving and grateful "sons of God," and they should be and are the happiest men and women on earth.
Look around and see the non-practicing Christians; they have more than they can use of the wealth of this world, but they are unhappy because they want more. The sixth and seventh commandments have been long since ignored and forgotten by them, but the troubles of body and mind brought on by their illicit actions remain with them all their earthly lives. They spend their energies striving for financial and political power, only to find they have been chasing rainbows. They may live in luxury, but do they live in peace with their own consciences? They can hardly refuse to admit that one day soon they must leave all they had spent their life acquiring; and their being buried in a gold casket or coffin, in a marble vault, will not guarantee them any future happiness.
Every good Christian realizes what St. Peter tells us today: this life is but a period of exile. We are on our way to our true home, and any trials we have to meet on the way are examinations we have to pass in order to graduate into that everlasting home. But the crown of glory which awaits us is worth a thousand times more than all the crosses and trials this earthly life can inflict on us.
St. Peter reminds us, too, that it was not with gold or silver or any other earthly goods that this future life of happiness was bought for us, but by the life and sufferings of Christ, whom God had "destined before the foundation of the world" to be our mediator and Savior. God thought of us from all eternity---he is still thinking of us and of our true happiness. Surely, we have enough sense, and enough interest in our own welfare, to think of our own future and to live the few years of exile as true, adopted sons of God, and thus make ourselves worthy to be with our heavenly Father for all eternity!
EXPLANATION:
On this Epistle see last Sunday's Second Reading.
You . . . Father: When the Apostles asked Jesus to teach them to pray he gave them the "Lord's Prayer," which begins by invoking God as "Our Father." This became one of the liturgical prayers of the Christian assemblies from the very first days of the Church. The Jews in the Old Testament sometimes called Yahweh their father, but in the mouth of Christians it had a new and objectively true meaning, for they knew Christ was their brother, hence they too were children of God.
judges each one: While God is a true loving Father, he is also a just judge, and we prove our true sonship by our actions in relation to him and our neighbor.
conduct . . . exile: We are adopted sons of God here on earth---a period of exile from our real home---but we shall get the inheritance promised us only if we serve God reverently and truly during this period of trial. Fear means reverence and due respect in this context.
ransomed . . . ways: Before their conversion to Christianity they were all pagans or Jews. Neither Judaism nor paganism could ever have made them sons of God and heirs to heaven, but Christ had earned this right and title for them.
not silver . . . blood: Christ assumed human nature, and gladly offered his human life by shedding his blood on the cross, in order to open to us eternal life.
lamb . . . blemish: He who had no sin became a "sin-offering," that is, a true sacrifice for us sinners.
before . . . world: The eternal decree of God, before the universe or man was created, had planned an eternal life for man, the masterpiece of creation, the one creature in the universe who through his spiritual gifts had the "image" of God in him.
manifest . . . times: The whole period of time that passed between creation and the coming of Christ, the completion and perfection of creation, was looked on as a period of waiting, of preparation. Christ's coming marked the end of those periods---"the fulness of time," as St. Paul calls it. No other such world-changing event will ever again come until the end of time.
confidence in God: Because of Christ we have learned of God's infinite love and mercy for us, and it was by raising Christ from the dead that God proved that Christ was his Son in human nature and restored to him the glory of the Godhead of which "he had emptied himself," while living on earth among us.
your faith . . . God: Because of all he has already done for us we can firmly trust and feel secure that we will attain heaven, the reward earned for us by Christ through God's mercy and love.
APPLICATION: St. Peter’s message to us today is this: we are sons of God because of his infinite mercy in sending Christ to us as our brother. So we can rightly call God our "Father." But we must behave as true, loyal sons, during our "time of exile" on this earth, for our merciful Father is also the absolutely just God who will judge each one of us "impartially according to our deeds" when we lay down our earthly life.
The fact that we are adopted sons of God, and thus co-heirs of Christ to the eternal kingdom, is the foundation, the title-deed, to our future possession of the promised inheritance. But we must live our lives in accordance with the conditions laid down in those title-deeds. We must follow Christ all through our earthly life if we are to join him in the eternal kingdom.
Our Lord himself put this very emphatically and clearly when he said : "If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mt. 16:24). This does not mean that life must be one long martyrdom, but it means that we must keep our human passions and unlawful earthly desires under control. Millions of Christians in the past have done this, and nobody could say they lived a miserable life on this earth. There are millions of Christians today who are keeping the laws of God and living as loving and grateful "sons of God," and they should be and are the happiest men and women on earth.
