Doubts Conquered

“ When you begin to study, look up to Him and think: 'O Lord, how worthless this knowledge would be, if it were not for the enlightening of my mind for Your service, or for making me more useful to my fellow men.'”

- St Elizabeth Ann Seton

First Reading:  Acts 2:14, 22-33

          But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words."Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know --this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

          But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, `I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will dwell in hope. For thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let thy Holy One see corruption.

          Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou wilt make me full of gladness with thy presence.' "Brethren, I may say to you confidently of the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with 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 he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

          This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and hear.

Psalm: Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11

Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:17-21

          And if you invoke as Father him who judges each one impartially according to his deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile. You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake. Through him you have confidence in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

          That very day two of them were going to a village named Emma'us, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cle'opas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

          And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.

          Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see." And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them.

          When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Reflection:

Doubts Conquered

By Benj Santiago

“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.” 

Today marks the second Sunday after the Resurrection or Easter Sunday. For us who live in the now, in this timeframe where we have been freely celebrating Easter Sunday all over the world; it is a totally different situation. We believe for we are free to believe and we have heard and read many testimonies about the Risen Christ in the Bible. While it was already foretold by the prophets of old before it actually came to reality on that fateful first Easter Sunday, many still failed to believe for many reasons. Some of the Jews did not believe out of fear and deception of the authorities which even include the priests of Jesus time. Even Thomas doubted and Peter the impulsive and brave leader of the disciples were locking themselves up for fear of the Jewish authorities. They know the scriptures and they have been able to live and talk and eat with Jesus yet they doubted. 

The two disciples mentioned in today’s Gospel also did not recognize Jesus. They did not believe in what was already foretold by Jesus that He will rise up on the third day!The Emmaus experience of the two disciples open their hearts and minds that indeed Jesus have risen from the dead. What opened their eyes was the breaking of the bread: “And it happened that, while he was with them at the 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 in their sight.”

For me, every Holy Mass is a repeat of the Emmaus experience of the disciples of Jesus. The Mass lets me open my eyes, my mind and my heart to what was foretold before Jesus time, and what continually happens in the present.  The celebration of the Holy Eucharist transports me back to the “Last Supper” of Jesus, and transforms me to bring this love to the people I meet that they may encounter in me the Risen Christ. The mass restores and strengthens my faith and hope that we too shall rise from our own “trials and deaths” for we have Jesus Who has conquered death!Open our hearts to the Risen Lord! Let His peace and love keep burning within our hearts. Let our faith, hope be to Him who have risen! Receive Him in the Holy Mass.

Prayer

Our loving and merciful Father, we thank You for giving us Your Son Jesus Christ our risen Lord and Savior. May our hearts continue to burn within us that it may set on fire the hearts of people we meet. May the risen Lord we receive in the Holy Eucharist continue to strengthen our faith and hope in Him. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.