Daily Readings - Wed Apr 23 2025
Acts
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
Luke
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 profound stories of transformation through encounters with Jesus. The first reading from Acts describes Peter and John healing a lame man at the temple gate, illustrating the power of faith and the continuation of Jesus' ministry through His disciples. The second reading, from Luke, tells the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, whose hearts were opened to recognize Jesus in the breaking of bread, symbolizing the Eucharistic encounter that transforms our spirits.
Both narratives highlight the theme of transformative encounters with Jesus. In Acts, the physical healing of the lame man reflects the tangible power of faith and the apostles' role in continuing Jesus' work. In Luke, the spiritual recognition through the Eucharist reminds us that Jesus is present in our midst, especially in the sacraments. These stories teach us that our faith journeys are not solitary but are enriched by community and sacramental life.
In our daily lives, we are called to be open to such transformative encounters. Whether through helping others, as Peter and John did, or through the Eucharist, as the Emmaus disciples experienced, we can meet Jesus. Let us embrace these moments with open hearts, allowing His presence to transform us. May we, like the disciples, recognize Jesus in our journeys and share His love with others, becoming agents of transformation in our communities.