Look around and see the non-practicing Christians; they have more than they can use of the wealth of this world, but they are unhappy because they want more. The sixth and seventh commandments have been long since ignored and forgotten by them, but the troubles of body and mind brought on by their illicit actions remain with them all their earthly lives. They spend their energies striving for financial and political power, only to find they have been chasing rainbows. They may live in luxury, but do they live in peace with their own consciences? They can hardly refuse to admit that one day soon they must leave all they had spent their life acquiring; and their being buried in a gold casket or coffin, in a marble vault, will not guarantee them any future happiness.
Every good Christian realizes what St. Peter tells us today: this life is but a period of exile. We are on our way to our true home, and any trials we have to meet on the way are examinations we have to pass in order to graduate into that everlasting home. But the crown of glory which awaits us is worth a thousand times more than all the crosses and trials this earthly life can inflict on us.
St. Peter reminds us, too, that it was not with gold or silver or any other earthly goods that this future life of happiness was bought for us, but by the life and sufferings of Christ, whom God had "destined before the foundation of the world" to be our mediator and Savior. God thought of us from all eternity---he is still thinking of us and of our true happiness. Surely, we have enough sense, and enough interest in our own welfare, to think of our own future and to live the few years of exile as true, adopted sons of God, and thus make ourselves worthy to be with our heavenly Father for all eternity!
GOSPEL: Luke 24:13-35. On the first day of the week, two of the
disciples of Jesus were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from
Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all the things that had happened.
While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and
went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to
them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as
you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named
Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not
know the things that have happened there in these days?" And he said to
them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of
Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the
people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned
to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem
Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened.
Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in
the morning and did not find his body, and they came back saying that they had
even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who
were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him
they did not see." And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of
heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that
the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And
beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the
scriptures the things concerning himself.
So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
EXPLANATION:
We have here a delightful and instructive account of an event that happened on the first Easter Sunday. Besides the twelve Apostles, our Lord had seventy-two disciples (as well as many other followers), who accompanied him on his missionary journeys. They came with him to Jerusalem, and witnessed the sad, and, to them, the fatal events of Good Friday. Two of them, having given up all hope, were now returning home depressed and sad.
talking and discussing: They must have found it hard to understand how Jesus, who had worked so many miracles and had even raised the dead to life, could allow his enemies to put him to death.
Jesus . . . them: A third man joined them. They did not recognize him. Jesus had risen in his glorified body, entirely different from that laid in the tomb. He appeared in various visible forms---sometimes recognizable, to convince the Apostles of the truth of his resurrection, sometimes not recognizable, as on this occasion.
What . . . conversation?: The two disciples were amazed that this man could have been in Jerusalem and had not heard what had happened there the previous Friday.
chief . . . him: They had no doubt as to who were responsible for the death of Jesus.
we had hoped: They had the Jewish idea of the Messiah---one who would give Israel a new earthly kingdom. They had lost all hope, now that he had been crucified.
some women:The story of the empty tomb had reached them before they left Jerusalem. But Christ was dead and, they thought, dead he would remain. Hence, all they had heard left them unimpressed, and they were returning home, thinking perhaps of the months and years they had "wasted" following Jesus.
slow . . . prophets: The stranger now chides them for not paying heed to the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the Messiah.
was . . . necessary: Because of sin which had entered the world and the wickedness of his contemporary enemies, Jesus had to die as a sinner and malefactor (for the sins of the world) and by his resurrection place the divine seal on his Messiahship and his true sonship of the Father. All this he proved to the two disciples, from the Old Testament prophecies.
they recognized him: Out of true hospitality they constrained him to pass the night with them, and take a meal with them.
took bread . . . them: The "breaking of bread" is a technical term for the Eucharist (see Acts 2: 42-46; 20: 7; 1 Cor. 10: 17). Whether the Eucharist is meant here is disputed, but Luke is certainly using eucharistic language (see Lk. 22:19).
they recognized . . . vanished: The moment they recognized him he disappeared---again a proof that he was in his glorified body, not subject to the conditions of an earthly body.
did not . . . burn: They now remember how his conversation with them on the way had set their hearts afire with love for him and for the Father who had sent him.
returned to Jerusalem: Their despair was over and they returned to Jerusalem, to their vocation, placing themselves under the direction of the Apostles. They found the Apostles already convinced of the resurrection: "the Lord has risen indeed and has appeared to Simon." Their story was only a confirmation of the acknowledged fact.
So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
EXPLANATION:
We have here a delightful and instructive account of an event that happened on the first Easter Sunday. Besides the twelve Apostles, our Lord had seventy-two disciples (as well as many other followers), who accompanied him on his missionary journeys. They came with him to Jerusalem, and witnessed the sad, and, to them, the fatal events of Good Friday. Two of them, having given up all hope, were now returning home depressed and sad.
talking and discussing: They must have found it hard to understand how Jesus, who had worked so many miracles and had even raised the dead to life, could allow his enemies to put him to death.
