Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 04-15-18, Third Sunday of Easter

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 04-15-18 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

The Great Sending

Pastor’s Column

3^rd Sunday of Easter

April 15, 2018

When Jesus appears in the gospels after rising from the dead, he is always a commanding presence. We know immediately that something has changed! In each Easter appearance, Jesus confirms the faith of the disciples and gives them a mission. What mission has the Lord given to me?

When we attend Mass, we have an encounter with the resurrected Jesus in order to confirm and strengthen our faith. We hear the Lord speak in the Scriptures as surely as if it were coming from his own mouth. When we partake of the Eucharist, we receive his Body and Blood as surely as the disciples did at the last supper. At the end of Mass, (the last thing the priest says in the original Latin) is Ite Missa est, which literally means Go, you are sent.

At the end of Mass we are sent forth back into the world with our mission: to proclaim the good news of the Lord Jesus in our daily lives, by what we say and what we do. Our mission is to do our bit each day to bring the good news of Jesus to others around us. We are the disciples he is talking to. Our manner of life is our witness.

This is emphasized by the dismissal at the end of Mass: "Ite, Missa est ", which recalls the "Missio", the task of those who have taken part in the celebration to bring to everyone the Good News they have received and with it, to bring life to society.                                                 Benedict XVI 9 Oct 2006

In fact the very word “Mass” itself is derived from this ending “Missa” (sent, as on a mission); we have come to worship the Lord, to encounter Jesus, and to receive our great task, our mission from Christ when we gather together.

The new revised translation of the Mass has included several new Mass “dismissals” that express what God wishes from us quite well. So instead of hearing “the Mass is ended, go in peace” as we once did, we also hear “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord!” or “Go in Peace, glorifying the Lord with your lives,” or, more simply, “Go in peace (alleluia, alleluia).”

The Lord’s daily mission for us is to always strive to glorify him by what we say and what we do, to be different from the world around us that does not know Christ, being as it were, ambassadors for Christ among those without the great hope of our faith and thus fulfill the great sending forth that we are called to be a part of!

                              Father Gary

[Salvation]

Reflections from Scott Hahn

Understanding the Scriptures: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Third Sunday of Easter

Download Audio File

Doubting Thomas, Poul Steffensen (d. 1923)

Readings:
Acts 3:13–15, 17–19
Ps 4:2, 4, 7–9
1 Jn 2:1–5
Lk 24:35–48

Jesus in today’s Gospel teaches His apostles how to interpret the Scriptures.

He tells them that all the Scriptures of what we now call the Old Testament refer to Him. He says that all the promises found in the Old Testament have been fulfilled in His passion, death, and resurrection. And He tells them that these Scriptures foretell the mission of the Church—to preach forgiveness of sins to all the nations, beginning at Jersusalem.

In today’s First Reading and Epistle, we see the beginnings of that mission. And we see the apostles interpreting the Scriptures as Jesus taught them to.

God has brought to fulfillment what He announced beforehand in all the prophets, Peter preaches. His sermon is shot through with Old Testament images. He evokes Moses and the exodus, in which God revealed himself as the ancestral God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (see Exodus 3:6,15). He identifies Jesus as Isaiah’s suffering servant who has been glorified (see Isaiah 52:13).

John, too describes Jesus in Old Testament terms. Alluding to how Israel’s priests offered blood sacrifices to atone for the people’s sins (see Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9–10), he says that Jesus intercedes for us before God (see Romans 8:34), and that His blood is a sacrificial expiation for the sins of the world (see 1 John 1:7).

Notice that in all three readings, the Scriptures are interpreted to serve and advance the Church’s mission—to reveal the truth about Jesus, to bring people to repentance, the wiping away of sins, and the perfection of their love for God.

This is how we, too, should hear the Scriptures. Not to know more “about” Jesus, but to truly know Him personally, and to know His plan for our lives.

In the Scriptures, the light of His face shines upon us, as we sing in today’s Psalm. We know the wonders He has done throughout history. And we have the confidence to call to Him, and to know that He hears and answers.

