Third Sunday of
Easter
It-3 Ħadd tal-Ghid
Messalin A - pp 192
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and
proclaimed: “You who are Jews,
indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem : I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my
right hand I shall not be disturbed. Therefore my heart has been glad and my
tongue has exulted; my flesh, too, will dwell in hope, because you will not abandon my soul to the
netherworld, nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption. You have made
known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.
“My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he
died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day. But since he was
a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set one of
his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of
the Christ, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh
see corruption. God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. Exalted at
the right hand of God, he received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the
Father and poured him forth, as you see and hear.” This is the Word of The Lord.
L-Ewwel
Qari -
mill-Ktieb ta’ l-Atti ta’ l-Appostli 2, 14,
22-33
Nhar
Ghid il-Ħamsin, Pietru, flimkien mal-Hdax qam u qal lill-Lhud b’lehen gholi: “Nies
tal-Lhudija, u intom ilkoll li toqogћdu f’Gerusalem, kunu afu dan u isimgћu
sewwa x’ se ngћidilkom jien: . Gesu’ ta’ Nazaret kien bniedem li Alla takom
prova tiegћu permezz tal-mirakli u l-gheġubijiet u s-sinjali li
ghamel bih foskom, kif intom
stess tafu. Lil dan Gesu’ Alla telaqhuulkom f’idejkom skond l-gћerf u l-pjan u li fassal minn minn
Responsorial Psalm - psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
R/ Alleluia.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot. R/
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot. R/
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. R/
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption. R/
You will show me the path to life,
abounding joy in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever. R/
abounding joy in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever. R/
Salm Responsorjali
- Salm 15(16)
R/ Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Harisni,
o Allla, , gћax fik jien nistkenn.
Jien
ghedt lill-Mulej: “Int Sidi;
m’gћandix
ġid ieћor hliefek,
Mulej,
inti s-sehem tal- wirt u r-riżq tiegћii,
Inri
żżomm d’iswk xortija.” R/
Inbierek
lill-Mulej, li tani l-fehma,
imqar
billejl qalbi tghallimni.
Inżomm
lill-Mulej dejjem quddiem,
Gћax
bih f’leminti qatt ma nitharek . R/
Hekk
tifirah qalbi u tithenna ruћi,
u
gismiwkoll jisitrieh fil-kwiet.
Ghax
inti matitlaqnix fl-imwiet,
ma
thallix il-mahbub tieghek jara l-qabar.. R/
Int
tgћallini t-triq tal-hajja,
hemm
il-milja tal-ferh quddiemek,
hemm
ghaxqa ghal dejjem f’lemintek. R/
reading 2 -
1 peter 1:17-21
Beloved: If you invoke as Father him who judges
impartially according to each one’s works, conduct yourselves with reverence
during the time of your sojourning, realizing that you were ransomed from your
futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like
silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless
unblemished lamb. He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you, who
through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so
that your faith and hope are in God. This
is the Word of The Lord.
Gheziez, jekk intom issejhu Missier lil dak li, bla
ma jhares lejn l-ucuh, jaghmel haqq minn minn
Gospel - luke 24:13-35
That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples
were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem Israel :
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 burn while he spoke to u ing within uss on the way
and opened the Scriptures to us?” So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
L-Evangelju
- skond San Luqa 24, 13-35
Dak
in-nhar stess fl-ewwel jum tal-gimgha, ġara li tnejn mid-dixxipli kienu sejrin lejn rahal jismu Ghemmaw, xi
sittin stadju boghod minn : “Xintom tithadtu bejnietkom intom u
mexja?” U huma waqfu, b’harsa ta’ niket
fuqhom. Imbaghad wiehed minnhom, jismu
Kleofa, wiegeb u qallu: “Int wahdek
il-barrani f’Gerusalem li ma tafx x’gara hemmhekk f’dawn il-jiem?” “X’gara?”