Jesus . . . them: A third man joined them. They did not recognize him. Jesus had risen in his glorified body, entirely different from that laid in the tomb. He appeared in various visible forms---sometimes recognizable, to convince the Apostles of the truth of his resurrection, sometimes not recognizable, as on this occasion.
What . . . conversation?: The two disciples were amazed that this man could have been in Jerusalem and had not heard what had happened there the previous Friday.
chief . . . him: They had no doubt as to who were responsible for the death of Jesus.
we had hoped: They had the Jewish idea of the Messiah---one who would give Israel a new earthly kingdom. They had lost all hope, now that he had been crucified.
some women:The story of the empty tomb had reached them before they left Jerusalem. But Christ was dead and, they thought, dead he would remain. Hence, all they had heard left them unimpressed, and they were returning home, thinking perhaps of the months and years they had "wasted" following Jesus.
slow . . . prophets: The stranger now chides them for not paying heed to the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the Messiah.
was . . . necessary: Because of sin which had entered the world and the wickedness of his contemporary enemies, Jesus had to die as a sinner and malefactor (for the sins of the world) and by his resurrection place the divine seal on his Messiahship and his true sonship of the Father. All this he proved to the two disciples, from the Old Testament prophecies.
they recognized him: Out of true hospitality they constrained him to pass the night with them, and take a meal with them.
took bread . . . them: The "breaking of bread" is a technical term for the Eucharist (see Acts 2: 42-46; 20: 7; 1 Cor. 10: 17). Whether the Eucharist is meant here is disputed, but Luke is certainly using eucharistic language (see Lk. 22:19).
they recognized . . . vanished: The moment they recognized him he disappeared---again a proof that he was in his glorified body, not subject to the conditions of an earthly body.
did not . . . burn: They now remember how his conversation with them on the way had set their hearts afire with love for him and for the Father who had sent him.
returned to Jerusalem: Their despair was over and they returned to Jerusalem, to their vocation, placing themselves under the direction of the Apostles. They found the Apostles already convinced of the resurrection: "the Lord has risen indeed and has appeared to Simon." Their story was only a confirmation of the acknowledged fact.
APPLICATION: There are two thoughts that should sink into our minds on
hearing this beautiful and most instructive incident which happened on that
first Easter Sunday.
First, the loving kindness of Jesus to two disciples who had lost faith in him, because of his having failed, as they thought, to triumph over his enemies on that dreadful Good Friday. He followed them, like the Good Shepherd he was, and brought them back to the fold.
In the lives of many Christians, and today especially, in the lives of many he has chosen as special disciples, there are moments when the doings and sayings of some who claim to be "masters in Israel" may make them doubt if Christ is still what he claimed to be, if his demands on them are still obligatory and necessary. They are tempted to think Christianity was a human invention, that heaven is a figment of human imagination, that God is dead or paying no heed to them, and they are tempted to go back to the Emmaus of agnosticism or atheism.
The solution for their problem is that given by the risen Jesus to the disciples. What seemed a failure and a tragedy to the disciples was the triumph of God's eternal plan for raising man up to sonship with God himself and an eternal inheritance. God has not failed; Christ has not failed; Christianity has not failed and never will, but there will always be weaklings among us who will fall by the wayside and try to get others to join them to boost their sagging morale. The second thought is closely connected with the first : it is a divine remedy for those who feel their faith growing weak. The two disciples recognized the risen Jesus "in the breaking of bread." We have still the risen Christ present with us every time we join in the celebration of the Eucharist. He is not only at the table, the altar, with us, but in the bread he breaks for us through his ordained minister he is giving himself to us as our spiritual nourishment. He promised to do this (see Jn. 6) and he fulfilled his promise at the Last Supper when he gave the power and the command to his Apostles and their successors to celebrate the Eucharist for his people, for all time.
If we partake regularly and devoutly of this divine nourishment, our faith will be strong enough to resist any doubts our own weak, human minds, or the bad example of Godless surroundings, may cause to arise within us. Our renewed liturgy is a replica of the Emmaus event. We have first the liturgy of the word, in which God's revelation is explained to us, and we then sit at table with our divine Lord---the Word of God made flesh---who gives himself to us under the form of human food---something which only a God, and a loving God, could do.
