The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be open to opportunities to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus in our actions on our journey.
In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter heals a Crippled Beggar.
* [3:1] For the three o’clock hour of prayer: literally, “at the ninth hour of prayer.” With the day beginning at 6 A.M., the ninth hour would be 3 P.M.
* [3:6–10] The miracle has a dramatic cast; it symbolizes the saving power of Christ and leads the beggar to enter the temple, where he hears Peter’s proclamation of salvation through Jesus. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 105 praises God’s Faithfulness to Israel.
* [Psalm 105] A hymn to God who promised the land of Canaan to the holy people, cf. Ps 78; 106; 136. Israel is invited to praise and seek the presence of God (Ps 105:1–6), who is faithful to the promise of land to the ancestors (Ps 105:7–11). In every phase of the national story—the ancestors in the land of Canaan (Ps 105:12–15), Joseph in Egypt (Ps 105:16–22), Israel in Egypt (Ps 105:23–38), Israel in the desert on the way to Canaan (Ps 105:39–45)—God remained faithful, reiterating the promise of the land to successive servants. (Psalms, PSALM 105 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Gospel of Luke presents the Walk to Emmaus.
* [24:13–35] This episode focuses on the interpretation of scripture by the risen Jesus and the recognition of him in the breaking of the bread. The references to the quotations of scripture and explanation of it (Lk 24:25–27), the kerygmatic proclamation (Lk 24:34), and the liturgical gesture (Lk 24:30) suggest that the episode is primarily catechetical and liturgical rather than apologetic.
* [24:13] Seven miles: literally, “sixty stades.” A stade was 607 feet. Some manuscripts read “160 stades” or more than eighteen miles. The exact location of Emmaus is disputed.
* [24:16] A consistent feature of the resurrection stories is that the risen Jesus was different and initially unrecognizable (Lk 24:37; Mk 16:12; Jn 20:14; 21:4).
* [24:26] That the Messiah should suffer…: Luke is the only New Testament writer to speak explicitly of a suffering Messiah (Lk 24:26, 46; Acts 3:18; 17:3; 26:23). The idea of a suffering Messiah is not found in the Old Testament or in other Jewish literature prior to the New Testament period, although the idea is hinted at in Mk 8:31–33. See notes on Mt 26:63 and 26:67–68. (Luke, CHAPTER 24 | USCCB, n.d.)
George Butterfield (2012) notes that after spending thirty years as a minister, he preached a lot of sermons. As a Catholic for ten years, he heard a lot of homilies. He has been asked to compare the preaching of his sermons with those homilies. He does not do this for one simple reason: it is impossible to compare them.
In the former setting you have powerful sermons and sometimes it causes hearts to burn. But where is Jesus? In the latter, whether or not your heart burns from the homily, Jesus is known in the breaking of the bread. Would I like to hear better homilies? Yes. But I cannot imagine giving up the risen Jesus for a better homily. The homily is not the only words spoken in the Mass. We also hear: “This is my body” and “This is my blood.” Whether or not the homily causes our hearts to burn, when those words of institution are spoken, things happen. Oh to have eyes to recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread! (Butterfield, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “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) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 3:1-10 comments that not everyone can preach like Peter. Certainly the healed man’s only reported words were the praises of God. But by his joy, he led many people to Jesus that day. They not only were amazed at his healing, but they also put their faith in the resurrection and joined the community of believers, despite seeing Peter and John put in custody (Acts 4:3-5). The change in this unlikely evangelist gave visible testimony to the power of God to change even lifelong conditions!
Don’t underestimate the power of the testimony of your life. You can witness to the life-changing power of Jesus by living in the freedom God has given you. You can bring hope and open the door for someone to meet Jesus!
“Thank you, Jesus, for changing my life!” (Meditation on Acts 3:1-10, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments that the preaching and teaching of the Gospel of Luke continues in the Acts of the Apostles as Peter and John go to the Temple and heal the beggar. The unnamed companion of Cleopas in the Emmaus journey may be us! Friar Jude reminds us that Jesus, who was not recognized three times after His Resurrection, was made visible in the breaking of the bread.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, writes of resurrection as an inherent aspect of incarnation. Theologian Elizabeth Johnson considers the embodied nature of Jesus’ resurrection.
The resurrection starts on earth with Jesus dead and buried, and ends up in God with Jesus the Living One transformed by the power of the Spirit. Alive in God, his presence is no longer bound by earth’s limits but partakes of the omnipresence of God’s own love. Christ is now present in word and sacrament and wherever two or three gather in his name. True to the pattern of his ministry, he also approaches, mysteriously revealed and concealed, in the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the homeless, those in prison, the very least of those in need. Ultimately, through the power of the Spirit, Jesus is with the whole community of disciples, indeed with the whole community of creation, through every hour, until the end of time. Is this true? All explanations aside, it has to be a lived truth, seen in the lives of those who are participants in Christ’s ongoing work in the world. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)
We consider the experience we have of Jesus Presence as a healing and hopeful force as we accept the mission to be His physical body in our environment.
References
Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/3?1
Butterfield, G. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/040324.html
Luke, CHAPTER 24 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/24?13
Meditation on Acts 3:1-10. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/04/03/929452/
Psalms, PSALM 105 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/105?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Resurrection and Incarnation. CAC Daily Meditations. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/resurrection-and-incarnation/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Did Not Our Hearts Burn While He Opened to Us the Scriptures. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=apr3
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