Daily Readings - Wed Apr 04 2018

First Reading - Acts 3.1-10

¹Now Peter and John went up to the temple at the ninth hour of prayer²And a certain man, who was lame from his mother’s womb, was being carried in. They would lay him every day at the gate of the temple, which is called the Beautiful, so that he might request alms from those entering into the temple³And this man, when he had seen Peter and John beginning to enter the temple, was begging, so that he might receive alms⁴Then Peter and John, gazing at him, said, "Look at us.⁵And he looked intently at them, hoping that he might receive something from them⁶But Peter said: "Silver and gold is not mine. But what I have, I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, rise up and walk.⁷And taking him by the right hand, he lifted him up. And immediately his legs and feet were strengthened⁸And leaping up, he stood and walked around. And he entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God⁹And all the people saw him walking and praising God¹⁰And they recognized him, that he was the same one who was sitting for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. And they were filled with awe and amazement at what had happened to him

Gospel - Luke 24.13-35

Luke

Chapter 24

¹³And behold, two of them went out, on the same day, to a town named Emmaus, which was the distance of sixty stadia from Jerusalem¹⁴And they spoke to one another about all of these things that had occurred¹⁵And it happened that, while they were speculating and questioning within themselves, Jesus himself, drawing near, traveled with them¹⁶But their eyes were restrained, so that they would not recognize him¹⁷And he said to them, "What are these words, which you are discussing with one another, as you walk and are sad?¹⁸And one of them, whose name was Cleopas, responded by saying to him, "Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?¹⁹And he said to them, "What things?" And they said, "About Jesus of Nazareth, who was a noble prophet, powerful in works and in words, before God and all the people²⁰And how our high priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death. And they crucified him²¹But we were hoping that he would be the Redeemer of Israel. And now, on top of all this, today is the third day since these things have happened²²Then, too, certain women from among us terrified us. For before daytime, they were at the tomb²³and, having not found his body, they returned, saying that they had even seen a vision of Angels, who said that he is alive²⁴And some of us went out to the tomb. And they found it just as the women had said. But truly, they did not find him.²⁵And he said to them: "How foolish and reluctant in heart you are, to believe everything that has been spoken by the Prophets²⁶Was not the Christ required to suffer these things, and so enter into his glory?²⁷And beginning from Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them, in all the Scriptures, the things that were about him²⁸And they drew near to the town where they were going. And he conducted himself so as to go on further²⁹But they were insistent with him, saying, "Remain with us, because it is toward evening and now daylight is declining." And so he entered with them³⁰And it happened that, while he was at table with them, he took bread, and he blessed and broke it, and he extended it to them³¹And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their eyes³²And they said to one another, "Was not our heart burning within us, while he was speaking on the way, and when he opened the Scriptures to us?³³And rising up at that same hour, they returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven gathered together, and those who were with them³⁴saying: "In truth, the Lord has risen, and he has appeared to Simon.³⁵And they explained the things that were done on the way, and how they had recognized him at the breaking of the bread

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that illuminate the transformative power of faith and the presence of the risen Christ. The first reading from Acts describes Peter and John healing a lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. This man, who had been crippled from birth, was a familiar figure to the people, often placed there to beg for alms. When Peter and John pass by, they do not offer money but something far more profound: healing in the name of Jesus Christ. The man, filled with faith, rises and walks, praising God. This miracle not only restores the man physically but also draws the attention of the crowd, pointing them to the power of faith and the presence of God. The Gospel reading from Luke tells the story of two disciples on the road to Emmaus, struggling to come to terms with the events of Jesus' crucifixion and the reports of his resurrection. Jesus joins them, though they do not recognize him. He listens to their confusion and sorrow, then gently opens their minds to the Scriptures, showing how all of it points to his own suffering and glory. When they press him to stay, he breaks bread with them, and in that moment, their eyes are opened. They recognize him, and he vanishes. Filled with joy and understanding, they rush back to Jerusalem to share the news with the others. These readings are deeply connected. Both highlight the theme of recognition—of seeing God at work in unexpected ways. In Acts, the lame man and the crowd recognize the power of God through Peter and John. In Luke, the disciples on the road to Emmaus come to recognize Jesus in the breaking of bread. Both stories also emphasize the importance of faith and trust in God's plan, even when circumstances seem uncertain or difficult. The lame man trusted Peter and John, and the disciples trusted in the stranger who walked with them, opening their hearts to the truth. In our own lives, these readings invite us to reflect on how we recognize God's presence. Do we, like the lame man, trust in the power of faith, even when we feel limited or helpless? Do we, like the disciples, open our hearts to the possibility of encountering Christ in the unexpected moments of our journey? The readings remind us that God is always at work, even when we do not immediately see or understand. They call us to trust in his plan, to remain open to his presence, and to live with the confidence that he can transform even the most broken parts of our lives. May we, like the lame man and the disciples, experience the joy of recognizing God's presence and the transformative power of his love.