Wednesday, April 08, 2015
THURSDAY OF THE OCTAVE OF EASTER
April 9, 2015 THURSDAY OF THE OCTAVE OF EASTER
White
Acts 3:11 – 26 / Lk 24:35 - 48
Reading: Acts 3:11 – 26
While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, struck with astonishment, came running to them in Solomon's Porch, as it was called. When Peter saw the people, he said to them,
"Fellow Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us as if it was by some power or holiness of our own that we made this man walk? The God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus whom you handed over to death and denied before Pilate, when even Pilate had decided to release him. You rejected the Holy and Just One, and you insisted that a murderer be released to you. You killed the Master of life, but God raised him from the dead and we are witnesses to this. It is his Name, and faith in his Name, that has healed this man whom you see and recognize. The faith that comes through Jesus has given him wholeness in the presence of all of you.
Yet I know that you acted out of ignorance, as did your leaders. God has fulfilled in this way what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer.
Repent, then, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out and the time of refreshment may come by the mercy of God, when he sends the Messiah appointed for you, Jesus. For he must remain in heaven until the time of the universal restoration which God spoke of long ago through his holy prophets.
Moses foretold this when he said: The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall listen to him in all that he says to you. Whoever does not listen to that prophet is to be cut off from among his people.
In fact, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel onward, have announced the events of these days. You are the children of the prophets and heirs of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors when he said to Abraham: All the families of the earth will be blessed through your descendant. It is to you first that God sends his Servant; he raised him to life to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."
Gospel: Lk 24:35 – 48
Then the two told what had happened on the road and how Jesus made himself known when he broke bread with them.
As they went on talking about this, Jesus himself stood in their midst. (And he said to them, "Peace to you.") In their panic and fright they thought they were seeing a ghost, but he said to them, "Why are you upset and why do such ideas cross your mind? Look at my hands and feet and see that it is I myself. Touch me and see for yourselves that a ghost has no flesh and bones as I have." (As he said this, he showed his hands and feet.)
In their joy they didn't dare believe and were still astonished. So he said to them, "Have you anything to eat?" and they gave him a piece of broiled fish. He took it and ate it before them.
Then Jesus said to them, "Remember the words I spoke to you when I was still with you: Everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms had to be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he went on, "You see what was written: the Messiah had to suffer and on the third day rise from the dead. Then repentance and forgiveness in his name would be proclaimed to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Now you shall be witnesses to this.
Reflection:
In the first reading, Peter proclaims the Good News of salvation – that Jesus died for our sins and rose for our justification. Now all men have access to heaven which before was closed to them. In Jesus our sins are forgiven and we now have a Savior who is God himself.
In the Gospel reading, when Jesus appeared to his disciples, they were so frightened. Jesus had to show the wounds in his hands and feet to prove to them that it was really him risen from the dead.
We all need to have faith in the Risen Christ in order to believe in him. So we must ask for this grace. We must ask for the divine life which Jesus offers to us every day and which we first received when we were baptized. This gift must become a reality in our lives for us to be able to call ourselves Christians.
What is the Good News? That God became man and died for us to save us from sin. Now he offers his divine life to those who come to him. What have we given to the Lord to merit such love and sacrifice? Nothing. God's love is gratuitous, it is free and given without any condition. Let us avail of his offer of life, the risen life. Why are we content with our little joys and pleasures when God wants to give us eternal life in the Spirit of the Risen Christ?
WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:
BIRTHDAY
BENJIE ZIALCITA
FR. ELI ROWDY Y. LUMBO, S.J.
FR. J. CESAR R. MARIN, S.J.
MATTHEW HARRIS L. NGO
YOLANDA B. CAPISTRANO
IN MEMORIAM (+)
MANIO, EUFROCINA J. (JUN 14, 1924 – APR 9, 2013)
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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WEDNESDAY OF THE OCTAVE OF EASTER
April 8, 2015 WEDNESDAY OF THE OCTAVE OF EASTER
White
Acts 3:1 – 10 / Lk 24: 13 - 35
Reading: Acts 3:1 – 10
Once when Peter and John were going up to the Temple at three in the afternoon, the hour for prayer, a man crippled from birth was being carried in. Every day they would bring him and put him at the temple gate called "Beautiful"; there he begged from those who entered the Temple.