[Salvation]

Apr 14, 2018

3rd Sunday of Easter - From your head to your heart

"Touch me and see . . . "

Luke 24: 35 - 48

The Word: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041518.cfm

About 20 years ago, I recall a couple who came to me unexpectedly on a Saturday afternoon.  I happened to be in the parish office on that morning and they simply found me there and politely introduced themselves.  I had never met them and was naturally curious about why they stopped in.  So, we sat down and they said they were interested in learning more about the Catholic faith.  That I was the first Catholic priest they had ever met or spoken to and though they both came from another tradition, the husband in particular was curious about learning more. Clearly, he already knew much about the Church and I soon realized he was very clear and had done a ton of research on the Catholic faith. 

I thought, wonderful!   As he started naming a few of the popular theologians like Thomas Aquinas, Augustine and more present day scholars I could tell their search was very sincere but one thing was missing.  I said, “Your faith needs to move from your head to your heart.” So, we spoke about the RCIA process which they both entered enthusiastically and during the Easter Vigil later that year, I was honored to welcome them to the full embrace of the Catholic faith.  Since then, the husband has gone on to become quite a Catholic writer and speaker with a few Catholic publishing companies. Being the first Catholic priest they ever spoke to I was grateful they returned after our conversation!

The point is this: we all need to move our faith from the head to the heart. In fact, this entire Easter season I feel contains that expectation and certainly that possibility. In Jesus’ resurrection experiences we hear him inviting his disciples to go beyond what they see and now know: “Touch me and see . . .”  Make a personal connection with me.  He greets them not with resentment or scolding for their abandonment at the time of his suffering but rather he offers them a blessing:  “Peace be with you” (Shalom). That blessing is meant to draw them in to his life; to touch their hearts with a lived experience of the faith and to witness its power of transformation.

Our first reading from Luke’s great story of the early Church, Acts of the Apostles, sees Peter courageously preaching in the Temple area after the healing of a crippled man. He now has a captive audience and he informs them that it was by the power of the God which they knew well, the “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of your fathers,” sent Jesus who was killed but is now raised.  He explains to them that it was by this suffering and rising that God has fulfilled all he promised to them.  So, now is the time to move that faith from your head to your heart: “Repent,  . . . and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.” In this way they respond on an inner level of conversion to all that God has done in sending his Son to us. It is the essential Christian message, the "Kerygma," that Peter boldly preaches here and that we all live by. We hear these words but must commit them to our heart, our souls.  Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ raised from the dead. 

This Sunday, Luke continues the story of the road to Emmaus in the Gospel.  The two amazed disciples return hastily to Jerusalem to share their encounter.  They wondered: "Were not our hearts burning within us as he spoke to us." The encounter with the risen Christ moved their faith from knowledge to a deep experience of the heart. 

So, they return to share this with the brothers in hiding and as they are speaking,  Jesus suddenly appears before them. He well knew these men did not fully comprehend who he was and the ultimate meaning of his mission.  Yet, they needed proof; not just rumors or speculation but conversion of heart and a new direction for their lives – which is the same for all of us who place our faith in this Christ when we see our faith as not just a set of doctrines and theological opinions but as an invitation to live differently and walk a new road. So, he comes alive again but invites them to more than just knowledge. He speaks to them, he sits with them, eats with them.  So, he does the same in the Holy Eucharist where he becomes that very food as we gather. 

So, Jesus invites them to touch him. They must be absolutely assured of our Lord’s own transformation and that his mercy and forgiveness bring us all to a new life. Today, he continues to heal, forgive, feed us for this journey, unite us, and is present to us alive again. Our sacramental life, our prayer, our worship, our fellowship, and caring for one another all make his presence more than just words but an encounter. It all creates a communion between us and provides a new relationship that is beyond a simple gathering as Christ abides with us. 

This is the essential Christian message we all preach and live by: That Christ died and rose and remains eternally alive as God’s Son thereby setting a new course of salvation for all humanity which invites all to repentance and the forgiveness of sins for “all the nations.” These chosen men have seen it, heard it, and pray are convicted of it, as we hear in the first reading from Acts, and now they spread this Good News everywhere.

So, does that excite you?  How deep has that message touched your life?  The danger of any of us, including myself as priest who deals everyday with such a message in varied ways, is to simply hear the words but react to them with about the same level of enthusiasm as we do a traffic light changing from red to green. 