Christ has called us to be his followers and disciples. He has called us not because he needs us, but because we need him. He has prepared for us a heavenly banquet---a feast of joy and happiness which will last forever. The present eucharistic meal is the means he instituted to help us reach the new Jerusalem which is above. Let us use this means frequently and fervently, in it we shall, like the two disciples, recognize him as our loving, risen Savior and each time we receive him we will return full of the glad tidings that Jesus has risen and conquered death, not only for himself but for all men of goodwill.-a160
First, the loving kindness of Jesus to two disciples who had lost faith in him, because of his having failed, as they thought, to triumph over his enemies on that dreadful Good Friday. He followed them, like the Good Shepherd he was, and brought them back to the fold.
In the lives of many Christians, and today especially, in the lives of many he has chosen as special disciples, there are moments when the doings and sayings of some who claim to be "masters in Israel" may make them doubt if Christ is still what he claimed to be, if his demands on them are still obligatory and necessary. They are tempted to think Christianity was a human invention, that heaven is a figment of human imagination, that God is dead or paying no heed to them, and they are tempted to go back to the Emmaus of agnosticism or atheism.
The solution for their problem is that given by the risen Jesus to the disciples. What seemed a failure and a tragedy to the disciples was the triumph of God's eternal plan for raising man up to sonship with God himself and an eternal inheritance. God has not failed; Christ has not failed; Christianity has not failed and never will, but there will always be weaklings among us who will fall by the wayside and try to get others to join them to boost their sagging morale. The second thought is closely connected with the first : it is a divine remedy for those who feel their faith growing weak. The two disciples recognized the risen Jesus "in the breaking of bread." We have still the risen Christ present with us every time we join in the celebration of the Eucharist. He is not only at the table, the altar, with us, but in the bread he breaks for us through his ordained minister he is giving himself to us as our spiritual nourishment. He promised to do this (see Jn. 6) and he fulfilled his promise at the Last Supper when he gave the power and the command to his Apostles and their successors to celebrate the Eucharist for his people, for all time.
If we partake regularly and devoutly of this divine nourishment, our faith will be strong enough to resist any doubts our own weak, human minds, or the bad example of Godless surroundings, may cause to arise within us. Our renewed liturgy is a replica of the Emmaus event. We have first the liturgy of the word, in which God's revelation is explained to us, and we then sit at table with our divine Lord---the Word of God made flesh---who gives himself to us under the form of human food---something which only a God, and a loving God, could do.
Christ has called us to be his followers and disciples. He has called us not because he needs us, but because we need him. He has prepared for us a heavenly banquet---a feast of joy and happiness which will last forever. The present eucharistic meal is the means he instituted to help us reach the new Jerusalem which is above. Let us use this means frequently and fervently, in it we shall, like the two disciples, recognize him as our loving, risen Savior and each time we receive him we will return full of the glad tidings that Jesus has risen and conquered death, not only for himself but for all men of goodwill.-a160
Meditation: "Did
not our hearts burn while he opened to us the Scriptures"
Why was it difficult for the disciples to
recognize the risen Lord? Jesus' death scattered his disciples and shattered
their hopes and dreams. They had hoped that he was the one to redeem
Israel. They saw the cross as defeat and could not comprehend the empty
tomb until the Lord appeared to them and gave them understanding. Jesus chided
the disciples on the road to Emmaus for their slowness of heart to
believe what the scriptures had said concerning the Messiah. They did not
recognize the risen Jesus until he had broken bread with them. Do you recognize
the Lord in his word and in the breaking of the bread?
St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) reflects on
the dimness of their perception:
"They were so
disturbed when they saw him hanging on the cross that they forgot his teaching,
did not look for his resurrection, and failed to keep his promises in
mind" (Sermon
235.1).
"Their eyes were obstructed, that they
should not recognize him until the breaking of the bread. And thus, in
accordance with the state of their minds, which was still ignorant of the truth
(that the Christ would die and rise again", their eyes were similarly
hindered. It was not that the truth himself was misleading them, but rather
that they were themselves unable to perceive the truth." (From The Harmony of the Gospels,
3.25.72)
How often
do we fail to recognize the Lord when he speaks to our hearts and opens his
mind to us? The Risen Lord is ever ready to speak his word to us and to give us
understanding of his ways. Do you listen attentively to the Word of God and
allow his word to change and transform you?
"Lord Jesus Christ, open the eyes of my
heart to recognize your presence with me and to understand the truth of your
saving word. Nourish me with your life-giving word and with the bread of
life."
THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER, MAY 4, LUKE 24:13-35
(Acts 2:14, 22-33; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:17-21)
KEY VERSE: "With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him" (v 31).
