Wednesday
in the Octave of Easter
Lectionary: 263
Lectionary: 263
Peter
and John were going up to the temple area
for the three o’clock hour of prayer.
And a man crippled from birth was carried
and placed at the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate” every day
to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple.
When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple,
he asked for alms.
But Peter looked intently at him, as did John,
and said, “Look at us.”
He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.
Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold,
but what I do have I give you:
in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.”
Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up,
and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong.
He leaped up, stood, and walked around,
and went into the temple with them,
walking and jumping and praising God.
When all the people saw him walking and praising God,
they recognized him as the one
who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple,
and they were filled with amazement and astonishment
at what had happened to him.
for the three o’clock hour of prayer.
And a man crippled from birth was carried
and placed at the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate” every day
to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple.
When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple,
he asked for alms.
But Peter looked intently at him, as did John,
and said, “Look at us.”
He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.
Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold,
but what I do have I give you:
in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.”
Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up,
and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong.
He leaped up, stood, and walked around,
and went into the temple with them,
walking and jumping and praising God.
When all the people saw him walking and praising God,
they recognized him as the one
who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple,
and they were filled with amazement and astonishment
at what had happened to him.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7,
8-9
R.
(3b) Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations—
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations—
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaPS 118:24
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 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 the 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 the bread.
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." (FromThe
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."
A Daily Quote for Easter
week: The
Easter Alleluia, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Now therefore,
brethren, we urge you to praise God. That is what we are all telling each other
when we say Alleluia. You say to your neighbor, "Praise the Lord!"
and he says the same to you. We are all urging one another to praise the Lord,
and all thereby doing what each of us urges the other to do. But see that your
praise comes from your whole being; in other words, see that you praise God not
with your lips and voices alone, but with your minds, your lives and all your
actions." (excerpt from commentary on Psalm 148)
SOLEMNITY OF WEDNESDAY
WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, LUKE 24:13-35
(Acts 3:1-10; Psalm 105)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, LUKE 24:13-35
(Acts 3:1-10; Psalm 105)
KEY VERSE: "Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?" (v 32).
TO KNOW: On their way home from their pilgrimage for the Feast of Passover, two disciples discussed the meaning of the events that they witnessed in Jerusalem. As they walked along, the Risen Christ appeared to them. But they did not recognize him and mistook him for another pilgrim. They told the "stranger" that Jesus was a mighty "prophet" (v 19). Jesus then opened the scriptures and explained to them God's plan as revealed in the Law and the Prophets. Although they had lost hope that Jesus was the expected Messiah, the "one to redeem Israel" (v 21), Jesus told them that it was "necessary" that he should suffer so as to enter glory (v 26). At nightfall, the disciples urged him to stay and share a meal with them. At first their eyes were closed to Jesus' identity, but then they recognized him at table "in the breaking of the bread" (v 35). Although Jesus vanished from sight, he continues to be present to us in the breaking of the word in the scriptures and the breaking of the bread in the Eucharist.
TO LOVE: Do I recognize the risen Lord's presence in the Word and Sacrament of the Mass?
TO SERVE: Only Cleopas is named in the story. Am I the other disciple?
Wednesday March 30 2016
Wed
30th. Easter Wednesday. Acts 3:1-10. Let all who seek the Lord rejoice—Ps
104(105):1-4, 6-9. Luke 24:13-35.
My
good Catholic mum gave us all very biblical names.
My
youngest brother got a cracker of a middle name, Emmaus. Today’s scripture is
about that walk on the road to Emmaus where the disciples encounter Jesus after
his crucifixion. Where in our lives are we on a walk to Emmaus, waiting for the
Lord to appear? I’ve had a few friends who have done the Camino in Spain
recently, and found it a thoroughly nourishing experience of ups and downs,
highs and lows, and eventual arrival. Usually, our own Emmaus journeys are
metaphorical. Perhaps we might experience a dry spot in prayer where we
impatiently wait to sit at table with our Lord, and yet he doesn’t seem
present. But as Jesus assures us in this scripture, even if just in a
flickering ember, he is burning within our hearts always.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Time Well Spent
|
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is half my life. The other half
consists in loving Jesus and winning souls for him.
-St. Mary Hermina of Jesus
-St. Mary Hermina of Jesus
March
30
St. Peter Regalado
(1390-1456)
St. Peter Regalado
(1390-1456)
Peter
lived at a very busy time in history. The Great Western Schism (1378-1417) was
settled at the Council of Constance (1414-1418). France and England were
fighting the Hundred Years’ War, and in 1453 the Byzantine Empire was
completely wiped out by the loss of Constantinople to the Turks. At Peter’s
death the age of printing had just begun in Germany, and Columbus's arrival in
the New World was less than 40 years away.
Peter
came from a wealthy and pious family in Valladolid, Spain. At the age of 13, he
was allowed to enter the Conventual Franciscans. Shortly after his ordination,
he was made superior of the friary in Aguilar. He became part of a group of
friars who wanted to lead a life of greater poverty and penance. In 1442 he was
appointed head of all the Spanish Franciscans in his reform group.