Today’s disinterest, apathy, and open rejection of the Gospel message is deeply concerning.  Many live as if there is no God or if there is rarely give thought to his existence.  In the end, every search for meaning, purpose, and deeper connection is a journey towards God.  He is not content with remaining distant but wants to pitch his tent among us. This, I feel, is why Jesus was so persistent in proving he was alive again, changed in some mysterious way, yet the same as they knew him.  That new way is where we must walk and it will happen if we move faith from our head to our heart.

These men went from fear, trembling, confusion, shame, ignorance, to wonder, awe, courage, and contagious conviction as God’s Spirit planted in their hearts.  So, we too in this Easter season are invited to ask the same.  Let us move from Grace to conversion. 

May the risen Lord be always our hope and a reason why our hearts now find him.

May your people exult for ever, O God, 

in renewed youthfulness of spirit, 

so that, rejoicing now in the restored glory of our adoption, 

we may look forward in confident hope

to the rejoicing of the day of resurrection. 

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, 

who lives and reigns, 

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 

one God for ever and ever. 

(Collect of Mass) 

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

April 15, 2018, We Are Witnesses to the Risen Lord

Third Sunday of Easter
Father Paul Campbell, LC

Luke 24:35-48

The two recounted what had taken place on the way and how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them. He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are present here and now as I turn to you in prayer. I trust and have confidence in your desire to give me every grace I need to receive today. Thank you for your love, thank you for your immense generosity toward me. I give you my life and my love in return.

Petition: Lord, increase my faith in your presence in the Eucharist and in my life.

1. Jesus Is Made Known in the Breaking of the Bread: This passage follows Christ’s encounter with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They returned to Jerusalem and reported to the other disciples what they had seen in the Breaking of the Bread – the name the early Church gave to the Eucharist celebration. Luke was not simply recording an apparition of the Risen Lord, he was also teaching that this same Lord is present in the Eucharist.

Jesus loves us, as he revealed so clearly on Calvary. He wants to forgive us our sins and give us eternal life. Not satisfied with the gift of himself on Calvary, he desires to continue giving himself to us and to remain with us always. The Eucharist is a sign of his tremendous love. It is the source and summit of our spiritual life. It is a mystery that we need to meditate upon daily and to experience as frequently as possible in our lives.

2. Peace I Give You: Jesus promised his disciples peace: “Peace I give you” (John 14:27). He would give them his peace – a peace not of this world. If we are convinced of his love, what have we to fear? If we are convinced that he is with us, why be anxious about anything? So, he asks his disciples, “Why are you troubled?” They were witnesses to his love on the cross and the glory of his resurrection. They were witnesses to his power and his goodness. If God is for us, who can be against us? Are we troubled? What weighs on our heart and mind? What robs us of our sleep and peace? We need to give it to Jesus. We need to remind ourselves of his love and presence and his gift of peace. As often as worries assail us, we need to go to Jesus and meditate on these things.

3. You Are Witnesses: Jesus still needs witnesses today. How many people don’t know him? How many people don’t know of his love and are still burdened by sin? We who have received the gift of faith have an obligation to share it with others. The world needs witnesses. The world needs to see lives transformed by grace, coherent Catholics who live the faith they profess. We also need to witness to the transforming power of Christ in the Eucharist. Do I bring my family and friends closer to Our Lord in the Eucharist?

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I place my worries in your hands. Help me to keep trusting in your providence. Be with me today and help me to live what I believe. I know you are with me, but I have a hard time sharing my faith with others. Give me the courage I need to speak of you and your love. I know that they need you; give me the prudence to know what to do and what to say.

Resolution: Today I will transmit love for Christ in the Eucharist to someone who is close to me.

[Salvation]

Scripture Speaks: “Peace Be With You”

Gayle Somers

In today’s Gospel, Jesus appears to the apostles and says, “Peace be with you.” Why does this produce the exact opposite of peace?