READING: As two disciples returned to their home in Emmaus from their Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem, they discussed the meaning of the events they had witnessed there. As they journeyed along the road, the Risen Christ appeared to them, but they mistook him for another pilgrim. They told the "stranger" that although Jesus was a mighty prophet, their hopes and dreams that "he was the one to redeem Israel" (Lk 24:21) were shattered at the crucifixion. They also told him of the rumor that some women went to the tomb and found it empty, but the apostles dismissed their story as nonsense. Jesus listened to their anguished tale, and then explained that God's plan had been revealed in Moses and the prophets (the Jewish scriptures), and that it was necessary that the Messiah should suffer so as to enter glory. At nightfall, the disciples urged Jesus to stay and share a meal with them. Though the disciples’ eyes had been closed to Jesus’ presence, they recognized him "in the breaking of the bread" (v 35), and then he vanished from their sight. Unable to keep the good news to themselves, they hastened back to Jerusalem with great joy. There they discovered that the apostles had already experienced the Risen Christ. Although he is physically absent, Jesus continues to be with his followers through the Word and Eucharist.
REFLECTING: How can I help others discover Jesus on their spiritual journeys?
PRAYING: Risen Lord, open my eyes to your presence in the scriptures and the sacrament.
Lord, you will show us the path of life
He took the bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to them.The two distressed friends are accompanied by a stranger. He listens to their experience. He offers solace to them in the way of Scripture, which they seem to know and love. He accepts their hospitality and at the table he blesses and breaks the bread, offering it to them. And in that moment they realise who has travelled with them. Each Eucharist carries the same promise for us. May we take time to savour the readings that are offered to us and approach communion with an open and loving heart. Similarly, in our home, let us make our family meal gracious, simple and a time of peace for our family.
ENGLISH CARTHUSIAN MARTYRS
These 18 Carthusian monks were put to death in
England under King Henry VIII between 1535-1540 for maintaining their
allegiance to the Pope.
The Carthusians, founded by St. Bruno in 1054,
are the strictest and most austere monastic order in the western Church.
They live an austere hermitic life, their ‘monastery’ actually being a number
of hermitages built next to each other.
When Henry VIII issued his “Act of Supremacy”
declaring that all who refused to take an oath recognizing him as head of the
Church of England committed an act of high treason, these 18 Carthusians
refused and were sentenced to death.
The first to die were the Carthusian prior of
London, John Houghton, and two of his brothers, Robert Lawrence and
Augustine Webster, who were hanged, drawn and quartered, on May 4, 1535. The
prior is said to have declared his fidelity to the Catholic Church and forgiven
his executioners before dying.
The Carthusians were the first martyrs to die
under the reign of Henry VIII. Two more were killed on June 19 of that year and
by August 4, 1540, all 18 had been tortured and killed for refusing to place
their allegiance to the king before their allegiance to the Pope.
They were beatified in 1886 by Pope Leo XIII,
and John Houghton, Robert Lawrence, and Augustine Webster, were canonized by
Pope Paul VI in 1970.
LECTIO DIVINA:
3RD SUNDAY OF EASTER (A)
Lectio:
Sunday, May 4, 2014
On the Road to Emmaus
Looking for the key to an understanding of the Scriptures
Luke 24, 13-35
Looking for the key to an understanding of the Scriptures
Luke 24, 13-35
1.
OPENING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures
with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In
the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the
presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the
cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life
and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.
2.
READING
a) A key to guide the reading:
Let us read the text where Luke presents Jesus as interpreting the Scriptures. As we read, let us seek to discover the various steps taken by Jesus in the process of this interpretation, from the moment he meets the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, to the time the disciples meet with the community in Jerusalem.
Let us read the text where Luke presents Jesus as interpreting the Scriptures. As we read, let us seek to discover the various steps taken by Jesus in the process of this interpretation, from the moment he meets the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, to the time the disciples meet with the community in Jerusalem.
b) A division of the text to assist a careful reading:
Lk 24,13-24: Jesus tries to find out what it is that is making the two disciples distressed.
Lk 24,25-27: Jesus sheds the light of Scripture on the situation of the two disciples.
Lk 24,28-32: Jesus shares the bread and celebrates with the disciples.
Lk 24,33-35: The two disciples go to Jerusalem and share their experience of the resurrection with the community.
Lk 24,13-24: Jesus tries to find out what it is that is making the two disciples distressed.
Lk 24,25-27: Jesus sheds the light of Scripture on the situation of the two disciples.
Lk 24,28-32: Jesus shares the bread and celebrates with the disciples.
