April 24, 2019

Easter W

April 24, 2019:  Wednesday, Easter Octave

See over two dozen connections with today?
Legend below
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Pope Francis General Audience
Everything we have, even our existence, is a gift from God.   God willed and loves our life.  The Church has no space for “self-made men”; we're all indebted to God.  But we often don't say thank you when we pray, forgetting that we owe everything to God who forgives us.
Jesus intentionally added a second part to the petition “Forgive us our trespasses,” relating God's forgiving us to our forgiving others.  God's vertical benevolence is fractured, and called to be transformed into a horizontal relationship.  God is always willing to forgive the sins of the well disposed who ask to be embraced again, but his grace is demanding.  Those who have received much must learn to give much, without holding back for themselves.  If we have problems forgiving others, we need to ask the Lord to help us forgive.
Jesus inserts the power of forgiveness into human relationships.  Justice doesn't resolve everything.  Especially to put a stop to evil, we must love beyond what's necessary, to restart a story of grace.  Evil takes revenge; if we don't interrupt it, it can spread and suffocate the world.  This week, offer others the most precious gift we've received:  forgiveness.
Read
    Supper at Emmaus/ Ter Brugghen
  • Acts 3:1-10  A man crippled from birth begged Peter and John for alms at the temple gate.  Peter:  “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you:  in the name of Jesus Christ, walk.”  Peter raised him up, and he stood, walked around, and went into the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God.  People recognized him as the one who used to beg at the gate and were amazed.
  • Ps 105:1-4, 6-9  "Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord."  Make known his deeds.  Sing praise.  Serve him constantly.  He is our God and remembers his covenant.
  • Lk 24:13-35  While two disciples were going to Emmaus, Jesus drew near and walked with them, but they didn't recognize him.  “What are you talking about?” / “Don't you know what happened to Jesus?...” / “How slow you are to believe!...”  He interpreted the Scriptures, they urged “Stay,” and he did.  At table he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them; their eyes were opened, they recognized him, and he vanished.  “Our hearts were burning as he opened the Scriptures to us!”  They returned to Jerusalem, found the Eleven and others saying, “The Lord has been raised!”  The two recounted what had taken place and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Reflect

  • Creighton:  In the Gospel, the men initially felt defeated, depressed, without direction.   The person they encountered must have seemed quite different from the Jesus they knew.  Between the gospel and the 1st reading were a charge to the disciples, Jesus’ Ascension, and the coming of the Spirit.  After Emmaus, the men were transformed from followers to charismatic leaders.  Lord, open my eyes, ears, mind, and heart that I may be more aware of your presence and your Spirit.
    Emmaus Road/ Gerloff
  • One Bread, One Body:  "Heart-burn":  Jesus spent Easter afternoon walking and talking with two disciples, interpreting every passage of Scripture referring to him."  As he did, their hearts burned; they were being purified.  Jesus was purifying hearts through teaching the Bible.  If we let Jesus purify our hearts, our words become powerful, healing, and life-changing, for we speak out of the abundance of our hearts.  After Pentecost, Peter's words were "spirit and life."   He led thousands to Christ.  He healed a cripple.  The Spirit fell upon the household of Cornelius when he preached to them.  When we speak out of a pure heart, we speak out of God's heart with the power of his Word.  Blessed are the pure of heart....
  • Passionist:  Why didn't the disciples recognize Jesus, even as he walked and talked with them?  Perhaps their conversing and debating hampered them.  But then they recognized him as he sat with them and broke bread.  We too can miss Jesus in our lives till we recognize him in the breaking of the bread.  In Our One Great Act of Fidelity, Rolheiser writes of the many dimensions of the Eucharist, including meal, celebration, our unity within the Body of Christ, our daily bread, God’s embrace, and others; each brings us to a new recognition of Jesus.  We find Jesus daily in the bread broken at table, his dying on the cross, our reconciliation after break our unity through sin. Sometimes we recognize Jesus when we become the broken bread, when we suffer loss, sorrow, or affliction.  In hopelessness, we turn to him, and he's there.  Because of our brokenness and his humanity and passion, we can recognize him.  When we bring him our burdens, we enter into the love he revealed through his death.  We come to recognize Jesus as God, friend, companion, lover, with us, holding us, letting us know he understands our suffering.  Our burdens become lightened, our sorrows turned to joy, our deaths to resurrections, and we experience the paschal mystery.

  • DailyScripture.net:  "Our hearts burned while he opened the Scriptures to us":  Jesus' death scattered his disciples and shattered their hopes and dreams; they saw the cross as defeat until the Risen Lord appeared to them and gave them understanding.  The disciples "were so disturbed when they saw him on the cross that they forgot his teaching, didn't look for his resurrection, and failed to keep his promises in mind" (Augustine, Sermon 235.1).  "Their eyes were obstructed, that they should not recognize him until the breaking of the bread. And thus, ignorant that Christ would rise again, their eyes were hindered.  Not that the truth himself was misleading them, but they couldn't perceive it" (Harmony of the Gospels 3, 25, 72).  The Risen Lord is ready to speak to us and give us understanding.  How often do we recognize him?

Dress legend
  • 'Clock' pin:  Peter and John were going up 3:00 prayer (1st reading)
  • 'Eyeball' tie pin:  "Look at us" (1st reading); look to the Lord (psalm); their eyes were prevented from recognizing him, then were opened (gospel)
  • 'Coin' button:  Beggar (1st reading)
  • Silver and gold-colored accessories:  "I have neither silver and gold" (1st reading)
  • 'Walking person' tie pin:  "Rise and walk!" (1st reading), Jesus walked with the disciples (gospel)
  • 'Hand' tie pin:  "Our chief priests handed Jesus over" (gospel); Peter took him by the hand and raised him up,... (1st reading)
  • 'Feet' pin:  ...and his feet grew strong. (1st reading)
  • 'Scroll' pin:  The Lord remembers his covenant (psalm); Jesus explained Scripture (gospel)
  • '?' tie pin:  Emmaus disciples' and Jesus' questions to one another (gospel)
  • 'Accordion' pin:  Great instrument for El Peregrino de Emaús (gospel :-); praise the Lord (psalm)
  • 'Rulers' suspenders, 'cross' necklace:  "Our rulers had Jesus crucified" (gospel)
  • 'Angel' pin:  "The women reported they saw angels announcing Jesus was alive..." (gospel)
  • 'Musical notes with "joy"' pin:  Sing praise; rejoice,... (psalm)
  • 'Heart' pin:  ...hearts that seek the Lord (psalm); "you slow of heart"; "our hearts burned" (gospel)
  • 'Silverware' tie bar:  While at table, Jesus took bread... (gospel)
  • 'John's Jokers' tie:  Jesus to disciples:  "Oh, how foolish you are!" (gospel)
  • 'Wheat' pin:  Jesus took and blessed bread...; their eyes were opened in its breaking (gospel)
  • 'Fire' pin:  "Weren't our hearts burning?"  (gospel)
  • White shirt and socks:  Easter day and season
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