staqsiehom. Ġesu’.:
Qalulu “Dak li ġara lil Gesu’ ta’ Nazaret, li kien profeta,
setghan fil-ghemil u fil-kliem quddiem
Alla u quddiem il-poplu kollu, kif il-qassisin il-kbar u l-kapijiet taghna tawh
f’idejb il-gvernatur biex ikun ikkundanat ghall-mewt u sallbuh. Ahna konna nittamaw li hu kien dak li kellu jifdi lil Israel minn : “Kemm intom boloh u tqal biex temmnu kull ma
qalu l-profeti! U ma kellux il-Messija
jbati minn minn Meta qorbu
hdejn ir-rahal fejn kienu sejrin, hu ghamel tabirruhu li se jibqa’ sejjer aktar ‘il boghod. Izda huma ġegћluh jibqa’ magћhon u qalulu: “Ibqa’
maghna, ghax issa sar hafna hin u l-jum
ga wasal biex jintemm.”Imbaghad dahal biex
joqghod maghhom. U waqt li kien fil-mejda maghhom, qabad il-hobz, qal il-barka,
qasmu u tahulhom. imbaghad infethulhom
ghajnejhom u gharfuh, izda hu kien ghab minn : “Ma kinetx imkebbsa qalbna gewwa fina huwa
jkellimna fit-triq u jfissrilna l-Iskrittura?”
Dak il-hin stess qamu u regghu lura Gerusalem. Hemm sabu l-Hdax u lil shabhom migburin flimkien, u dawn qalulhom: “Il-Mulej qam tassew, u deher lil Xmun!” U
huma wkoll tarrfulhom x’kien gralhom fit-triq u kif gharfuh fil-qsim tal-hobz.
Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
///////////////////////////////////////////
Commentary:
The Transmission of Faith Is a
Communal, Ecclesial Event
By Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB - CEO, Salt and Light Catholic Media
Foundation
Next Sunday’s first reading from the
Acts of the Apostles presents us with the first of six discourses (along with
Acts 3: 12-26; 4: 8-12; 5: 29-32;
10: 34-43; 13: 16-41)
dealing with the resurrection of Jesus and its messianic significance. Five of
these are attributed to Peter, the final one to Paul. We may call these discourses in Acts the “kerygma,” the Greek word for
proclamation (1 Corinthians 15: 11).
In Peter’s address we can distinguish an introduction and two parts: in the first part (15: 16-21)
he is explaining that the messianic times foretold by Joel have now arrived; in
the second (15: 22-36) he proclaims
that Jesus of Nazareth, whom the Jews crucified, is the Messiah promised by God
and eagerly awaited by the righteous of the Old Testament; it is he who has
effected God’s saving plan for mankind.
To demonstrate that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah foretold by the
prophets, Peter reminds his listeners of our Lord’s miracles (22), as well as
of his death (23), resurrection (24-32) and glorious ascension (33-35). Peter’s
address ends with a brief summary (36). Peter was able to declare the message
that can change the life of every one who heard it. That message has not
changed nor lost its power in our day. It is a message that still brings hope
to the hopeless, life to those dead in sin and forgiveness to those struggling
under the burden of their sins.
A catechetical and liturgical
story
The Emmaus story of Sunday’s
Gospel is at the heart of Luke’s resurrection chapter (24). Luke’s story of the
two disciples on the road (24: 13-35)
focuses on the interpretation of scripture by the risen Jesus and the
recognition of him in the breaking of the bread. The references to the
quotations of scripture and explanation of it (24: 25-27),
the kerygmatic proclamation (24: 34),
and the liturgical gesture (24: 30)
suggest that the episode is primarily catechetical and liturgical rather than
apologetic.
When we meet the disciples on
the road to Emmaus, it is evening, and the glow of that first Easter day has
begun to fade. Resurrection at this point is nothing more than a rumor or a
tale. Buried beneath their verbal exchange lies a deep yearning and a holy
hunger. Intimately intertwined with their skepticism is their hope, and their
need for God to be alive, vibrant and present in their world of death. But the
baggage of their doubt impedes the fervor of their faith and they fail to
recognize Jesus. Without being aware of what they are really saying along the
road, the two disciples profess many of the central elements of the creed of
the Christian faith yet they remain blind to the necessity of the Messianic
suffering predicted in the Scriptures.
