READINGS AND REFLECTION
Thursday | Octave of Easter | 16 April 2020
First reading
Acts 3:11-26 – You killed the prince of life: God, however, raised him from the dead
EVERYONE came running towards Peter and John in great excitement, to the Portico of Solomon, as it is called, where the man was still clinging to Peter and John.
When Peter saw the people he addressed them, ‘Why are you so surprised at this? Why are you staring at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or holiness? You are Israelites, and it is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, who has glorified his servant Jesus, the same Jesus you handed over and then disowned in the presence of Pilate after Pilate had decided to release him.
‘It was you who accused the Holy One, the Just One, you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer while you killed the prince of life. God, however, raised him from the dead, and to that fact we are the witnesses; and it is the name of Jesus which, through our faith in it, has brought back the strength of this man whom you see here and who is well known to you. It is faith in that name that has restored this man to health, as you can all see.
‘Now I know, brothers, that neither you nor your leaders had any idea what you were really doing; this was the way God carried out what he had foretold, when he said through all his prophets that his Christ would suffer.
‘Now you must repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, and so that the Lord may send the time of comfort. Then he will send you the Christ he has predestined, that is Jesus, whom heaven must keep till the universal restoration comes which God proclaimed, speaking through his holy prophets.
‘Moses, for example, said: The Lord God will raise up a prophet like myself for you, from among your own brothers; you must listen to whatever he tells you. The man who does not listen to that prophet is to be cut off from the people. In fact, all the prophets that have ever spoken, from Samuel onwards, have predicted these days.
‘You are the heirs of the prophets, the heirs of the covenant God made with our ancestors when he told Abraham: in your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed. It was for you in the first place that God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.’
Gospel
Luke 24:35-48 – It is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead
THE disciples told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised Jesus at the breaking of bread.
They were still talking about all this when Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’ In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost.
But he said, ‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.’
And as he said this he showed them his hands and feet. Their joy was so great that they still could not believe it, and they stood there dumbfounded; so he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ And they offered him a piece of grilled fish, which he took and ate before their eyes.
Then he told them, ‘This is what I meant when I said, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms has to be fulfilled.’
He then opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘So you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.’
REFLECTION
SAINT Luke’s resurrection accounts are these:
- the women were the first to go to the tomb in the early morning of the Sunday following the death of Jesus, with spices they had prepared to anoint the dead body of Jesus. They discovered that the body was no longer in the tomb. Two men in brilliant clothes suddenly appeared and told them that Jesus was not there as He had said He would rise from the dead on the third day. (Lk 24:1-8)
- The women rushed back to the apostles with the news, but they did not believe what the women said. Peter ran to the tomb to check it out and saw only the binding clothes in the tomb, nothing else. He was amazed. (Lk 24:9-12)
- On the same afternoon two disciples met Jesus on the road to Emmaus and at dinner recognized Him at the Breaking of Bread. They rushed back to Jerusalem, and on that same evening of the Resurrection met the apostles gathered with their companions, and reported the starling news, but found that everyone there had known already that Jesus was risen and had appeared to Peter. (Lk 24: 13-35)
Today, we continue where we left yesterday and hear of the Risen Lord’s first appearance to a larger group of disciples. Together with the Eleven (minus Judas) there were probably some 20 or more gathered when Jesus appeared. This is the only account in St. Luke that the Risen Lord appeared to a gathering.
For most of us, like Peter and the disciples, nothing is more down-to-earth and real than eating (makan). Jesus, risen from the dead, ate in front of the disciples.
Just moments prior to Jesus’ appearance, the atmosphere in the gathering was one of bewilderment and disbelief despite the report of the women, Peter, and the two from Emmaus.
We cannot blame anyone who cannot believe that someone dead is now alive. Jesus clearly reading their state of mind, immediately confronted them: ‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts?’ and proceeded to assure them that it was He indeed, no ghost, no illusion, by asking them to see and touch the wounds on His hands and feet. He was the same crucified Jesus, died, risen, and now physically and really present.
Can you imagine the scene at that instant! Peter, and perhaps quite a few others, coming up nervously, looking at every corner of the room, at some of the others, at Jesus, at His wounds and… gingerly… touched them… St. Luke sums up their reaction: “Their joy was so great that they still could not believe it, and they stood there dumbfounded.”
Then Jesus said the most sensible, candid, and delightful thing: “Have you got anything to eat?” “And they offered him a piece of grilled fish (Talapia probably), which he took and ate before their eyes.” For most of us, like Peter and the disciples, nothing is more down-to-earth and real than eating, makan. Jesus, risen from the dead, ate in front of the disciples.
Then the Lord spent some time with them giving them a Mystagogy of the truth of what has taken place and the realization of God’s great saving plan. Exactly as He did with those two on the road to Emmaus, He went through the scriptures with them about Him, how He should suffer… rise… and opened their mind… that in His name repentance for forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations beginning from Jerusalem… they were witnesses to this.
And finally, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, that “power from on high” by which as we know, brought about the birth of the Church and her irresistible witnessing to the world, read each day in Easter time from the Acts of the Apostles.
We see Peter and John, obeying the command of the Risen Lord, bore witness to the power and saving name of Jesus at the temple in the first reading. From Jerusalem, the Good News would reach all the nations on earth. It all started because they encountered the Risen Lord, touched Him, and saw Him eat a piece of fish they gave Him right before their eyes.
How real is the Risen Lord to me?
Cover and quote images: Public domain.
St Simon Catholic Church Likas 