Peter
led the friars by his example. A special love of the poor and the sick
characterized Peter. Miraculous stories are told about his charity to the poor.
For example, the bread never seemed to run out as long as Peter had hungry
people to feed. Throughout most of his life, Peter went hungry; he lived only
on bread and water.
Immediately
after his death on March 31, 1456, his grave became a place of pilgrimage.
Peter was canonized in 1746.
Comment:
Peter was an effective leader of the friars because he did not become ensnared in anger over the sins of others. Peter helped sinning friars rearrange the priorities in their lives and dedicate themselves to living the gospel of Jesus Christ as they had vowed. This patient correction is an act of charity available to all Franciscans, not just to superiors.
Peter was an effective leader of the friars because he did not become ensnared in anger over the sins of others. Peter helped sinning friars rearrange the priorities in their lives and dedicate themselves to living the gospel of Jesus Christ as they had vowed. This patient correction is an act of charity available to all Franciscans, not just to superiors.
Quote:
"And let all the brothers, both the ministers and servants as well as the others, take care not to be disturbed or angered at the sin or the evil of another, because the devil wishes to destroy many through the fault of one; but they should spiritually help [the brother] who has sinned as best they can, because it is not the healthy who are in need of the physician, but those who are sick (cf. Mt 9:12; Mk 2:17)" (Rule of 1221, Chapter 5).
"And let all the brothers, both the ministers and servants as well as the others, take care not to be disturbed or angered at the sin or the evil of another, because the devil wishes to destroy many through the fault of one; but they should spiritually help [the brother] who has sinned as best they can, because it is not the healthy who are in need of the physician, but those who are sick (cf. Mt 9:12; Mk 2:17)" (Rule of 1221, Chapter 5).
LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 24,13-35
Lectio Divina:
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Easter Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father,
you are a God not of the dead
nor of those paralyzed by their fears and limitations
but the God of the living.Raise us up and make us walk forward
in joy and hope
as companions on the road
of him whom you raised from the dead,
Jesus Christ, our risen Lord for ever.
you are a God not of the dead
nor of those paralyzed by their fears and limitations
but the God of the living.Raise us up and make us walk forward
in joy and hope
as companions on the road
of him whom you raised from the dead,
Jesus Christ, our risen Lord for ever.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 24, 13-35
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.'
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.
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?'
They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, 'The Lord has indeed risen and has appeared to Simon.' Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.
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.'
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.
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?'
They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, 'The Lord has indeed risen and has appeared to Simon.' Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel speaks to us of a very
well know episode, that of the apparition of Jesus to the Disciples of Emmaus.
Luke writes in the year 80 for the communities of Greece which in their great
majority were formed by converted pagans. The years 60’s and 70’s had been the
most difficult ones. There had been the great persecution of Nero in the year
64. Six years later, in the year 70, Jerusalem was completely destroyed by the
Romans. In the year 72, in Masada, in the desert of Judah, there was the
massacre of the last rebellious Jews. In those years, the Apostles, witnesses
of the Resurrection, disappeared gradually. People began to feel tired on the
journey. From where could they draw the courage so as not to get discouraged?
How to discover the presence of Jesus in such a difficult situation? The story
of the apparition of Jesus to the Disciples of Emmaus tries to give a response
to all these anguishing questions. Luke wants to teach the communities how to
interpret Scripture in order to be able to rediscover the presence of Jesus in
life.
• Luke 24, 13-24: 1st Step: to get away from reality. Jesus meets the two friends in a situation of fear and of lack of faith. The force of death, the cross, had killed in them their hope. This was the situation of many people at the time of Luke, and is also the situation of many persons today. Jesus gets close to them and walks by their side; he listens to their conversation and asks: “What are all these things that you are discussing as you walk along?” The dominating ideology, that is, the propaganda of the government and of the official religion of the time, prevent them from seeing. “Our hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free”. Which is today the conversation of people who suffer? The first step is this one: get close to the persons, listen to their reality, feel their problems: be capable to ask questions which will help the persons to look at reality with a more critical look.
• Luke 24, 25-27: 2nd step: use the Bible to enlighten life. Jesus uses the Bible and the history of people to enlighten the problem which made the two friends suffer, and to clarify the situation which they are living. He also uses it to place them in the whole project of God which came from Moses and the prophets. Thus, he indicates that history had not escaped from God’s hand. Jesus uses the Bible not as a doctor who knows everything, but rather like a companion who comes to help the friends and to remind them what they had forgotten. Jesus does not set off to the disciples the complex of ignorance, but tries to awaken their memory: “Foolish and slow to believe all that the prophets have said! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer before entering into his glory?”
This is the second step: With the Bible help persons to discover the wisdom which already exists in them, and transform the cross, a sign of death, into a sign of life and of hope. What prevented them from walking, now becomes for them force and light on the journey. How can we do this today?