Lk 24,33-35: The two disciples go to Jerusalem and share their experience of the resurrection with the community.
c) The text:
13-24: Now that very same day, two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. And it happened that as they were talking together and discussing it, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but their eyes were prevented from recognising him. He said to them, 'What are all these things that you are discussing as you walk along?' They stopped, their faces downcast. Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, 'You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days.' He asked, 'What things?' They answered, 'All about Jesus of Nazareth, who showed himself a prophet powerful in action and speech before God and the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And this is not all: two whole days have now gone by since it all happened; and some women from our group have astounded us: they went to the tomb in the early morning, and when they could not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothing.'
25-27: Then he said to them, 'You foolish men! So slow to believe all that the prophets have said! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer before entering into his glory?' Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.
28-32: When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them saying, 'It is nearly evening, and the day is almost over.' So he went in to stay with them. Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, 'Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?'
33-35: They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, 34 who said to them, 'The Lord has indeed risen and has appeared to Simon.' 35 Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.
13-24: Now that very same day, two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. And it happened that as they were talking together and discussing it, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but their eyes were prevented from recognising him. He said to them, 'What are all these things that you are discussing as you walk along?' They stopped, their faces downcast. Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, 'You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days.' He asked, 'What things?' They answered, 'All about Jesus of Nazareth, who showed himself a prophet powerful in action and speech before God and the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And this is not all: two whole days have now gone by since it all happened; and some women from our group have astounded us: they went to the tomb in the early morning, and when they could not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothing.'
25-27: Then he said to them, 'You foolish men! So slow to believe all that the prophets have said! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer before entering into his glory?' Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.
28-32: When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them saying, 'It is nearly evening, and the day is almost over.' So he went in to stay with them. Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, 'Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?'
33-35: They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, 34 who said to them, 'The Lord has indeed risen and has appeared to Simon.' 35 Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.
3.
A MOMENT OF PRAYERFUL SILENCE
so that the Word of God may enter into us and enlighten our
life.
4.
SOME QUESTIONS
to help us in our personal reflection.
a) What part did you like best in this text? Why?
b) What steps did Jesus take in interpreting the Scriptures from the time he met the two friends on the road up to the time the disciples went to the community in Jerusalem?
c) In what manner of situation does Jesus meet the two disciples?
d) What are the similarities and the differences between our present situation and that of the two disciples? What factors create a crisis of faith in our day and are the cause of sadness?
e) What was the effect of Jesus’ reading of the Bible on the life of the two disciples?
f) Which points in the interpretation made by Jesus are a critique of our way of reading the Bible, and which are a confirmation?
b) What steps did Jesus take in interpreting the Scriptures from the time he met the two friends on the road up to the time the disciples went to the community in Jerusalem?
c) In what manner of situation does Jesus meet the two disciples?
d) What are the similarities and the differences between our present situation and that of the two disciples? What factors create a crisis of faith in our day and are the cause of sadness?
e) What was the effect of Jesus’ reading of the Bible on the life of the two disciples?
f) Which points in the interpretation made by Jesus are a critique of our way of reading the Bible, and which are a confirmation?
5.
A KEY TO THE READING
for those who wish to go deeper into the text.
a) The context in which Luke is writing:
* Luke is writing in about the year 85 for the Greek community
of Asia Minor, who were living in difficult circumstances, due to factors both
external and internal. Internally, there were divergent tendencies that made
life together difficult: ex-Pharisees who wanted to impose the law of Moses
(Acts 15,1); those who followed John the Baptist more and who had not even
heard of the Holy Spirit (Acts 19,1-6); Jews who used the name of Jesus to
drive out demons (Acts 19,13); and those who said they were followers of Peter,
others of Paul, others of Apollo, and others of Christ (1Cor 1,12). Externally,
persecution by the Roma Empire was growing (Ap 1,9-10; 2,3.10.13; 6,9-10;
12,16) plus the insidious infiltration of the dominant ideology of the Empire
and of the official religion, much the same way communism today infiltrates all
aspects of our life (Ap 2,14.20; 13,14-16).
* Luke is writing to these communities that he may give them a
sure direction in the midst of their difficulties and so that they may find the
strength and light in living out their faith in Jesus. Luke writes a two volume
work: the Gospel and the Acts, and he has the same general aim, "to learn
how well founded the teaching is that you have received" (Lk 1,4). One of
his specific aims is to show, through the beautiful story of the two disciples
from Emmaus, how the community ought to read and interpret the Bible. In
reality, those walking the streets of Emmaus were the communities (and all of
us). Each of us is and all of us together are companions of Cleophas (Lk
24,18). With him we walk the streets of life, seeking a word of support and of
guidance in the Word of God.
