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Commentary

Sunday, 4/302017, Third Sunday of Easter

To Believe or Not to Believe

First Reading Commentary Acts 2:14, 22-33

We do not always think about this but every time that we sin, we play a part in the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross. We have to accept part of the responsibility and sometimes, we should feel some guilt. No one gives us a piece of their mind for our part in the crucifixion. Frankly, it is not their place because we are all sinners and judgment is not ours to render. 

In making a proclamation to the Jews in Jerusalem, Peter sounds like he is giving them a piece of his mind for having been responsible for the crucifixion Jesus. But in reality, Peter’s proclamation is a testimony to the truth. He does not hold back or mince words. Peter says it like it is.

Peter begins, “You who are Israelites, hear these words.” He was reminding the people that they were descendants of the very people that God rescued from Egypt. He was reminding the Jews that they are the very people with whom God had made a covenant. And, Peter was telling the Jews to get out of the fog, pay attention and remember who they were.

Sometimes, we have to get out of the fog and pay attention and remember who we are. When we mistreat other people, or fight with other people, we are forgetting that we are all God’s children and therefore, there is no reason for us to engage in such behavior. When we do anything, which is in violation of any of the Commandments, we forget the promise of heaven. The point is that we are no different than the Jews who persecuted Jesus. We do it all, at the time—one sin at a time.

Peter went on to proclaim that Jesus was commended to the Jews by God. We all know that Jesus came for the salvation of all mankind and that the Father had made a covenant with Abraham and with David that the Son would be among their descendants. To keep this promise, Jesus had to be a Jew and Peter is reminding the people that God kept His promise.

We are constantly reminded that we must exercise our faith if we want to be with God in heaven. In last Sunday’s gospel, John 20:19-31, Jesus said to Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Jesus said this because Thomas’s doubt was centered around something that he had not seen.

But when Peter reminded the Jews that they were witness to Jesus performing mighty deeds, wonders and signs, he could have said, “What’s your excuse? You did see and instead of believing in Him, you crucified Him.” Sometimes, we have to question what our excuse is because as I said before, when we sin, we play a part in the crucifixion of Jesus.

Then Peter spoke of the Resurrection. Referring to Psalm 16:8-11, Peter told the people that it was as David had prophesized. David envisioned that Christ would come, die, be resurrected from the dead and teach us how to reach the Kingdom. Peter says that Christ “poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit that he received from the Father, as you both see and hear.”

In this reading, Peter’s message is that by Christ teaching us how to reach the Kingdom, we are not abandoned to the netherworld. Jesus wants to lead all of us to the Kingdom but in order to get there, we must follow Him.

Jesus made sure that He left us with everything that we need to follow Him by sending the Holy Spirit with all of His gifts. But as I have said in other commentaries, we all have a free will. Therefore, we must choose to use the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Think of it this way; food is no good to you if you don't eat it. We make the choice to use the protection of the Holy Spirit by praying, staying close to the Church and by partaking in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, where we are fed, by Christ and Confession where we receive God’s mercy.

In Atonement for Everyone: Not Just for Some

Second Reading Commentary 1 Peter 1:17-21

In the first paragraph of his first letter, Peter uses few words to say many things. He begins by telling us that the Father shows no partiality in judging us according to our works.

God plays no favorites. We are all God’s children and He treats us all the same. We all have the same opportunity of experiencing eternal life in heaven and none of us will feel God’s wrath more than another for the same offense. Each of us possess the same free will and are created in the same image of God. All of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are there for each one of us.

Indeed, no matter what part of the world we come from, the only thing that separates us and makes us different is what we choose. Some of us accept everyone, regardless of background, as children of God but some of us are prejudiced or racist. Some of us accept all of God’s Word and try our best to follow God’s Word. But some of us pick and choose what we want to believe or follow or obey. The list is endless and God passes judgment on us as individuals.

Notice that Peter says that the Father judges. We know that the Father has given all authority of judging to the Son. So, Peter is making a subtle reference to the Trinity. When the Son judges: so do the Father and the Holy Spirit. They all judge in unison because they are one God.

Peter continues, “…conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning…” The word sojourn means: for a period of time. We are in this life but for a period of time. This life is nothing more than a temporary journey but Peter is telling us to treat and live our lives with reverence.

Then Peter talks about our salvation reminding us that we were ransomed from sin by the precious blood of Christ. Christ allowed Himself to be the spotless and unblemished lamb who was sacrificed in atonement for our sins. Jesus was both spotless and unblemished because He never engaged in any act of sin which defiled the body in any way and in fact, Jesus did not engage in any other kind of sin. He who was without sin, suffered for our sins.

We can say those words with such ease but I do not believe that human emotions can truly grasp the full magnitude of what those words say. Imagine, the Creator, who is all good, willingly allowed Himself to suffer because we sinned. Human emotions cannot feel love at the level and intensity of God’s love for us. That’s because God is love and we are simply human. But we can be grateful and we should be.

In saying that Christ was known before the foundation of the world, Peter is referring to when Christ proclaimed, “I am the Alpha and Omega.” Peter is also referring to Genesis 1:26 where God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Notice that God refers to Himself in the plural indicating that He is of more than one person.

Finally, Peter tells us that Christ was risen from the dead so that our faith and hope are in God. The Kingdom of Heaven is the place that we should all be trying to reach at the end of our journey in life. Faith will put us on the right path and with hope, we should look forward to reaching the Kingdom.

