THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER  –   2018

«  We continue celebrating with joy the resurrection of Jesus. 

«  Today John and Peter say words, that the Church has to repeat to herself to be able to make them a reality: “we have neither silver nor gold… but we give to you what we have, which is our witness of the RESURRECTION OF JESUS.    

 FIRST READING – Acts 3: 13-15.17-19   

«  Peter and John go up to the Temple on a regular day for the official evening worship.  

«  They see a paralytic, they do not only see him, but they see his suffering, his sadness, that cry out without words.

«  Peter, whose faith and humility have  grown after the resurrection of the Lord,   shares with him what they have: the faith in the Lord Jesus risen form the dead. In the name and power of Jesus GET UP AND WALK.  Jesus had said to them and in them to us also, “go, proclaim, heal, forgive…” For this we do not need money, only the willingness to serve and above all a great love for Jesus.

«  Peter pronounces his  second missionary speech:      

o   Why are your surprised? And why do you look at us as if we had done this work by our own power?  

o   The miracle, the healing of this man is the work of Jesus. You should not be surprised since Jesus had performed so many of these works during his life among us.  

o   Peter reminds his audience how the God of Abraham… has glorified his servant Jesus.   

§  Whom they handed over to the pagans.   

§  He reminds them also how they denied Jesus and asked for the freedom of a criminal.   

§  On looking at this people who did not know how to choose what is good and preferred death and evil, maybe we can recognize ourselves, our present generation and all the human generations. Is it not true that we also, very often, choose death over life?       

§  Let us think in how many ways the present culture of death is manifested among us.  

§  But God HAS RAISED HIM FROM THE DEATH AND WE ARE WITNESS TO  IT.   

§  Are we truly witnesses to the Resurrection? to the new life, with our life also new and transformed after we have encountered the Risen Lord?   

o    Peter continues saying that he knows that they acted in such a way by ignorance.

o   These words of Peter are submerged in the Father’s mercy. Mercy, which perfect icon is Jesus.

RESPONSORIAL  PSALM: Ps  4:2.4.7-8.9

LORD LET YOU FACE SHINE ON US

Ø  The tone of this psalm is of complete trust in God because, the psalmist has had the experience that God answers him  when calls.    

Ø  The theme of the psalm coincides with the Ester celebration, God, the Father has liberated Jesus from death, He has raised him up to new life.  

Ø  Some of the verses of this psalm have an extraordinary beauty; through them the person who prays manifests his trust in God: You have put joy into my heart. 

R. (7a) Lord, let your face shine on us.
 When I call, answer me, O my just God,
you who relieve me when I am in distress;
have pity on me, and hear my prayer!
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.

Know that the LORD does wonders for his faithful one;
the LORD will hear me when I call upon him.
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
 O LORD, let the light of your countenance shine upon us!
You put gladness into my heart.
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
 As soon as I lie down, I fall peacefully asleep,
for you alone, O LORD,
bring security to my dwelling.
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.

SECOND READING  1 Jn 2:1-5

«  Let us meditate on the message  

§   John writes to help the addressees of the letter to keep away from sin.   

§  But if we sin, we have an intercessor Jesus Christ, the just one.

§  John says that we will be sure that we know the Lord if we keep his commandments.  

·        To know is not only an intellectual activity but a knowledge that comes from love.

·        To keep his commandments is the same as to be faithful to the new covenant which He has sealed with his blood,

·        It means also to fulfill the only commandments that Jesus left us: love one another as I have loved you.

§  As is the case also in human love, those who are in love try to   

GOSPEL OF LUKE  24:35-48

      In the previous Sundays we have heard stories of the resurrection narrated by Mark and John. Today it is Luke who speaks of the resurrection.  

      This passage is found at the end of the Gospel of Luke.

       Simon (Peter) has seen Jesus and this fact has convinced the others of the truth of the resurrection.  

      The two disciples from Emmaus come and join the others. They tell that they  have  also seen the Lord and recognized him on the breaking of the bread.  

      The small community already believes in the resurrection, through the words of the witnesses, but to be themselves witnesses they need also to have the experience of the Risen Lord.   

      Jesus comes in their midst

o   They are so joyful that they barely can believe what they see. 

o   It is me, look how I have flesh and bones, ghosts do not have them.   

o   The risen one is the same Jesus of Nazareth, their teacher and friend.   

o   Jesus wants to convince them, “give me something to eat. You know that the dead and the ghosts do not eat.”   

o   Like he did for those of Emmaus, he also opens their minds so they can understand the Scriptures.   

o   Is it not true that he also does that with us?  He is the one who opens our mind? What a consolation to know that when we read, meditate and share with faith and love on the Scriptures, He is with us and explains them to us.    

o   After seeing the Risen Lord, after understanding the meaning of the events of Good Friday, they are ready to be sent on the mission: to be witnesses to all of this, what? JESUS OF NAZARETH  WHO DIED AND IS RISEN FOR OUR SAKE.   

o   To help you I will send to you the promise from the Father: THE SPIRIT, the strength what comes from the Father.  

      We also need to have the same experience which those men had, in order to be able to proclaim:  

o   We need to see the Risen Lord, how can we see him?   

o   Everything begins for us when we have that personal experience, which we call our experience of God. 

o   Where? In a retreat, a happy event, a great suffering, the loss of a loved one, a sickness which diminishes our activity….  That which makes us exclaim “I have encountered the Lord” and it will always be the Risen Lord, because the Lord is risen.   

o   Sometimes this experience will be strong, maybe violent, some other times it will be subtle without being aware of it.    

o   From that moment on a conversion journey begins for us, in the following of the Master who journeys with us and goes before us.  

o   When  it is a real experience, even if sometimes it seems to disappear, it will always come back, and keeps transforming our life.  

o   This visible change in us is our way to announce that the Lord is risen. A second moment will come when we will have to use words to explain what has happened.  

CLARETIAN CORNER 

I also understood my extreme poverty for a work, which would cost me much. In this the Lord told me very confidentially that He had everything for me. I was so well assured of it that I never placed my confidence in anybody else. (María Antonia París, Foundress, Autobiography 59.)  

 

"What is lacking then, my Mother? Would you perhaps avail yourself of some instrument with which to remedy so great an evil? Here is one who however vile and contemptible he knows himself to be, is yet assured that he will serve the better for this end, since your power will shine forth all the brighter, and all will see that it is you who are at work, not I. Come now, loving Mother, let us lose no time. Here I am: dispose of me as you will, for you know that I am wholly yours. I trust that you will do this out of your great kindness, pity, and mercy, and I ask you this through the love you bear for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen."

Anthony Mary Claret, Founder,  Autobiography 156.)