Luke 24, 28-32: 3rd step: to share in community. The Bible, in itself, does not open the eyes. It only makes their heart burn, what opens the eyes and makes them see, is the breaking of the bread, the community gesture of sharing, and the celebration of the Supper. In the moment in which both recognize Jesus, they are born anew and Jesus disappears. Jesus does not take possession of the road of his friends. He is not paternalistic. Risen, the disciples are capable to walk alone.
The third step is the following: to know how to create a fraternal environment of faith, of celebration and of sharing, where the Holy Spirit can act. It is he who makes us discover and experience the Word of God in life and which leads us to understand the sense of the words of Jesus (Jn 14, 26; 16, 13).
• Luke 24, 33-35: 4th step: The result: To resurrect means to go back to Jerusalem. The two of them, courageously, get back on the road to go to Jerusalem, where the same forces of death, which had killed Jesus and, had killed their hope, continue to be active. But, now everything has changed. If Jesus is alive, then there is in him and with him a stronger power than that which killed him. This experience makes them resurrect! Truly, everything has changed. There is the return and not the flight! Faith and not unbelief! Hope and not despair! Critical conscience and not fatalism in the face of power! Liberty and not oppression! In one word: life and not death! Instead of the bad news of the death of Jesus, the Good News of his Resurrection! Both of them experience life and life in abundance! (Jn 10, 10). This is a sign that the Spirit of Jesus acts in them!
• Luke 24, 13-24: 1st Step: to get away from reality. Jesus meets the two friends in a situation of fear and of lack of faith. The force of death, the cross, had killed in them their hope. This was the situation of many people at the time of Luke, and is also the situation of many persons today. Jesus gets close to them and walks by their side; he listens to their conversation and asks: “What are all these things that you are discussing as you walk along?” The dominating ideology, that is, the propaganda of the government and of the official religion of the time, prevent them from seeing. “Our hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free”. Which is today the conversation of people who suffer? The first step is this one: get close to the persons, listen to their reality, feel their problems: be capable to ask questions which will help the persons to look at reality with a more critical look.
• Luke 24, 25-27: 2nd step: use the Bible to enlighten life. Jesus uses the Bible and the history of people to enlighten the problem which made the two friends suffer, and to clarify the situation which they are living. He also uses it to place them in the whole project of God which came from Moses and the prophets. Thus, he indicates that history had not escaped from God’s hand. Jesus uses the Bible not as a doctor who knows everything, but rather like a companion who comes to help the friends and to remind them what they had forgotten. Jesus does not set off to the disciples the complex of ignorance, but tries to awaken their memory: “Foolish and slow to believe all that the prophets have said! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer before entering into his glory?”
This is the second step: With the Bible help persons to discover the wisdom which already exists in them, and transform the cross, a sign of death, into a sign of life and of hope. What prevented them from walking, now becomes for them force and light on the journey. How can we do this today?
Luke 24, 28-32: 3rd step: to share in community. The Bible, in itself, does not open the eyes. It only makes their heart burn, what opens the eyes and makes them see, is the breaking of the bread, the community gesture of sharing, and the celebration of the Supper. In the moment in which both recognize Jesus, they are born anew and Jesus disappears. Jesus does not take possession of the road of his friends. He is not paternalistic. Risen, the disciples are capable to walk alone.
The third step is the following: to know how to create a fraternal environment of faith, of celebration and of sharing, where the Holy Spirit can act. It is he who makes us discover and experience the Word of God in life and which leads us to understand the sense of the words of Jesus (Jn 14, 26; 16, 13).
• Luke 24, 33-35: 4th step: The result: To resurrect means to go back to Jerusalem. The two of them, courageously, get back on the road to go to Jerusalem, where the same forces of death, which had killed Jesus and, had killed their hope, continue to be active. But, now everything has changed. If Jesus is alive, then there is in him and with him a stronger power than that which killed him. This experience makes them resurrect! Truly, everything has changed. There is the return and not the flight! Faith and not unbelief! Hope and not despair! Critical conscience and not fatalism in the face of power! Liberty and not oppression! In one word: life and not death! Instead of the bad news of the death of Jesus, the Good News of his Resurrection! Both of them experience life and life in abundance! (Jn 10, 10). This is a sign that the Spirit of Jesus acts in them!
4) Personal questions
• Both of them say: “We were hoping,
but…!” Have you ever seen a situation of discouragement which has led you to
say: “I was hoping, but…!”?
• How do you read, use and interpret the Bible? Have you ever felt your heart burning when reading and meditating on the Word of Gold? Do you read the Bible alone or are you part of a Bible group?
• How do you read, use and interpret the Bible? Have you ever felt your heart burning when reading and meditating on the Word of Gold? Do you read the Bible alone or are you part of a Bible group?
5) Concluding Prayer
Give thanks to Yahweh, call on his name,
proclaim his deeds to the peoples!
Sing to him, make music for him,
recount all his wonders! (Ps 105,1-2)
proclaim his deeds to the peoples!
Sing to him, make music for him,
recount all his wonders! (Ps 105,1-2)
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