Thursday, April 24, 2025

Prophets in His Plan

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today share Peter’s Appeal to the people of his spiritual heritage and the invitation of Christ to draw new life from His Presence as we live out our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader.


Plans for Life


The reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents Peter’s Speech in the Temple.


* [3:13] Has glorified: through the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, God reversed the judgment against him on the occasion of his trial. Servant: the Greek word can also be rendered as “son” or even “child” here and also in Acts 3:26; 4:25 (applied to David); Acts 4:27; and Acts 4:30. Scholars are of the opinion, however, that the original concept reflected in the words identified Jesus with the suffering Servant of the Lord of Is 52:1353:12.

* [3:14] The Holy and Righteous One: so designating Jesus emphasizes his special relationship to the Father (see Lk 1:35; 4:34) and emphasizes his sinlessness and religious dignity that are placed in sharp contrast with the guilt of those who rejected him in favor of Barabbas.

* [3:15] The author of life: other possible translations of the Greek title are “leader of life” or “pioneer of life.” The title clearly points to Jesus as the source and originator of salvation.

* [3:17] Ignorance: a Lucan motif, explaining away the actions not only of the people but also of their leaders in crucifying Jesus. On this basis the presbyters in Acts could continue to appeal to the Jews in Jerusalem to believe in Jesus, even while affirming their involvement in his death because they were unaware of his messianic dignity. See also Acts 13:27 and Lk 23:34.

* [3:18] Through the mouth of all the prophets: Christian prophetic insight into the Old Testament saw the crucifixion and death of Jesus as the main import of messianic prophecy. The Jews themselves did not anticipate a suffering Messiah; they usually understood the Servant Song in Is 52:1353:12 to signify their own suffering as a people. In his typical fashion (cf. Lk 18:31; 24:25, 27, 44), Luke does not specify the particular Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled by Jesus. See also note on Lk 24:26.

* [3:20] The Lord…and send you the Messiah already appointed for you, Jesus: an allusion to the parousia or second coming of Christ, judged to be imminent in the apostolic age. This reference to its nearness is the only explicit one in Acts. Some scholars believe that this verse preserves a very early christology, in which the title “Messiah” (Greek “Christ”) is applied to him as of his parousia, his second coming (contrast Acts 2:36). This view of a future messiahship of Jesus is not found elsewhere in the New Testament.

* [3:21] The times of universal restoration: like “the times of refreshment” (Acts 3:20), an apocalyptic designation of the messianic age, fitting in with the christology of Acts 3:20 that associates the messiahship of Jesus with his future coming.

* [3:22] A loose citation of Dt 18:15, which teaches that the Israelites are to learn the will of Yahweh from no one but their prophets. At the time of Jesus, some Jews expected a unique prophet to come in fulfillment of this text. Early Christianity applied this tradition and text to Jesus and used them especially in defense of the divergence of Christian teaching from traditional Judaism. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)



Psalm 8 contrasts God’s Grandeur with Human smallness.


* [Psalm 8] While marvelling at the limitless grandeur of God (Ps 8:23), the psalmist is struck first by the smallness of human beings in creation (Ps 8:45), and then by the royal dignity and power that God has graciously bestowed upon them (Ps 8:69). (Psalms, PSALM 8 | USCCB, n.d.)


The Gospel of Luke presents the Appearance to the Disciples in Jerusalem.


* [24:3643, 4449] The Gospel of Luke, like each of the other gospels (Mt 28:1620; Mk 16:1415; Jn 20:1923), focuses on an important appearance of Jesus to the Twelve in which they are commissioned for their future ministry. As in Lk 24:6, 12, so in Lk 24:36, 40 there are omissions in the Western text.

* [24:3942] The apologetic purpose of this story is evident in the concern with the physical details and the report that Jesus ate food.

* [24:46] See note on Lk 24:26. (Luke, CHAPTER 24 | USCCB, n.d.)