* The way Luke narrates the meeting of Jesus with the disciples
from Emmaus, tells us how the communities of his time used the Bible and
practised what we today call the Lectio Divina or Prayerful
Reading of the Bible. They used three aspects or steps in interpreting the
Bible:
b) The steps or aspects used in the process of interpreting the
Scriptures:
First step: Start from facts (Lk 24,13-24):
Jesus meets the two friends who are experiencing feelings of fear and dispersion, of lack of trust and dismay. They were fleeing. The force of death, the cross, had killed in them all hope. Jesus approaches them and walks with them. He listens to their conversation and says: "What matters are you discussing as you walk along?" The prevailing ideology prevents them from understanding and having a critical conscience. "Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free, but…" (Lk 24,21). What do those who suffer talk about today? What matters today put our faith in a state of crisis?
The first step is this: to approach people, listen to reality, problems; be capable of asking questions that help to look at reality more critically.
Jesus meets the two friends who are experiencing feelings of fear and dispersion, of lack of trust and dismay. They were fleeing. The force of death, the cross, had killed in them all hope. Jesus approaches them and walks with them. He listens to their conversation and says: "What matters are you discussing as you walk along?" The prevailing ideology prevents them from understanding and having a critical conscience. "Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free, but…" (Lk 24,21). What do those who suffer talk about today? What matters today put our faith in a state of crisis?
The first step is this: to approach people, listen to reality, problems; be capable of asking questions that help to look at reality more critically.
Second step: Make use of the Bible (Lk
24,25-27)
Jesus uses the Bible, not in order to give lessons on the Bible, but to shed light on the problem worrying the two friends, and thus shed light on the situation they were experiencing. With the help of the Bible, Jesus leads the two disciples into God’s plan and shows them that God has not allowed history to go astray. Jesus does not use the Bible as an expert who knows everything, but as a companion who wishes to help his friends to remember things they had forgotten, namely, Moses and the Prophets. Jesus does not give his friends the feeling of being ignorant, but seeks to create an ambient within which they can remember and thus arouse their memory.
The second step is this: with the help of the Bible, to shed light on the situation and transform the cross, symbol of death, into a symbol of life and of hope. In this manner, that which prevents us from seeing, becomes light and strength along our way.
Jesus uses the Bible, not in order to give lessons on the Bible, but to shed light on the problem worrying the two friends, and thus shed light on the situation they were experiencing. With the help of the Bible, Jesus leads the two disciples into God’s plan and shows them that God has not allowed history to go astray. Jesus does not use the Bible as an expert who knows everything, but as a companion who wishes to help his friends to remember things they had forgotten, namely, Moses and the Prophets. Jesus does not give his friends the feeling of being ignorant, but seeks to create an ambient within which they can remember and thus arouse their memory.
The second step is this: with the help of the Bible, to shed light on the situation and transform the cross, symbol of death, into a symbol of life and of hope. In this manner, that which prevents us from seeing, becomes light and strength along our way.
Third step: Celebrating and sharing in community (Lk
24,28-32)
The Bible alone does not open their eyes but makes their hearts burn! (Lk 24,32). That which opens the eyes of the friends and allows them to discover the presence of Jesus is the sharing of the bread, the communitarian gesture, the celebration. As soon as they recognise Jesus, he disappears. And they then experience the resurrection, they are reborn and walk on their own. Jesus does not take over his friends’ journey. He is not paternalistic. Now that they are risen, the disciples can walk on their own two feet.
The third step is this: we must know how to create a prayerful and fraternal atmosphere where the Spirit is free to act. It is the Spirit who allows us to discover and experience the Word of God in our lives and leads us to understand the meaning of Jesus’ words (Jn 14,26; 16,13). It is especially at this point of the celebration that the practice of basic ecclesial communities, sustained by the margins of the world, help us religious once more to come across and drink from the ancient well of Tradition.
The Bible alone does not open their eyes but makes their hearts burn! (Lk 24,32). That which opens the eyes of the friends and allows them to discover the presence of Jesus is the sharing of the bread, the communitarian gesture, the celebration. As soon as they recognise Jesus, he disappears. And they then experience the resurrection, they are reborn and walk on their own. Jesus does not take over his friends’ journey. He is not paternalistic. Now that they are risen, the disciples can walk on their own two feet.
The third step is this: we must know how to create a prayerful and fraternal atmosphere where the Spirit is free to act. It is the Spirit who allows us to discover and experience the Word of God in our lives and leads us to understand the meaning of Jesus’ words (Jn 14,26; 16,13). It is especially at this point of the celebration that the practice of basic ecclesial communities, sustained by the margins of the world, help us religious once more to come across and drink from the ancient well of Tradition.