The stranger on the road to
Emmaus takes the skepticism and curiosity of the disciples and weaves them into
the fabric of the Scripture. Jesus challenges them to reinterpret the events of
the past days in light of the Scriptures. However, Cleopas and his companion
are “foolish and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have said!” (24: 25) The Messiah had to suffer and die in order to
enter into his glory. Luke is the only New Testament writer to speak explicitly
of a suffering Messiah (Luke 24: 26,
46; Acts 3: 18; 17: 3; 26: 23).
The idea of a suffering Messiah is not found in the Old Testament or in other
Jewish literature prior to the New Testament period, although the idea is
hinted at in Mark 8: 31-33.
Finally in the intimacy of
the breaking of the bread were their eyes opened and they recognized the Risen
One in their midst. At Emmaus, the risen Christ performs the same basic actions
that he performed at the multiplication of the loaves (9: 16)
and at the Last Supper. The many meals of Jesus, especially his last supper,
can be said to be in the background of the Evangelist’s mind in describing this
moment of recognition (cf. Luke 5: 29;
7: 36; 14: 1,12,15,16;
22: 14). With this experience of the
Risen Jesus the Emmaus disciples believe.
Understanding the resurrection therefore implies a two-fold process of
knowing the message of the Scriptures and experiencing the one about whom they
all speak: Jesus the Lord, through
the breaking and sharing of bread with the community of believers.
Words that transmit life
Allow me to share with you a
very striking section on “the Duty to Evangelize” from the Lineamenta(preparatory document)
for the upcoming 2012 Synod of Bishops on “The New Evangelization for the
Transmission of the Christian Faith.” This
passage offers a unique perspective on today’s Emmaus story:
The words of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24: 13-35) illustrate that proclaiming Christ is open
to failure; their words were incapable of transmitting life. In recounting
their frustration and loss of hope, the two disciples proclaimed someone who
was dead (vv 21-24). For the Church in every age, their words speak of the
possibility of a proclamation which, instead of giving life, keeps both those
who proclaim and those who hear bound in the death of the Christ proclaimed.
The transmission of the faith is never an individual, isolated undertaking, but
a communal, ecclesial event. It must not consider responses as a matter of
researching an effective plan of communication and even less analytically
concentrating on the hearers, for example, the young. Instead, these responses
must be done as something which concerns the one called to perform this
spiritual work. It must become what the Church is by her nature. In this way,
the matter is placed in context and treated correctly and not extrinsically,
namely, by placing at the centre of discussion the entire Church in all she is
and all she does. Perhaps in this way the problem of unfruitfulness in
evangelization and catechesis today can be seen as an ecclesiological problem
which concerns the Church’s capacity, more or less, of becoming a real
community, a true fraternity and a living body, and not a mechanical thing or
enterprise”
(No. 2).
Questions for reflection this
week
1.
As
Church, as pastoral ministers, as lay leaders, have we ever felt that our words
are incapable of transmitting life to others? Have we proclaimed someone who
was dead rather than the living Lord? How have our words and the message of the
Church kept people bound in the death of the Christ proclaimed?
2.
What
prevents us from becoming a real community, a true fraternity and a living
body, rather than a mechanical thing or enterprise?
3.
What
have been the historical events that have influenced, hindered and impeded our
proclamation and our way of being Church? How have certain events helped us to
refine and rethink our proclamation?
4.
What
does the Spirit say to our Church through these events? What new forms of
evangelization is the Spirit teaching us and requiring of us?
We are once again pilgrims
During my first visit to the
French ecumenical community of Taizé many years ago, I heard this meditation
offered by the late Brother Roger Schutz and his community. It has remained
with me ever since. We are once again pilgrims on the road to Emmaus…Our heads
are bowed as we meet the Stranger who draws near and comes with us. As evening
comes, we strain to make out His face while he talks to us, to our hearts. In
interpreting the Book of Life, He takes our broken hopes and kindles them into
fire: the way becomes lighter as, drawing
the embers together, we learn to fan the flame. If we invite Him this evening,
He will sit down and together we shall share the meal. And then all those who
no longer believed will see and the hour of Recognition will come. He will
break the bread of tears at the table of the poor
and each will receive manna to their fill. We shall return to Jerusalem : ‘We,
too have met Him!’
For we know: the mercy of God has
come to visit the land of the living!
