Gospel Reflection Apr 19 – Deacon Frank Iannarino
Sunday, April 19
Third Sunday of Easter
John 24: 13-35
Gospel:
That 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 bread.
Gospel Reflection:
This weekend we will hear the powerful story of two disciples on their way to Emmaus. In that account “Jesus himself drew near and walked with them.” Since they did not recognize Jesus, they explained to him all the things that had been happening regarding Jesus the Nazarene. And then Jesus, “… beginning with Moses and all the prophets … interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures.”
Jesus meets the disciples in their confusion and pain and speaks to them, interpreting the Scriptures so they can see God’s plan and God’s work more clearly. God has spoken to his people through the prophets, and now he speaks through his very Son. The disciples respond, begging Christ, “Stay with us.” Christ joins them at the table, takes the bread, says the blessing, breaks it, and gives it to them. They recognize him in the breaking of the bread and then he disappears. They share with each other how their hearts were burning within them, and they hurry to share this Good News with others. Every time we come to Mass, Christ will give himself to us in the breaking of the bread. Now, the question remains: Will we recognize him? Will we notice our hearts burning within us? If so, will you be sent to share this with other?
Starting this past Wednesday evening and/or Thursday morning, our Adult Faith Formation Spring Study Program is offering the video series by Bishop Robert Barron on THE MASS. Bishop Barron will share in this series that, “The Eucharist is Christ himself, personally and actively present … This is why it is through the lens of the Eucharist that Jesus comes most fully and vividly into focus.” It is a six-week series that I highly encourage you to attend along with your weekly participation at Mass. You can register here.
Let us turn our focus to Jesus, who draws near to us here each time we come to Mass. He is truly present in this liturgy – surrounding us in the community gathered, speaking to us in the Scriptures proclaimed, giving himself to us in the Blessed Sacrament.
Deacon Frank Iannarino