April 19, 2015

3rd Sun. of Easter

April 19, 2015:  Third Sunday of Easter




  • 'Girl with heart' pin:  "You put gladness into my heart." (psalm)  "Why do questions arise in your hearts?" (gospel)
  • 'Commandments' tie:  We can be sure we know him by keeping his commandments (2nd reading)
  • 'Wheat' pin:  The disciples en route to Emmaus recognized Jesus in the breaking of bread. (gospel)
  • 'Peace sign' tie bar:  "Peace be with you" (gospel)
  • 'Hand' and 'precious feet' tie pins:  "Look at my hands and my feet; I'm not a ghost." (gospel)
  • 'Fish' tie pin:  He ate the baked fish they gave him (gospel)
  • White shirt:  Easter season
Listen

Pope Francis Angelus
"The migrants on the boat that sank are like us, starving, persecuted, wounded, exploited, victims of war seeking a better life.    I promise to pray for them and  their families.  I appeal to the international community to react decisively and quickly so that such tragedies aren't t repeated."
Saturday Pope Francis pressed the EU to help the country cope with desperate people rescued during journeys on smugglers' boats to flee war, persecution, or poverty.  Hundreds landed in Sicilian ports, and more were rescued at sea.  Towns ran out of places to shelter them.  Since 1-1-2014, Italy has rescued nearly 200,000; they demand that the EU help shelter and rescue them.
Read
  • Acts 3:13-15, 17-19  Peter:  “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob glorified Jesus, whom you handed over, denied, and killed, but we're witnesses that God raised him.  God has fulfilled what he'd announced through the prophets:  that his Christ would suffer.  So repent and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.”

  • Ps 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9  "Lord, let your face shine on us."  O God, answer me, have pity on me, and hear my prayer!  You do wonders for your faithful one; you hear when I call.  Shine on us!  You alone bring security to my dwelling.

  • 1 Jn 2:1-5a  I write you so you won't sin, but if you do, you have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, expiation for our sins and the world's.  We're sure we love him if we keep his commandments; if you keep his word, God's love is perfected in you.

  • Lk 24:35-48  The two disciples recounted how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of bread.  He stood in their midst:  “Peace be with you.”  They were terrified, thinking it was a ghost.  “Why are you troubled?  Look at my hands and feet and touch me; ghosts don't have flesh and bones.”  He asked for something to eat, they gave him some fish, and he ate.  “While I was with you I told you everything about me in the law, prophets, and psalms must be fulfilled.”  He opened them to understand the Scriptures.  “It's written the Christ would suffer and rise, and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached to all nations....
Reflect
    • Creighton:  Peter turned from betrayer to witness, now challenging his fellow Jews to see what they'd done, admit that they'd killed the lifegive, repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Spirit.  We ought to inhabit our new title:  witnesses of joy, witnesses that love is stronger than death, witnesses of the resurrection. 
    • One Bread One Body:  "O, know!"  Ignorance is not bliss, and what you don't know can hurt you and others.   Sin and ignorance caused the worst crime ever:  the crucifixion.  Paul:  "If the rulers of this age had known the mystery, they'd never have crucified the Lord."  The Lord doesn't expect us to know everything, but we should know God, the truth, the Bible, and Church teaching....
    • Passionist:  Mercy is a grace. It can be easier to forgive someone who's hurt us than to forgive oneself.  To forgive yourself, you need to recognize your sinfulness and need for God’s mercy, or else you become judgmental and condemn others.  When Jesus forgave those who had betrayed or condemned him, he released them from the burden of their sinfulness, but they had to accept the gift before they could forgive others.  May our forgiveness lead to forgiveness of others.
    • DailyScripture.net:  St. Jerome:  "Jesus showed the disciples real hands and real side, really ate, walked, and conversed with them; really took, blessed, broke, and offered bread...  Don't put the Lord's power on the level of magic tricks...."  The centrality of the Gospel is the cross; but it doesn't stop there.  Death led to life, the cross to victory.  We're called to be witnesses of the resurrection....
    • Today's saints, thanks to Universalis (though trumped by Easter Sunday celebration):
      • Alphege, abbot, bishop, martyr

      • Henry Walpole, convert, Jesuit priest, martyr

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