20220420 THE RISEN LORD RESOLVES THE RIDDLES OF LIFE
20 April, 2022, Easter Wednesday
First reading | Acts 3:1-10 © |
I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus, walk!
Once, when Peter and John were going up to the Temple for the prayers at the ninth hour, it happened that there was a man being carried past. He was a cripple from birth; and they used to put him down every day near the Temple entrance called the Beautiful Gate so that he could beg from the people going in. When this man saw Peter and John on their way into the Temple he begged from them. Both Peter and John looked straight at him and said, ‘Look at us.’ He turned to them expectantly, hoping to get something from them, but Peter said, ‘I have neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!’ Peter then took him by the hand and helped him to stand up. Instantly his feet and ankles became firm, he jumped up, stood, and began to walk, and he went with them into the Temple, walking and jumping and praising God. Everyone could see him walking and praising God, and they recognised him as the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. They were all astonished and unable to explain what had happened to him.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 104(105):1-4,6-9 © |
Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Give thanks to the Lord, tell his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples.
O sing to him, sing his praise;
tell all his wonderful works!
Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Be proud of his holy name,
let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.
Consider the Lord and his strength;
constantly seek his face.
Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
O children of Abraham, his servant,
O sons of the Jacob he chose.
He, the Lord, is our God:
his judgements prevail in all the earth.
Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
He remembers his covenant for ever,
his promise for a thousand generations,
the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Sequence |
Victimae Paschali Laudes
Christians, to the Paschal Victim
offer sacrifice and praise.
The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb;
and Christ, the undefiled,
hath sinners to his Father reconciled.
Death with life contended:
combat strangely ended!
Life’s own Champion, slain,
yet lives to reign.
Tell us, Mary:
say what thou didst see
upon the way.
The tomb the Living did enclose;
I saw Christ’s glory as he rose!
The angels there attesting;
shroud with grave-clothes resting.
Christ, my hope, has risen:
he goes before you into Galilee.
That Christ is truly risen
from the dead we know.
Victorious king, thy mercy show!
Gospel Acclamation | Ps117:24 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
This day was made by the Lord:
we rejoice and are glad.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 24:13-35 © |
They recognised him at the breaking of bread
Two of the disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but something prevented them from recognising him. He said to them, ‘What matters are you discussing as you walk along?’ They stopped short, their faces downcast.
Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, ‘You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days.’ ‘What things?’ he asked. ‘All about Jesus of Nazareth’ they answered ‘who proved he was a great prophet by the things he said and did in the sight of God and of the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And this is not all: two whole days have gone by since it all happened; and some women from our group have astounded us: they went to the tomb in the early morning, and when they did not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothing.’
Then he said to them, ‘You foolish men! So slow to believe the full message of the prophets! Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?’ Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.
When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. ‘It is nearly evening’ they said ‘and the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them. Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’
They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, ‘Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.
THE RISEN LORD RESOLVES THE RIDDLES OF LIFE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 3:1-10; PS 105:1-4,6-9; LUKE 24:13-35]
In the face of tragedy because of illness or accident, great disappointments because of unmet expectations, setbacks in our plans or betrayals, we begin to question the meaning of life. What reason is there for us to live on or continue to pursue our career or even have relationships? This was the case of the disciples of Jesus after His death. As the disciples of Emmaus said, Jesus of Nazareth “proved he was a great prophet by the things he said and did in the sight of God and of the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free.” But then all their hopes were dashed and their dreams of liberation from the Romans were shattered. Most of all, it appeared that their spent energy walking with Jesus and following Him came to naught. What a tragic end.
When we are going through pain and disappointments, we should not walk alone nor just with our friends, as the disciples did. Whilst walking with our friends is certainly a help and better than walking alone in despondency, yet our friends can only help us to a limited extent. They can give us support and encouragement. But they are unable to explain to us the meaning of life. We still feel confused, resentful and bewildered. How could God allow bad things to happen to good and faithful people like us! We find it difficult to accept the divine plan of God in our lives and those who are dear to us.
