Mass readings / commentary (Jesus recognized in the breaking of bread)

[distracted]

**April 7, 2010
Wednesday in the Octave of Easter **

Reading 1

Acts 3:1-10

Peter and John were going up to the temple area
for the three o’clock hour of prayer.
And a man crippled from birth was carried
and placed at the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate” every day
to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple.
When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple,
he asked for alms.
But Peter looked intently at him, as did John,
and said, “Look at us.”
He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.
***Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold,
but what I do have I give you:
in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.”***Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up,
and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong.
He leaped up, stood, and walked around,
and went into the temple with them,
walking and jumping and praising God.
When 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 filled with amazement and astonishment
at what had happened to him.

Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-

(3b) Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

**
Lk 24:13-35**

lThat very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
“What are you discussing as you walk along?”
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?”
And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”
They said to him,
“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his Body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, “Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the Eleven and those with them who were saying,
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

.

***Transubstantiation… it seems the Scirptures have a great focus on it… and not surprisingly…

yet many Christians do not believe… even, apparently, most Catholics… ***

 

[cheeto1]

Today’s first reading is one of my all time favorites because of the power of the
words of Peter to the cripple. I think of these words when someone asks me for
money. I think, “what I have, I give you”. I think of them again if I don’t have money.
I think, “but what do I have, that I can give you?”.

In the gospel, they don’t recognize Jesus. Neither did Mary Magdalene. She
thought He was the gardener. Was Jesus’ physical body different in appearance
after He rose from the dead? Did He look the same to those on the way to Emmaus
as He did to Mary Magdalene? Is it a foreshadowing of the thought that we are now to
try to “see Jesus in everyone”?

The psalm mentions that the covenant God made with Abraham is binding for a
thousand generations. I wonder how many have now passed?

 

[distracted]

Today’s first reading is one of my all time favorites because of the power of the
words of Peter to the cripple. I think of these words when someone asks me for
money. I think, “what I have, I give you”. I think of them again if I don’t have money.
I think, “but what do I have, that I can give you?”.

In the gospel, they don’t recognize Jesus. Neither did Mary Magdalene. She
thought He was the gardener. Was Jesus’ physical body different in appearance
after He rose from the dead? Did He look the same to those on the way to Emmaus
as He did to Mary Magdalene? Is it a foreshadowing of the thought that we are now to
try to “see Jesus in everyone”?

The psalm mentions that the covenant God made with Abraham is binding for a
thousand generations. I wonder how many have now passed?

i think we should see Jesus in everyone until the person shows he doesn’t like Jesus… at which time … maybe we should say “See ya, wouldn’t wanna be ya”

seriously, though… i think we should make other Christians our priority… (in fulfilling ST Mt 25:31) “Whatever u do to the least of My brethren, you do to Me”

 

[cheeto1]

i think we should see Jesus in everyone until the person shows he doesn’t like Jesus… at which time … maybe we should say “See ya, wouldn’t wanna be ya”

But that’s not what Jesus said when people didn’t like Him.
He spent a lot of time calling people names, like vipers, and blind guides, etc.
Then for some reason, when they killed Him, He forgave them.
He didn’t come to call the righteous, He came to call those who don’t like Him.
I always want to ask Jesus after lent who was saved by His suffering and death?
It seems like everyone who loved Him and loved God before His death, continued
after His death and resurrection to love Him. And everyone who hated Him, just
continued to hate Him, even after He rose from the dead. Even the apostle Paul
seemed to have his conversion by Jesus speaking to him in a vision, not dying on
the cross.

I always feel like I have to try to recover during the Easter season from the
painful re-living of Jesus’ suffering and death. It makes me wonder if we have to
spend any time in heaven trying to recover from our suffering here on this earth.

 

[Nita]

I always want to ask Jesus after lent who was saved by His suffering and death?
It seems like everyone who loved Him and loved God before His death, continued
after His death and resurrection to love Him. And everyone who hated Him, just
continued to hate Him, even after He rose from the dead. Even the apostle Paul
seemed to have his conversion by Jesus speaking to him in a vision, not dying on
the cross.