When he saw Peter and John on their way into the Temple, he asked for alms. Then Peter with John at his side looked straight at him and said, "Look at us." So he looked at them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, "I have neither silver nor gold, but what I have I give you: In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, walk!"
Then he took the beggar by his right hand and helped him up. At once his feet and ankles became firm, and jumping up he stood on his feet and began to walk. And he went with them into the Temple walking and leaping and praising God.
All the people saw him walking and praising God; they recognized him as the one who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, and they were all astonished and amazed at what had happened to him.
Gospel: Lk 24:13 – 35
That same day, two of them were going to Emmaus, a village seven miles from Jerusalem, and they talked about what had happened. While they were talking and wondering, Jesus came up and walked with them, but their eyes were held and they did not recognize him.
He asked, "What is this you are talking about?" The two stood still, looking sad. Then one named Cleophas answered, "Why, it seems you are the only traveller in Jerusalem who doesn't know what has happened there these past few days." And he asked, "What is it?"
They replied, "It is about Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet, you know, mighty in word and deed before God and the people. But the chief priests and our rulers sentenced him to death. They handed him over to be crucified. We had hoped that he would redeem Israel.
It is now the third day since all this took place. It is true that some women of our group have disturbed us. When they went to the tomb at dawn, they did not find his body; they came to tell us that they had seen a vision of angels who told them that Jesus was alive. Some friends of our group went to the tomb and found everything just as the women had said, but they did not see him."
He said to them, "How dull you are, how slow of understanding! You fail to believe the message of the prophets. Is it not written that the Christ should suffer all this and then enter his glory?" Then starting with Moses and going through the prophets, he explained to them everything in the Scriptures concerning himself.
As they drew near the village they were heading for, Jesus made as if to go farther. But they prevailed upon him, "Stay with us, for night comes quickly. The day is now almost over." So he went in to stay with them. When they were at table, he took the bread, said a blessing, broke it and gave each a piece.
Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; but he vanished out of their sight. And they said to each other, "Were not our hearts filled with ardent yearning when he was talking to us on the road and explaining the Scriptures?"
They immediately set out and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and their companions gathered together. They were greeted by these words: "Yes, it is true, the Lord is risen! He has appeared to Simon!" Then the two told what had happened on the road and how Jesus made himself known when he broke bread with them.
Reflection:
A sad and traumatic experience like the one the disciples experienced when Jesus was taken in, tried and crucified on Calvary can easily blind us to the truths about ourselves and of the world around us. In a sad, depressing situation we can get so wrapped up in our fears and emotions that we are unable to see or understand things around us.
The two disciples on the way to Emmaus were discouraged. They were in such confusion and grief at the defeat and loss of their Lord Jesus that they did not even recognize him as he walked with them and explained the Scriptures about himself to them. Similarly, our emotions can blind us so that we may not even recognize Jesus in our lives as he seeks to reach out to us.
The simple act of breaking bread opened the eyes of the two disciples and they recognized the Lord Jesus, even for just a brief moment before he vanished from their sight. The very ordinary act of breaking bread in the Eucharist reminds us of the love of the Lord and of our union with him and with all others who break bread with him.
Each day, let us spend some time in prayerful silence to hear and listen to the Lord, so that, like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, "our hearts would be filled with ardent yearning" as he speaks words of encouragement that will carry us through stormy situations in our life.
WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:
BIRTHDAY
CHARLIE VALERIO
DONNA SON
IRZAN D. JUREIDINI
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
JOCELYN & DR. DAVIS CHU
IN MEMORIAM (+)
CO TIONG CHUA (MAY 1, 1917 – APR 8, 2005)
OTHER INTENTIONS
For the healing of Marge R, Joey C, Brandy's mom, Benny & Elaine (CT)
For the thanksgiving and special intentions of Beny Chua
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!
**************************************************
These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following:
+================================================+
| The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
| distributed free and for personal use only.
+================================================+
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