But the crippled man at the Beautiful Gate at the Temple continued to have hope. He did not give up on life even though he had a congenital defect, being born crippled. It must have been difficult for him. Day after day, he was dependent on people. Day after day for over forty years of his life (Acts 4:22), he was brought to the Temple to beg for money. What was life like for him? For many of us, we might think it is better to die than to live a lifeless life. But God had great plans for him. Not only did God want to heal him physically, but spiritually as well by allowing him to encounter the great work of God in him so that he could find faith in Jesus. God wanted to grant him salvation, not just in physical healing but spiritual healing as well. Praise God, he was patient and hopeful.
He never gave up on himself in spite of the fact that it would take a miracle for him to be healed. He continued to have hope. And when the appointed time came, Peter and John were going up to the Temple for the prayers and saw him being carried past. And when he saw “Peter and John on their way into the Temple he begged from them. Both Peter and John looked straight at him and said, ‘Look at us’. He turned to them expectantly, hoping to get something from them.” The crippled man never expected more than to collect enough donations to sustain himself for the day. He was just looking for material needs, expecting nothing more. “But Peter said, ‘I have neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!’ Peter then took him by the hand and helped him to stand up. Instantly his feet and ankles became firm, he jumped up, stood, and began to walk.” Indeed, God worked a miracle in his life and he was not just healed physically but spiritually as well for he found the living God in Christ Jesus. “He went with them into the Temple, walking and jumping and praising God.”
How, then, can we share the hope of this crippled man when we are crippled in life? Just as Peter and John brought Jesus into his life, we too must welcome Jesus into our lives. This was what the disciples at Emmaus did. They were greatly discouraged and disillusioned by what happened. And then Jesus came along. Although they did not know Jesus, the saving grace was that they did not walk alone. They welcomed others to share in their grief, knowing that sharing helps to soften the pain. Unknowingly, when we welcome others into our lives, we welcome Jesus. And that was what happened to them.
To welcome Jesus is to welcome the Word of God. Jesus said to them, “You foolish men! So slow to believe the full message of the prophets! Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?’ Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.” So Jesus went through the scriptures with them. He helped them see how the divine plan of God unfolded according to the scriptures. His death was already hidden in the prophecies of the Old Testament. All the prophecies, particularly from Isaiah, about the Suffering Servant was referring to Him. Even Moses foretold that when this prophet arrived, they must listen to him. “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable.” (Dt 18:18f)
Ignorance of the scriptures is the reason why many of us are not able to make sense of our life. We do not know the scriptures and that is why we do not know Jesus. Jesus told the Jews, “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf.” (Jn 5:39) As the psalmist said, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps 119:105) St Paul writing to Timothy said, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:14-17)
But most of all, they welcomed Jesus, a stranger, to stay with them for a meal. It is a sign of welcome and fellowship. “When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. ‘It is nearly evening’ they said ‘and the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them.” It is not enough to understand the Word of God. We also need to encounter Jesus personally in our lives, not just in our minds. This is why the Eucharist is given to us so that whenever we celebrate it, we will remember Jesus, His passion, death and resurrection, and He will be present for us in the bread and wine. This is the truth of what happened at Emmaus. “Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?'” Truly, only when we encounter the Lord in His Word and the Eucharist, can we feel His living presence in our midst.
So, in the light of today’s scripture readings, we come to understand the plan of God for us in our lives. We must search the scriptures and come to our Lord for understanding. Jesus will reveal to us who we are and what we are called to do. Vatican II in Gaudium et spes teaches, “What is man? What is this sense of sorrow, of evil, of death, which continues to exist despite so much progress? What purpose have these victories purchased at so high a cost? What can man offer to society, what can he expect from it? What follows this earthly life? The Church firmly believes that Christ, who died and was raised up for all, can through His Spirit offer man the light and the strength to measure up to his supreme destiny. Nor has any other name under the heaven been given to man by which it is fitting for him to be saved. She likewise holds that in her most benign Lord and Master can be found the key, the focal point and the goal of man, as well as of all human history.” (GS 10)
Therefore, when we find Him, let us go out like the disciples to announce Jesus as the answer to all the riddles of life. “They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, ‘Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.'” Let us too proclaim the Risen Lord to others so that when they come to meet Him in their trials of life, they too can find hope in life.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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