Saturday, April 29, 2006
3rd Sunday of Easter
April 30, 2006
3rd Sunday of Easter - B
ACTS 3:13-15, 17-19
Peter said to the people: "The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and
the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant
Jesus, whom you handed over and denied in Pilate's presence when he had
decided to release him. You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked
that a murderer be released to you. The author of life you put to
death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses. Now
I know, brothers, that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders
did; but God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced
beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would
suffer. Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be
wiped away."
1 JOHN 2:1-5A
My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous one. He is expiation for our sins, and not for our
sins only but for those of the whole world. The way we may be sure that
we know him is to keep his commandments. Those who say, "I know him,"
but do not keep his commandments are liars, and the truth is not in
them. But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in
him.
LUKE 24:35-48
The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way, and how
Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of bread. While they were
still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them,
"Peace be with you." But they were startled and terrified and thought
that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, "Why are you
troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands
and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost
does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have." And as he said
this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they were still
incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, "Have you anything
here to eat?" They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate
it in front of them. He said to them, "These are my words that I spoke
to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in
the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled."
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said to
them, "Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from
the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of
sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from
Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things."
REFLECTION
What is the resurrected or glorified body like? We can only get some
glimpses from the resurrection stories found in the Gospels. For
example, Jesus could go through walls and closed doors. Yet you can
touch him, as he invited the disciples and Thomas to do. He could eat
fish to show that he was not a ghost.
Another characteristic that we can gather from the Gospel stories is
that the resurrected Jesus could be recognized or not at will.
There is a deeper meaning in today's Gospel story. Jesus is made known
to them in ordinary things, like the way he called "Mary" to Mary
Magdalene, the way he broke bread and spoke the blessing, and the
manner of his eating with his followers. Through this process of
recognition, they are to recognize what their future lives and
ministries were to contain.
We are called to recognize Jesus for ourselves, and to recognize what
difference this makes in our attitudes and daily living. We are asked
to make that acknowledgment a reality in our lives, and to change as
the first disciples changed. We should discover what the Easter event
means for you and me.
As the religious writer Joan Chittister remarked: "The resurrection did
not change the world; the resurrection changed the apostles who are
supposed to change the world."
Change is what it is all about. Human choice matters. This is central
to the message of Jesus. He declares that one act of less greed, one
act of less corruption, one act of less immorality, one act of charity
toward a neighbor, one simple kindness and a caring act, all have
cosmic dimensions, transforming our world into a better and more
hopeful place.
Of course, we cannot do this alone, but Jesus assures we that God will
empower us in all ways to meet the challenge of such a task. Throughout
this Gospel narrative we are called to participate in the meaning of
resurrection, for Jesus and ourselves. We are expected to be like
Jesus. We are to be about forgiving in the world. We are asked to be
involved in the challenging dehumanization and injustice of the world.
We are given responsibility for spreading the good news among all
people. We are charged to bring the kingdom of God into reality for
those who have no hope and are bound up in cares and concerns of daily
life that burden them. In all this we are promised God's guiding
providence and care.
The process of recognition leads us to be followers in the discipline
of discipleship. Jesus puts responsibility into our hands and confers
the privilege of response upon us. He asks us to trust, and act in
obedience to life to his mission and ministry.
The disciples were sent by Jesus as we are sent by him, to bring peace
and justice into the world.
The theologian Jurgen Moltmann clearly states what is the price of hope
in these times. It means a radical change of life. "It is impossible to
be happy and impossible to be hopeful if one is sitting on an island of
prosperity in the midst of a continually rising sea of poverty. As long
as our future drives other people to despair, as long as our prosperity
means poverty for others, as long as our 'growth' destroys nature,
anxiety, not hope, will be our daily companion."
This is the transformation that we are invited to embrace as followers
of the Risen Lord, making him known today in and through our lives.
What greater ambition, challenge, and achievement could we be offered?
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
- for the speedy recovery of Ester.
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Wedding Anniversary: Alexander & Susan Lim
- for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our
prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
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� 2006 Daily-Homily
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