LORD, EXPLAIN THE SCRIPTURES TO US

III EASTER SUNDAY - Luke 24:13-35

According to Peter (1 Peter 1:17-21), we live in a foreign land, as in exile, walking towards the promised land in the Kingdom of God. Being in this situation, we “must be scrupulously careful”, aware that we were freed from slavery by Jesus Christ, who paid our ransom with his blood.

In his first speech after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, Peter confronts people with their biggest sin: they killed the Messiah, the pure and innocent lamb who offered himself as a sacrifice for the redemption of our sins. Then, he proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus Christ and invited all his listeners to repent and convert. Jesus is the only way to the Father; believing in him, we find life and salvation.

Whenever the Gospel is proclaimed, we are invited to become disciples and to join the group of disciples, that is, to become the body of Christ, his Church. It is essential that, in the Church, we make the encounter with Christ and recognise that He is risen. This encounter is made possible through the Word of God and the Eucharist. These are the two sides of the same coin, as we discover in this Sunday’s gospel.

Jesus walks with us along the paths of life. We may not recognise him, but he listens to us and tries to understand our frustrations and backsliding so that we may find hope and purpose in our lives. For that to happen, we must allow ourselves to be confronted by the word of God. His word is both challenging and revealing; it gives understanding and meaning. It guides and motivates us, leading us to faith in Jesus Christ, He who is the Truth and the Life.

However, the proclamation of the Word must end in the breaking of the bread at the table of the Lord. As we discover in the story of the two disciples going to Emmaus, the word led them to invite Jesus into their home. In their hearts, there came a desire to hear more from the master of truth, thus opening new horizons and going deeper into the mystery of salvation. Learning from them, we must press Jesus to be with us: “Stay with us.” The celebration of the Eucharist – the breaking of the bread – is essential for us to recognise the Lord Jesus as the Risen Lord. It was this experience that gave them the strength to return to Jerusalem and give witness that Jesus is alive. The Eucharist makes the mission possible. After this eucharistic celebration, we are sent to our families and our working places to be witnesses of Jesus Christ.

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY

II EASTER SUNDAY - John 20:19-31

Pope Saint John Paul II established the second Easter Sunday as the Divine Mercy Sunday. We are invited to celebrate God’s mercy in an attitude of thanksgiving, giving praise to God for his eternal mercy. His mercy is the paramount proof of his love. That’s why we repeat with the psalmist:

Let the sons of Israel say:

  ‘His love has no end.’

Let the sons of Aaron say:

  ‘His love has no end.’

Let those who fear the Lord say:

  ‘His love has no end.’ (Psalm 118)

In his first letter, Peter praises God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for his great mercy which has led him to accept us as his sons. This is a cause of great joy for us. We may go through hardships and suffering, and our faith may be put to the test, but this faith will lead us to the salvation of our souls.

God’s mercy is the fountain of the mercy we must exercise to our brothers. This mercy makes reconciliation possible. Jesus entrusted to his disciples the ministry of reconciliation (2 Co 5:18-19). In his gospel, John clearly presents Jesus entrusting to his disciples the power to forgive sins, that is, to exercise mercy. It is through them that, in the Church, we receive mercy. Then, as we ask for the forgiveness of sins, we must forgive all those who have injured us.

Jesus entrusted to the Church the mission he received from the Father: “As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.” To enable us to carry out this mission, he gave his disciples the Holy Spirit. It is in the power of the Spirit, poured upon the Church by Jesus Christ, that the ministry of reconciliation is exercised.

The first reading (Acts 2:42-47) and the gospel stress the importance of the Church as a community of believers. The bonds of love that establish the communion of the children of God demand our participation and our commitment to the community so that we may be, like the first Christians, “one heart and soul" (Acts 4:32). In the gospel, Thomas was absent from the Sunday assembly. That's why he could not make the experience of the encounter with the Risen Jesus Christ. Once he gathered with the other disciples, he recognised the Lord's presence and was able to profess his faith: “My Lord and my God!” This is our profession of faith as well. This is the profession of faith of the Church. With him we say: “My Lord and my God!”

CHRIST IS RISEN. ALELUIA!

EASTER SUNDAY - Acts 10:34, 37-43

Easter is the greatest feast in the Christian calendar. It comes from the Jewish Passover, in which the liberation from slavery was celebrated. On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who conquered death, defeating the slavery of sin, for us to become the beloved children of God. Thus, we are invited to die with Christ to rise with Him. 

On the first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, while addressing Cornelius, Peter presents a summary of the great events surrounding Jesus Christ. According to Peter, everybody heard, and many saw what happened with Jesus. After John the Baptist, Jesus, being full of the Holy Spirit, “went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil”. And Peter stresses the fact that there were many witnesses of what Jesus said and did. However, despite his goodness, they killed Him on a cross; “yet three days afterwards God raised him to life and allowed him to be seen, not by the whole people but only by certain witnesses God had chosen beforehand.” Peter and his companions are the witnesses who had the privilege of having the experience of the Risen Lord. Indeed, “we have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead.” From the Lord himself, they received the mandate “to proclaim this to his people and to tell them that God has appointed him to judge everyone, alive or dead.” Jesus is risen and has been constituted the judge of the living and the dead. As a consequence of his rising from the dead to be at the right hand of the Father, “all who believe in Jesus will have their sins forgiven through his name.”

With Peter, we give witness that Jesus is alive, being glorified and constituted the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. He is the Saviour and Redeemer of humankind. Before him, all knees shall bow, and all tongues confess “that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Fil 2:11).

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul tells us that, if we die with Christ, “when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.” For that to be true, Christ must become our model so that we “look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth.” (Col 3:1-4).