O cheeto, all those who had ever lived and repented of their sin were saved by Jesus’ suffering and death - those in the “limbo of the fathers”, the good people who had already died. Without Jesus’ offering, there would have been no salvation even for them.
And there were many conversions in the early Church – 3000 in one day only 50 days after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
(Acts 2:41 So those who received his [Peter’s} word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.)

I

always feel like I have to try to recover during the Easter season from the
painful re-living of Jesus’ suffering and death. It makes me wonder if we have to
spend any time in heaven trying to recover from our suffering here on this earth.
I don’t worry at all about having to recover from my suffering here on earth. Actually, it’s one of the main things in my life that I think may have merit, because I’ve united them to Our Lord’s suffering.
It’s my self indulgent pleasure that I worry about having to recover from!!!

 

[cheeto1]

O cheeto, all those who had ever lived and repented of their sin were saved by Jesus’ suffering and death - those in the “limbo of the fathers”, the good people who had already died. Without Jesus’ offering, there would have been no salvation even for them.

I know. I know it is the truth. I know it is the truth, but no matter how much it
is explained, I don’t like the idea that He died, because I would rather have Him
still alive today. He is God, He could live 2000 years here if He wanted to. And
what if He did, if the Romans didn’t kill Him? Why does everyone blame the Jews
when the Romans did it? Even Jesus Himself said to Pilate, “the ones who turned
Me over to you have the greater guilt.”

Anyway, yes the crucifixion hurts, and you could understand better if it was
your loved one on that cross. Someone innocent, who you love. Like your
grandma, or your child. This is a hideous, hideous thing that happened, and
we have to live with this memory. Those people who converted on hearing the
words of Peter were likely just scared. They may not have known they were
crucifying the Son of God, but they knew they were crucifying a human being.

 

[Nita]

I know. I know it is the truth. I know it is the truth, but no matter how much it
is explained, I don’t like the idea that He died, because I would rather have Him
still alive today. He is God, He could live 2000 years here if He wanted to. And
what if He did, if the Romans didn’t kill Him? Why does everyone blame the Jews
when the Romans did it? Even Jesus Himself said to Pilate, “the ones who turned
Me over to you have the greater guilt.”

The blame went on the Jews because they were the ones who condemned Jesus in their “court” - envy to the point of hatred. They took Him to Pilate only because they were not allowed to carry out capital punishment themselves.
Re the Romans: I don’t know how God judged Pilate since he seems to have known Jesus was innocent; but he had no hatred or anger towards Jesus in his heart. As to the Romans who actually pounded the scourged and pounded the nails, they were just doing their job (comparable to the jailer who locks the cell, or brings the condemned killer to the electric chair.) In general, one needs to consider that the Romans were pagans; they did not have the benefit of God’s teaching in the Old Testament.

Anyway, yes the crucifixion hurts, and you could understand better if it was
your loved one on that cross. Someone innocent, who you love. Like your
grandma, or your child.

Not sure I’m grasping your meaning. Do you mean that it would be easier since your innocent grandma or child is not God? If that’s not what you mean, could you explain?

This is a hideous, hideous thing that happened, and
we have to live with this memory.

I know.
You know, during Holy Week, when the Gospel reading is the passion, I absolutely do not like the congregation being assigned to shout “Crucify Him”. Almost all the time I am just silent. I far preferred the old way - where the priest just read the passion. It’s one thing to narrate the words; something totally different to “play” the part.

Some final thoughts:
In the Garden of Eden, the serpent convinced Adam and Eve that God wasn’t doing what was best for them - that there was more and better things He could give/allow them. In believing that, they doubted God’s love for them. God, who IS love.
Assuming God wanted His creatures to know absolutely, not only that He did love them, but how much He loved them, what would be the best way to convey it to them?
How could you definitively show someone that you loved them as much, or more than yourself?