Having No Faith Is Being Blind

Gospel Commentary Luke 24:13-35

In today’s gospel, two disciples encounter Jesus while they were walking to Emmaus and talking about the events of the past few days. But they did not recognize Jesus who asked them what they were discussing. They shared with Jesus but they could not believe that anyone was unaware of what had happened. Then Jesus said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!” They invited Jesus to have dinner with them and when Jesus broke the bread and said the blessing, they finally realized who He was. So, they ran off to tell the Eleven what had happened and that the Lord had truly risen.

How foolish are we? How slow of heart are we to believe? How long will it take for the world to recognize who Christ is? What does God have to do for everyone in the world to believe in Him?

These are all questions which keep coming to my mind when I read or listen to gospels like this one. The only thing that I can say is that those of us who do believe must keep the faith not allowing the devil’s work to distract us. Then we have to pray that those who possess a closed heart will open their hearts to allow the Holy Spirit to work within them so that they too can believe.

But let’s focus our thoughts on the last words of this gospel, “…he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.” Jesus was talking to us without using words but in order to hear any of what Jesus was saying, we have to stop concentrating on the physical. We can only concentrate on Jesus as God the Son if we are to hear Him.

The disciples who were on their way to Emmaus were focused on recent physical events. So much so that they completely forgot or dismissed the Scriptures. They knew what had happened. They knew that these events fulfilled the Scriptures and yet, they were not convinced. That is why they did not recognize Jesus. They knew who He was but they were too shocked and amazed to realize that Jesus was with them.

Keep the faith, use your faith or however you want to say it—believe. Not because Jesus comes to us in a physical way as the priest at the altar to relive the Eucharist with us. He can because Jesus is the Great High Priest, but that may never happen. We should believe because we believe that Jesus is the Eucharist and therefore, He is with us.

          With the final words of this gospel which make up the conclusion of the testimony of the two disciples to the Eleven, Jesus tells us and proves to us that through the Eucharist, He keeps His promise to be with us always. Peter said, "...he was made known to them in the breaking of bread."

Reading 1          Acts 2:14, 22-33

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: “You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.
Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
You who are Israelites, hear these words.
Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.
This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.
But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it.
For David says of him:
      I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
     Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted; my flesh, too, will dwell in hope, because you will not abandon my soul to the  netherworld, nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.
     You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence
.
“My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day.
But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption.
God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God, he received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father and poured him forth, as you see and hear.”

Responsorial Psalm          16:1-2, 5, 7-11

R/ (11a) Lord, you will show us the path of life.
          

Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge; I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot.
R/ Lord, you will show us the path of life.

I bless the LORD who counsels me; even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R/ Lord, you will show us the path of life.

Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices, my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R/ Lord, you will show us the path of life.

You will show me the path to life, abounding joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever.
R/ Lord, you will show us the path of life.

Reading 2          1 Peter 1:17-21

Beloved: If you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one’s works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning, realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb.

He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you, who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Gospel          Luke 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 bread.

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The Descent of the Holy Spirit
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Paragraph 767 "When the work which the Father gave the Son to do on earth was accomplished, the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost in order that he might continually sanctify the Church."174 Then "the Church was openly displayed to the crowds and the spread of the Gospel among the nations, through preaching, was begun."175 As the "convocation" of all men for salvation, the Church in her very nature is missionary, sent by Christ to all the nations to make disciples of them.176

The Holy Spirit came to Mary and the Apostles as tongues of fire.

Saint of the Day

Pope St. Pius V
(1/17/1504 – 5/1/1572)

Peter wanted the Jews to wake up and realize what had happened to Jesus and that they were the reason why it happened. So, Peter said, "Let this be known to you, and listen to my words."

Peter also spoke of the Resurrection and the promise of the Holy Spirit saying, "God raised this Jesus...Exalted at the right hand of God, he received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father and poured him forth." This testimony also proclaims the Trinity.

True Friends

The support of friends, especially in times of crisis, is vital to helping us through the emotions that flood and fuel our hearts. They will help us see clearly enough to move through mourning, provide lighter moments, too, especially if we might seem to teeter on the edge of truly losing hope. They will be the personification of God’s unconditional love and help us find even greater spiritual depth. –from: Don’t Panic: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough

Jesus is the best friend that any of us will ever have!

In this life, we are sojourners which means that we are in a strange land for a period of time. Even so, Peter tells us to conduct ourselves with reverence.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Lord Jesus, open the Scriptures to us;
make our hearts burn while you speak to us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Can you imagine being in the company of Jesus without being able to recognize Him?

We are just like the disciples in today's gospel. They were on a journey--our life is a journey. They did not recognize Jesus even though He was right there with them--we fail to recognize the presence of Jesus every time we sin.

Saints of the Week

St. Joseph the Worker
5/1/2017

Saint Athanasius
5/2/2017
(c. 296 – 5/2/373)

Saints Philip and James
5/3/2017
Patron Saints of: Uruguay

Blessed Michael Giedroyc
5/4/2017
(c. 1425 – 5/4/1485)
Reflection
Many people today face a life of suffering and discrimination due to physical handicaps. Let’s ask Blessed Michael Giedroyc to pray for them that their situation might be addressed by society at large.

Saint Hilary of Arles
5/5/2017
(c. 401 – May 5, 449)

Saints Marian and James
5/6/2017
(d. May 6, 259)

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