Gospel (Read Lk 24:35-48)

We would do well today to keep the context of our Gospel reading in mind if we want to understand its full force. In the preceding verses, Jesus meets two disciples on Resurrection Day walking away from Jerusalem toward a town called Emmaus. They were bitterly disappointed in Jesus’ death. Seeing Him would certainly have cured that; however, they were “kept” from recognizing Him. That made it possible for Jesus to give them an extended Scripture lesson, showing them how God’s plan included the suffering and death of His Servant, Jesus. Still, the disciples did not know the identity of this Stranger. When they invited Him to stay with them, “He took bread and blessed and broke it, and gave it to them” (Lk 24:30). These were His exact actions at the Last Supper, too. At this, “their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished out of their sight” (Lk 24:31). This remarkable event caused the excited disciples to hurry back to Jerusalem; we now take up the rest of the story.

While the disciples “recounted what had taken place on the way, and how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of the bread,” He “appears in their midst.” His first word is “Peace,” but they were “startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost.” These strong words help us realize how stunning, disturbing, and otherworldly the Resurrection was for the apostles. There was simply no frame of reference for this; nothing like this had ever happened in human history. No wonder the appearances of Jesus did not exactly produce peace! The men were at a complete loss to cope with what was happening to them. Jesus begins to reassure them: “Look at My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself.” He directs their attention to His wounds, the most easily recognizable marks of His identity. Yes, it really is the same Jesus who was put to death and laid, stone cold, in a tomb. “They were incredulous for joy.” This was too good to be true. Can we imagine the questions that arose in their hearts? “Am I losing my mind? Is this a cruel joke? Has the food been drugged?” Reading their hearts, Jesus asks for food and eats it “in front of them.” Clearly this is done to prove beyond any doubt that although He had miraculously appeared in the room out of thin air, something humans cannot do, He ate food in a completely human way. What were they to make of this?

Knowing that His apostles were grappling with a profound mystery, one that was way beyond the bounds of reason, Jesus reminds them that He had spoken often about what was happening. His words, however, had only been words to them. There was no way for men to comprehend something that had never occurred within reality before. So, Jesus “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” Why did He do this? As Jews, the apostles believed the Scriptures to be God’s own revelation of Himself (just as we Catholics do, too). Even though they knew the words of Scripture through constant usage in Jewish liturgical life, they did not fully understand their meaning. Nobody did! They could only be fully understood in light of the work Jesus came to do. Having accomplished that, Jesus now shows them, by the gift of truth, that everything had happened exactly according to God’s plan. It was always God’s intention to stun His people with a miracle far exceeding man’s imagination, with a reversal of cosmic proportions.

Shouldn’t we pause here to realize that this is still happening for us as well? The Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is just as bizarre, impossible, and otherworldly as His miraculous appearances on Resurrection Day. We, too, have trouble taking it in. At every Mass, there ought to be for us that “incredulous for joy and amazed” moment, when the priest says, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him Who takes away the sins of the world.” In the Gospel, we see the apostles struggle to understand the unthinkable. Jesus had to teach them from the Old Testament Scriptures that it was so. In time, of course, they got it. Then they preached the Gospel “to all the nations,” and that Gospel contained within it the unimaginable wonder of Jesus making Himself present in our midst in the Bread and Wine of communion. We might ask ourselves, “Can this be? Am I crazy?” The Church, in response, opens to us the New Testament Scriptures, and, by a charism of truth from the Holy Spirit, shows us what Jesus meant when He said, at the Last Supper, “This is My Body…this is My Blood.” The mysterious presence of Jesus in the Eucharist was always meant to be.

Returning to the Gospel, we see that the miracle of Jesus’ victory over death had a purpose. It was not simply to vindicate Him as God’s own Son. No, it was to make repentance and forgiveness of sin possible for all mankind. It was an event within history that was meant to change history forever. The point of the Gospel, then and now and until Jesus returns, is to turn the world upside down by turning hearts inside out. Did it work?

Our other readings continue the story…

Possible response: Lord Jesus, I understand that being baffled sometimes by the Eucharist at Mass is nothing unusual. Please turn it joy and away from doubt.

First Reading (Read Acts 3:13-15, 17-19)

On the Day of Pentecost, the apostles began their work of being “witnesses” to the Resurrection and of preaching repentance and forgiveness in the Name of Jesus. See how Peter reaches all the way back in Israel’s history to Abraham to explain how God fulfilled His plan to glorify “His Servant, Jesus.” This way of teaching reflects the Scripture study Jesus conducted with His apostles between the Resurrection and the Ascension. They were now able to grasp the sweep of salvation history and place themselves and their knowledge of Jesus within it. Peter understood that Jesus had become the “Suffering Servant” foretold by Isaiah hundreds of years earlier.

