Daily Catholic Mass Readings for April 12, 2023

First Reading: Acts 3.1-10

¹One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer--at three in the afternoon.²Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.³When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.⁴Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!"⁵So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.⁶Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."⁷Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong.⁸He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.⁹When all the people saw him walking and praising God,¹⁰they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Psalm 105

Psalms

Chapter 105

¹Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.²Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.³Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.⁴Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.⁵Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,⁶O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.⁷He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.⁸He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,⁹the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.¹⁰He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:¹¹"To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit."¹²When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it,¹³they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.¹⁴He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:¹⁵"Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."¹⁶He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food;¹⁷and he sent a man before them- Joseph, sold as a slave.¹⁸They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons,¹⁹till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true.²⁰The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free.²¹He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed,²²to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.²³Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.²⁴The LORD made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes,²⁵whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants.²⁶He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.²⁷They performed his miraculous signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.²⁸He sent darkness and made the land dark- for had they not rebelled against his words?²⁹He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die.³⁰Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.³¹He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.³²He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land;³³he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country.³⁴He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number;³⁵they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil.³⁶Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood.³⁷He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered.³⁸Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them.³⁹He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night.⁴⁰They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.⁴¹He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert.⁴²For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham.⁴³He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy;⁴⁴he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for-⁴⁵that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the LORD.

Gospel: Luke 24.13-35

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

**Sermon Reflection** Today’s readings invite us to reflect on the transformative power of faith and the presence of Jesus in our lives. In the first reading from Acts, Peter and John encounter a lame man at the temple gate. Instead of offering him money, they heal him in the name of Jesus, demonstrating the continuation of Christ’s healing ministry through His followers. This miracle not only restores the man physically but also draws people to recognize God’s power, highlighting the early Christian community’s reliance on faith and the name of Jesus. The Gospel reading from Luke presents the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Grieving and confused after Jesus’ crucifixion, they fail to recognize Him as He walks alongside them. However, when He breaks bread, their eyes are opened, and they recognize the risen Christ. This narrative underscores the importance of recognizing Jesus in the Eucharist and the role of community in fostering faith. The breaking of bread becomes a moment of revelation, symbolizing the Eucharistic encounter that sustains us. Both readings connect through themes of recognition and faith. In Acts, the lame man’s healing shows God’s power at work through His disciples. In Luke, the disciples’ encounter with Jesus emphasizes the necessity of community and worship in recognizing His presence. These stories encourage us to trust in God’s plan, seek Him in Scripture and the Eucharist, and live out our faith actively. As we navigate our own journeys, may we, like the disciples, find our hearts burning with faith and our eyes opened to Jesus’ presence in our lives. Let us embrace the transformative power of His love, both in our personal walks and in our communal worship.