Aim: To rise and go towards Jerusalem (Lk
24,33-35)
Everything has changed in the two disciples. They themselves rise, regain courage and go back to Jerusalem, where the forces of death that killed Jesus are still at work, but where also there are the forces of life in the sharing of the experience of the resurrection. Courage in place of fear. Return in place of flight. Faith in place of its absence. Hope in place of despair. A critical conscience in place of fatalism before power. Freedom in place of oppression. In a word, life in place of death! And in place of the news of the death of Jesus, the Good News of his Resurrection!
This is the aim of reading the Bible: to experience the presence of Jesus and of his Spirit in our midst. It is the Spirit who opens our eyes to the Bible and to reality and draws us to share the experience of the Resurrection, as it is true even to this day, in community meetings.
Everything has changed in the two disciples. They themselves rise, regain courage and go back to Jerusalem, where the forces of death that killed Jesus are still at work, but where also there are the forces of life in the sharing of the experience of the resurrection. Courage in place of fear. Return in place of flight. Faith in place of its absence. Hope in place of despair. A critical conscience in place of fatalism before power. Freedom in place of oppression. In a word, life in place of death! And in place of the news of the death of Jesus, the Good News of his Resurrection!
This is the aim of reading the Bible: to experience the presence of Jesus and of his Spirit in our midst. It is the Spirit who opens our eyes to the Bible and to reality and draws us to share the experience of the Resurrection, as it is true even to this day, in community meetings.
c) The new way of Jesus: a prayerful reading of the Bible:
* Often, it is not possible to understand whether the use of the
OT in the Gospels comes from Jesus or an explanation given by early Christians
who sought to express their faith in Jesus in this way. However, what cannot be
denied is the frequent and constant use of the Bible by Jesus. A simple reading
of the Gospels shows us that Jesus found his bearings in the Scriptures in the
performance of his mission and in instructing his disciples and the crowd.
* At the root of Jesus’ reading of the Bible is his experience
of God as Father. His intimate relationship with the Father gives Jesus a new
criterion, which places him in direct contact with the author of the Bible.
Jesus looks for meaning at the very source. He does not go from the writings to
their root, but from the root to the writings. The comparison of the photo, as
described in the Lectio Divina of Easter Sunday, helps us to
shed light on this topic. As by a miracle, the photo of the harsh face was lit
up and acquired traits of great tenderness. The words, born of the lived
experience of the son, transformed everything, without changing anything (see Lectio
Divina for Easter Sunday).
* Thus, looking through the photos of the Old Testament, people
in the time of Jesus, formed an idea of a very distant God, harsh, difficult to
contact, whose name could not even be mouthed. But Jesus’ words and actions,
born of his experience as Son, without changing even one word (Mt 5,18-19),
transformed the whole meaning of the Old Testament. The God who seemed to be so
distant and harsh acquires the features of a Father full of tenderness, always
present, ready to welcome and liberate! This Good News of God, communicated by
Jesus, is the new key to a re-reading of the whole of the Old Testament. The
New Testament is a re-reading of the Old Testament done in the light of the new
experience of God, revealed by Jesus. This different way of shedding light on
life in the light of the Word of God, creates for him many conflicts, because
it renders the small of this world critical, while it makes the great
uncomfortable.
* When interpreting the Bible to the people, Jesus revealed the
traits of God’s face, the experience that he experienced of God as Father.
To reveal God as Father was the source and aim of the Good News of Jesus. By
his attitude, Jesus manifests God’s love for his disciples. He reveals the
Father and incarnates his love! Jesus was able to say, "To have seen me is
to have seen the Father" (Jn 14,9). Hence, the Father’s Spirit was also
with Jesus (Lk 4,18) and went with him everywhere, from the incarnation (Lk
1,35) to the beginning of his mission (Lk 4,14), even to the end, his death and
resurrection (Acts 1,8).
* Jesus, interpreter, educator and master, was a meaningful person
in the life of his disciples. He influenced their lives forever. To interpret
the Bible does not mean just to teach truth for the other to live by. The
content that Jesus wished to convey was not limited to words, but included
actions and his way of relating to people. The content is never separate from
the person who communicates it. The goodness and love that emerge from his
words are part of the content. They are his nature. Good content without
goodness is like spilt milk.
6.
PSALM 23 (22)
God is our inheritance forever
I shall not want;
he makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil;
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou prepares a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
he makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil;
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou prepares a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
7.
FINAL PRAYER
Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to
understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions
and grant us the strength to practice that which your Word has revealed to us.
May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but also practise the Word.
You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever
and ever. Amen.
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