Larry Hopp comments that in today’s Gospel we find Jesus offering His peace to His disciples.  Jesus understood the human propensity of His disciples - as well as with all of us - to have difficulty in truly grasping who Jesus is and what His incredible gift of salvation truly means.   Jesus went the extra mile to help His disciples grasp -at least for the moment – that Jesus really was the Son of God, the promised Messiah, the Savior of the world.


What then are we to do with this gift ?    

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to remain in awe of who you really are and all that you have done for each of us.  Help us to use our lives to clearly point others to you.  To help them to embrace your command to preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins and to be born again into an everlasting walk with you.  In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen (Hopp, 2025)




Don Schwager quotes “The Easter Alleluia,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.


"We are praising God now, assembled as we are here in church; but when we go on our various ways again, it seems as if we cease to praise God. But provided we do not cease to live a good life, we shall always be praising God. You cease to praise God only when you swerve from justice and from what is pleasing to God. If you never turn aside from the good life, your tongue may be silent but your actions will cry aloud, and God will perceive your intentions; for as our ears hear each others voices, so do God's ears hear our thoughts. " (excerpt from commentary on Psalm 148) (Schwager, n.d.)



The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 24:35-48 comments that the Holy Spirit can be our companion every time we open a Bible or listen to the readings at Mass. As he did for the first believers, he can open up the meaning of Jesus’ resurrection for us. He can tell us how Jesus has freed us from sin and death. He can fill us with the joy of our redemption. And he can set our hearts aflame with a desire to share the good news with our loved ones.


So turn to the Spirit as you ponder today’s Mass readings. Ask him to take the words printed in the Bible and make them come alive for you. If you are feeling lost and alone, let him convince you of his unconditional love. If you are struggling with temptation, let him give you confidence and courage. If you are burdened with guilt, let the good news of Jesus’ never-ending mercy set you free.


Jesus truly is risen! He can open your mind. He can open your heart. Let his Spirit in!


"Holy Spirit, breathe your life and love into me as I meditate on your word!" (Meditation on Luke 24:35-48, n.d.)



Friar Jude Winkler notes the proclamation of the kerygma by Peter in a very Jewish way to the Jewish people in the Temple citing Moses to identify Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. Jesus appears to the disciples in His Resurrected Body about which theologian Karl Rahner declares “without a body we are not body”. Friar Jude asks how we are doing in sharing the forgiveness of sin in the unfolding of God’s plan as understood by the Stoic Luke.




Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Episcopal Bishop Barbara Harris (1930–2020) who explores how we can celebrate Easter, even in the midst of difficult “Good Friday” circumstances.


Easter people are believers. We believe not only in the possible, we believe also in the impossible. We believe that the lame were made to walk, and the mute made to speak, that lepers were cleansed and the blind received their sight…. We can believe also that with the helpful presence of God’s Holy Spirit, we are strengthened and sustained on our earthly pilgrimage. Further, we can believe that we can fashion new lives committed to love, to peace, to justice, and to liberation for all of God’s people.   


Easter people grieve and need to be comforted. And, yes, Easter people get angry … but we must seek to channel that anger in constructive ways. Be angry enough to say and to seriously mean, I will commit my life to living out the Baptismal Covenant: seeking and serving Christ in all persons, loving my neighbor as myself, striving for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being.   


Easter people hang in until the end. Like the women who stood by the cross, Easter people live by the words of the old spiritual: “I will go, I shall go to see what the end will be.” [1] (Rohr, n.d.)


We are gifted with a body and the Spirit to guide us in being Easter People who bring new life to our environment through our truth, compassion, and love.



References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 24, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/3?11 

Hopp, L. (2025, April 24). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved April 24, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/042425.html 

Luke, CHAPTER 24 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 24, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/24?35 

Meditation on Luke 24:35-48. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 24, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/04/24/1261356/ 

Psalms, PSALM 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 24, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/8?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Easter People in a Good Friday World. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 24, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/easter-people-in-a-good-friday-world/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus Opened Their Minds to Understand the Scriptures. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 24, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=apr24 


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