Daily Readings - Thu Apr 08 2021
Acts
11While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's, astounded.12And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?13The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him.14But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,15and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.16And his name--by faith in his name--has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.17"And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.18But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.19Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out,20that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,21whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.22Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.23And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.'24And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days.25You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.'26God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness."
Luke
35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.36As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, "Peace to you!"37But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.38And he said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?39See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."40And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.41And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?"42They gave him a piece of broiled fish,43and he took it and ate before them.44Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."45Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,46and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.48You are witnesses of these things.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful moments that illuminate the heart of our faith. The first reading from Acts finds Peter addressing a crowd that has gathered in astonishment after he and John healed a lame man. Peter quickly redirects their attention away from himself and John, emphasizing that the true source of this miracle is Jesus Christ. He calls the people to repentance, urging them to turn away from sin and embrace the forgiveness offered through the risen Lord. Peter’s words are a reminder that the power of God is always at work, even in the most unexpected ways, and that this power calls us to conversion and a deeper relationship with God.
The Gospel from Luke takes us to the evening of Easter Sunday, where the risen Jesus appears to his disciples. They are filled with fear and disbelief, thinking they are seeing a ghost. Jesus calms their fears by showing them his wounds and sharing a meal with them, proving that he is truly alive. He then opens their minds to understand the Scriptures, revealing how his suffering, death, and resurrection fulfill the promises of God. This moment is a profound reminder that the resurrection of Jesus is not just an event of the past but a living reality that transforms our understanding of God’s plan and our place in it.
These readings are deeply connected, as both emphasize the transformative power of the resurrection. In Acts, Peter uses the miracle of healing to point to the power of faith in Jesus, while in Luke, Jesus himself reveals the fulfillment of God’s plan through his resurrection. Together, they call us to live as people transformed by the risen Christ. In our daily lives, this means trusting in God’s power to work through us, seeking repentance when we fall short, and deepening our understanding of Scripture to see how God’s plan unfolds in our lives. Let us allow the truth of the resurrection to fill us with hope and courage, knowing that we, too, are called to be witnesses of the risen Lord.