Peter also understood the purpose for which Jesus was willing to suffer and die: forgiveness. Look at his indictment of his audience. They had “handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence” the Servant God had sent them. They “asked for a murderer to be released” to them instead of the innocent Jesus. Summing up the charges, Peter uses some of the most painfully poignant words ever uttered to describe what God’s own people did to Him in the Crucifixion: “The Author of life you put to death.” Could there any offense committed in human history greater than this? Yet, that act of consummate evil was not the last word in man’s rebellion against God. In another stunning reversal, God “raised [Jesus] from the dead.” Now, repentance, conversion, and forgiveness can be preached to the very ones by whom Jesus was put to death. The enormity of this moment cannot be exaggerated. The miracle of the Resurrection makes possible the miracle of this kind of forgiveness, a miracle that can turn hearts inside out.

Yes, the Gospel is working!

Possible Response: Lord Jesus, I am sure I do not understand the depth of Your mercy to sinners like me, but I thank You for it with all my heart.

Psalm (Read Ps 4:2, 4, 7-9)

The psalmist gives us words to ponder in this season of Easter: “Know that the Lord does wonders for His faithful one; the Lord will hear me when I call upon Him.” These words refer first to Jesus, who is “His faithful one.” The “wonder” God did for Him was to raise Him from the dead. Because Jesus freely offered His obedience unto death for us, we, too, are included in those who can confidently ask: “O, Lord, let the light of Your countenance shine upon me!” At every Mass, God answers this prayer in the Eucharist. He grants the “wonder” of seeing Jesus, alive and well, in the Bread and Wine. Today, we sing, “Lord, let Your face shine on us.” Today, we know He will do this and put “gladness into [our] heart[s].”

Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.

Second Reading (Read 1 Jn 2:1-5a)

In the epistle, as is often the case, we have an opportunity to see how the events described in the Gospel work out in real life. How does the offer of repentance, conversion, and forgiveness that Jesus made possible and that the apostles preached turn the world upside down by turning hearts inside out? St. John explains it.

“My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin,” St. John tells us. Jesus’ victory over death was His victory over sin. We were not designed for sin but for goodness. When we sin, we are out of sync, off kilter, missing the point of our existence. This is what Jesus taught us, and this why He died for us—because we are weak, made of dust, and we do sin. Repentance and conversion mean we recognize this about ourselves. We are willing to become small before God, to cast ourselves on His mercy. We believe that Jesus is our “Advocate with the Father” and that He is “expiation [or atonement] for our sins.” However, this is not simply an intellectual assent to facts about Jesus. As St. John writes, “Those who say, ‘I know Him,’ but do not keep His commandments are liars, and the truth is not in them.” So, our trust in the work Jesus did for us, together with our willingness now to do the work for Him He gave us, will change man’s story on earth. How? In Jesus, we now become who we were always meant to be—the image and likeness of God. In a dark, confused world, “the love of God is truly perfected in [us].”

Friends, as St. John says elsewhere in this epistle (see 1 Jn 5:4), this is the victory that overcomes the world—our faith. Alleluia!

Possible response: Lord Jesus, I need your gracious help to keep Your commandments. I’m often tempted to talk about You without obeying You.

[Salvation]

He’s No Ghost: Easter and the Gnostic Gospels

Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

In the heyday of the Roman Empire, the corruption of the times caused waves of dissatisfaction to ripple across the civilized world. Many were disgusted with the gross sensuality of society and yearned for a higher, spiritual kind of existence. They sought a redeemer who would come down from heaven and enlighten those who walked in darkness.

When they heard about Jesus of Nazareth, they suspected they’d found their man. But surely, they thought, he had to have been a divinity who just appeared to be flesh and blood so that he could pass on to us the secret knowledge needed for spiritual enlightenment. Since he wasn’t really human, he couldn’t have really died. The whole Calvary thing must have just been the final act of the play, the necessary device to get him off stage so he could resume his proper angelic mode of existence, free of all entanglement with our gross, material world.

