Daily Readings - Sun Apr 26 2020

¹⁴Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.²²"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.²³This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.²⁴But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.²⁵David said about him: "'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.²⁶Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope,²⁷because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.²⁸You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'

1 Peter

Chapter 1

¹⁷Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.¹⁸For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,¹⁹but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.²⁰He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.²¹Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Luke

Chapter 24

¹³Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.¹⁴They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.¹⁵As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;¹⁶but they were kept from recognizing him.¹⁷He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"¹⁸They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"¹⁹"What things?" he asked.²⁰"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him;²¹but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.²²In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning²³but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.²⁴Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."²⁵He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!²⁶Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"²⁷And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.²⁸As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther.²⁹But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.³⁰When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.³¹Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.³²They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"³³They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together³⁴and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon."³⁵Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Sermon

In today's readings, we journey through the profound narratives of faith and redemption. The first reading from Acts captures Peter's impassioned speech after Pentecost, where he proclaims Jesus' resurrection as part of God's divine plan, supported by David's Psalms. The second reading from 1 Peter reminds us of our redemption through Christ's blood, urging us to live with reverence and virtue. The Gospel from Luke vividly describes the encounter of two disciples with the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus, where their eyes are opened upon breaking bread, symbolizing recognition and renewal. These readings are intricately connected, each emphasizing the transformative power of Jesus' resurrection. Acts and Luke's Gospel highlight the proclamation and realization of Jesus' resurrection, while 1 Peter reflects on the implications of this redemption for our lives. Together, they invite us to recognize God's presence in our midst and to embrace the hope and transformation that faith brings. In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to seek God in every moment, even amidst uncertainty. Like the disciples, we may not immediately recognize God's presence, but through prayer and reflection, our eyes can be opened. The moral lesson here is one of trust and reverence: trusting in God's plan and living with the awareness of our redemption. Let us carry this hope and transformation into our lives, recognizing the divine in our journeys and being renewed by faith.