Daily Catholic Mass Readings for April 15, 2020
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
Psalm 105
1Alleluia. Confess to the Lord, and invoke his name. Announce his works among the nations2Sing to him, and sing psalms to him. Describe all his wonders3Be praised in his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice4Seek the Lord, and be confirmed. Seek his face always5Remember his miracles, which he has done, his portents and the judgments of his mouth6you offspring of Abraham his servant, you sons of Jacob his elect7He is the Lord our God. His judgments are throughout the entire earth8He has remembered his covenant for all ages: the word that he entrusted to a thousand generations9which he assigned to Abraham, and his oath to Isaac10And he stationed the same for Jacob with a precept, and for Israel with an eternal testament11saying: To you, I will give the land of Canaan, the allotment of your inheritance12Though they may have been but a small number, very few and foreigners there13and though they passed from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people14he allowed no man to harm them, and he reproved kings on their behalf15Do not be willing to touch my Christ, and do not be willing to malign my prophets16And he called a famine upon the land, and he crushed every foundation of the bread17He sent a man before them: Joseph, who had been sold as a slave18They humbled his feet in shackles; the iron pierced his soul19until his word arrived. The eloquence of the Lord inflamed him20The king sent and released him; he was the ruler of the people, and he dismissed him21He established him as master of his house and ruler of all his possessions22so that he might instruct his princes as himself, and teach his elders prudence23And Israel entered into Egypt, and Jacob became a sojourner in the land of Ham24And he helped his people greatly, and he strengthened them over their enemies25He turned their heart to hate his people, and to deal deceitfully with his servants26He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, the one whom he chose27He placed with them signs of his word, and portents in the land of Ham28He sent darkness and made it conceal, and he did not afflict them with his speech29He turned their waters into blood, and he slaughtered their fish30Their land brought forth frogs, even in the inner chambers of their kings31He spoke, and there came forth common flies and gnats, in every region32He gave them a shower of hail and a burning fire, in the same land33And he struck their vineyards and their fig trees, and he crushed the trees of their region34He spoke, and the locust came forth, and the caterpillar, of which there was no number35And it devoured all the grass in their land, and it consumed all the fruit of their land36And he struck all the first-born in their land, the first-fruits of all their labor37And he led them out with silver and gold, and there was not an infirm one among their tribes38Egypt was joyful at their departure, for the fear of them lay heavy upon them39He spread a cloud for their protection, and a fire, to give them light through the night40They petitioned, and the quail came; and he satisfied them with the bread of heaven41He ruptured the rock and the waters flowed: rivers gushed in the dry land42For he had called to mind his holy word, which he kept near to his servant Abraham43And he led forth his people in exultation, and his elect in rejoicing44And he gave them the regions of the Gentiles, and they possessed the labors of the peoples45so that they might observe his justifications, and inquire about his law
Gospel: Luke 24.13-35
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 powerful moments of faith and revelation. The first reading from Acts tells the story of Peter healing a lame man at the temple gate. This man, who had been crippled since birth, was carried to the temple daily to beg. When Peter and John encounter him, Peter declares that he has no silver or gold, but offers something far greater: healing in the name of Jesus Christ. The man rises, walks, and praises God, drawing awe from the crowd. This miracle highlights the transformative power of faith and the shift from material wealth to spiritual wealth.
The Gospel from Luke presents the story of two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They are deep in conversation about Jesus' crucifixion and the empty tomb, feeling defeated and confused. Jesus joins them, but they don't recognize him until he breaks bread with them. This moment of recognition comes through the Eucharistic act, symbolizing how Jesus reveals himself in the sacraments. The disciples' hearts burn as Jesus opens the Scriptures, showing how faith and understanding grow through reflection on God's word.
Both readings connect through themes of recognition and faith. In Acts, the lame man's healing is a physical manifestation of God's power, while in Luke, the disciples' spiritual eyes are opened through the breaking of bread. These stories remind us to trust in God's power and seek spiritual wealth. In our daily lives, we may face moments of doubt or uncertainty, but like the disciples, we can find clarity by reflecting on Scripture and participating in the Eucharist. Let us not overlook God's presence in our lives, but instead, seek Him through prayer and community, allowing our hearts to burn with faith and understanding.