 

[cheeto1]

As to the Romans who actually pounded the scourged and pounded the nails, they were just doing their job

At first glance, it looks like it, doesn’t it? But what about the “crowning with thorns”
incident? Is spitting on someone “just part of the job”? How about making fun of
them while they are on a cross dying?

We see a crucifix so often that we don’t “see” it. We know so much about it all
that we don’t feel it. We say we love Jesus, and we do. But He is a stranger to
us compared to someone we actually know and love. What if someone in your
own family suffered a violent death? I wonder how well you would get on with
life if every time you went to church, there was a life-size statue of your loved one
suffering at the very point of their death?

 

[Nita]

At first glance, it looks like it, doesn’t it? But what about the “crowning with thorns”
incident? Is spitting on someone “just part of the job”? How about making fun of
them while they are on a cross dying?

The crowning of thorns and mockery was not, of course, part of their job. Didn’t include it for that reason. But I think that’s where we have to remember they did not have the benefit of the OT Scriptures and upbringing in a culture that upheld those values. I think that is why Jesus had no problem asking the Father to forgive them for they “know not what they do”.

We see a crucifix so often that we don’t “see” it. We know so much about it all
that we don’t feel it. We say we love Jesus, and we do. But He is a stranger to
us compared to someone we actually know and love. What if someone in your
own family suffered a violent death? I wonder how well you would get on with
life if every time you went to church, there was a life-size statue of your loved one
suffering at the very point of their death?

If Jesus had remained dead, the crucifixes would bother, but He rose from the dead in a glorious immortal resurrected body - which could only occur after the death of His mortal body.
And above all, the crucifix (and other passion artwork) is reminder of how much He loved us/me. No other event in His 33 years on earth manifests His love to the degree that His passion and death does – with the possible exception of the institution of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday. His ongoing gift to us of His resurrected* life-filled *body and blood is as great a manifestation in my eyes.

 

[cheeto1]

You didn’t try to imagine it did you? I don’t blame you, it is a repulsive thought
to think of one you know and love being viciously murdered. I’m really recovering
nicely this Easter season now, and lent is becoming a distant memory, crowded out
finally with Easter Joy…

God Bless Us, Every One!

 

[distracted]

I know. I know it is the truth. I know it is the truth, but no matter how much it
is explained, I don’t like the idea that He died, because I would rather have Him
still alive today. He is God, He could live 2000 years here if He wanted to. .

i u/stand u not wanting to think of Jesus’ sufferings on the Cross (& the way to it…) I dont either & sometimes i find myself totally mystified as to how He could have submitted to such things… but the human mind cannot totally fathom God and His ways…

anyhow Jesus DOES (has) live(d) for 2000 years on EArth… He is tangibly present to us in the Eucharst… the Mass… available to us 24/7 becaus He is IN our Churches

do you spend much time in total silence at the Real Presence?

i dont feel it does much good if you are only There 4 short periods of time…because the world (& humans, the devil…) puts so many false messages inot our heads/heearts… we have to be There for a long time (over an hour) to realy get somewhere … get to where Jesus wants us to be… (& its personal what all He has to say to us in that silence… even as it is also… universal truths that He shows us, truth that applies to everyone … hard to put into words… )

Maybe this is why Jesus said to the 12 in the Garden of G b4 His death:

“Could u not watch w/ Me one hour?”

 

[distracted]

You didn’t try to imagine it did you? I don’t blame you, it is a repulsive thought
to think of one you know and love being viciously murdered. I’m really recovering
nicely this Easter season now, and lent is becoming a distant memory, crowded out
finally with Easter Joy…

God Bless Us, Every One!

i think that thro all my expeirences/sufferings, etc…

i’ve learned to have both the Cross and the joy of the Resurrection in my … mind/heart…

but then sometimes it is either one or the other… usually the former… cuz life on this planet is… uh… not easy if you love Jesus w/ all your heart… (Understatemnt of the Yr!!!)