For these people thought that the greed and lust they saw all around them was just the inevitable result of having physical bodies. Salvation for them was the soul’s escape from the prison of the body so that it could soar like a bird back to its heavenly home.

These people, known as the Gnostics, wrote documents that they claimed represented the secret, spiritual view of Jesus and his message. The supposed “gospels” of Judas, Thomas, and Mary Magdalene all come from this movement, written about 120 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

It’s as if Jesus knew that this distorted idea would arise. For in the gospel of Luke, written much earlier that the phony Gnostic gospels, the risen Lord appears to the disciples and debunks the idea that he is some pure spirit.

As might be imagined, the disciples are spooked by the appearance of someone they buried just a few days before. But Jesus insists that he is no ghost. Though he is somewhat changed in appearance, He is clearly flesh and blood and has a fish dinner to prove it. His death was no accident or mirage. He proved that by showing them the wounds in his hands and feet.

 

God had created the material world, and placed man and woman in it as rulers over it. He views creation as good, and man and woman as very good. It wasn’t the body that caused the problem, but a horrible choice made by the soul. Sin was a spiritual decision, acted out in the body and having a disastrous impact upon all creation on every level, both spiritual and material.

So the redeemer saved us by a spiritual decision that had to be acted out in the body, consisting of the offering of his body as a sacrifice that would remove sin and renew all creation. The psalms, the law, and the prophets had all foretold it–the savior would not just teach, but had to suffer and die. This however, would not be the end of the story. Passage after passage hinted that he would somehow live again.

Was all this easy to find and clearly laid out in the Old Testament? Not in the least. The Scriptures are divine, having been inspired by the Holy Spirit, laden with meaning exceeding the awareness of their human authors. Reading the scriptures with just human eyes, a person is bound to miss a lot.

So on that Easter Sunday afternoon, Jesus explained all the passages that referred to his death and resurrection and opened the disciples’ minds to the understanding of the Scriptures. He did that by giving them a share in the same Spirit who inspired the Scriptures in the first place.

Through baptism and confirmation, he has given us the very same spirit of understanding. So let’s forget about the lost “gospel” of Judas and fantasies like the DaVinci Code, and instead approach the life-giving words of the Spirit-breathed Scriptures with zeal and faith. There are so many exciting discoveries to be made!

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Espa�ol

All Issues > Volume 34, Issue 3

<< Sunday, April 15, 2018 >>

Third Sunday of Easter

Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
1 John 2:1-5
View Readings

Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-9
Luke 24:35-48
Similar Reflections

MATTER OF FACT

"In their panic and fright they thought they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, 'Why are you disturbed? Why do such ideas cross your mind?' " �Luke 24:37-38

Jesus is risen! This proves Jesus is God. This means we should live no longer for ourselves but for Him (2 Cor 5:15). Jesus' Resurrection and divinity mean that everything Jesus said is true, including His promise to raise His disciples from the dead. The fact that Jesus intends to raise us from the dead has mammoth ramifications for us � not only after our deaths, but also in our daily lives. We need no longer be slaves through the fear of death (Heb 2:15). We can live radically free and unselfish lives of love.

However, for us to receive the astounding benefits of the Resurrection, we must believe in Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life (Jn 11:25). We must not think of Jesus as a ghost (Lk 24:37) or of His Resurrection as unreal, merely symbolic, or mythical. The Resurrection is not a story; it is an objective, historical fact (Catechism, 639, 643, 645, 647). Through the Scriptures and the breaking of the bread, that is, the Eucharist (Lk 24:30-32, 45), the Holy Spirit will give us the faith to open our eyes to the reality of the risen Christ (see Jn 20:22). Then we will spend our lives as witnesses for the risen Christ (Acts 3:15).

Prayer: Father, deepen my faith in the risen Christ so that I would deserve to be persecuted.

Promise: "If anyone should sin, we have, in the presence of the Father, Jesus Christ, an Intercessor Who is just. He is an Offering for our sins, and not for our sins only, but for those of the whole world." —1 Jn 2:1-2

Praise: Praise the risen Jesus, Whose love and mercy has conquered both sin and sinner! "His mercy endures forever" (Ps 136:1).

[Salvation]