Letters From Home

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Monday of the Third Week of Easter by Dr. Scott Hahn.

Learn more about the Mass at www.stpaulcenter.com

Lecturas:
Hechos 2, 14.22–28
Salmo 16, 1–2.5.7–11
1 Pedro 1, 17–21
Lucas 24, 13–35

Deberíamos ponernos en los zapatos de los discípulos que nos describe el Evangelio de hoy. Van por el camino tristes y cabizbajos, incapaces de comprender todo lo que había ocurrido.

Ellos saben lo que habían visto: un profeta grande en obras y palabras. Saben lo que esperaban de él: que sería el redentor de Israel. Pero no saben cómo interpretar su muerte violenta a manos de sus gobernantes.

Ni siquiera pueden reconocer a Jesús cuando se les acerca para caminar con ellos. Parece un extranjero más de los que visitan Jerusalén para la Pascua.

Llama la atención que Jesús no revela su identidad hasta que ellos describen cómo algunos de los discípulos encontraron la tumba vacía, “pero a Él no lo vieron”. Lo mismo pasa con nosotros. Si Él no se nos revelara, lo único que veríamos sería una tumba vacía y una muerte sin sentido.

¿Cómo se da a conocer Jesús en Emaús? Primero, interpreta “todas las Escrituras” que se refieren a Él. En la primera lectura y en la epístola de hoy, también Pedro abre las Escrituras para proclamar el significado de la muerte de Cristo, de acuerdo con el plan preparado por el Padre desde antes de la creación del mundo.

Jesús es descrito como el nuevo Moisés y el nuevo Cordero Pascual. Él es Aquel de quien David cantó en el salmo de hoy, cuya alma no fue abandonada a la corrupción; antes bien a ella le fue enseñado el camino de la vida.

Jesús, después de explicar las Escrituras, estando sentado a la mesa, tomó el pan, lo bendijo, lo partió y se lo dio a su discípulos; exactamente lo que había hecho en la Última Cena (cf. Lc 22, 14-20).

En cada Eucaristía reconstruimos la escena de aquel domingo de pascua en Emaús. Jesús se nos revela en nuestra jornada. Nos habla al corazón por medio de las Escrituras. Después, en la mesa del altar, en la persona del sacerdote, parte el pan.

Los discípulos le rogaron: “quédate con nosotros”. Y Él se quedó. En la Eucaristía, a pesar de que ya no lo vemos – como en Emaús- lo reconocemos al partir el pan.

Readings:
Acts 2:14, 22–28
Psalm 16:1–2, 5, 7–11
1 Peter 1:17–21
Luke 24:13–35

We should put ourselves in the shoes of the disciples in today’s Gospel. Downcast and confused, they’re making their way down the road, unable to understand all the things that have occurred.

They know what they’ve seen—a prophet mighty in word and deed. They know what they were hoping for—that He would be the redeemer of Israel. But they don’t know what to make of His violent death at the hands of their rulers.

They can’t even recognize Jesus as He draws near to walk with them. He seems like just another foreigner visiting Jerusalem for the Passover.

Note that Jesus doesn’t disclose His identity until they they describe how they found His tomb empty but “Him they did not see.” That’s how it is with us, too. Unless He revealed Himself, we would see only an empty tomb and a meaningless death.

How does Jesus make Himself known at Emmaus? First, He interprets “all the Scriptures” as referring to Him. In today’s First Reading and Epistle, Peter also opens the Scriptures to proclaim the meaning of Christ’s death according to the Father’s “set plan”—foreknown before the foundation of the world.

Jesus is described as a new Moses and a new Passover lamb. He is the one of whom David sang in today’s Psalm, whose soul was not abandoned to corruption but was shown the path of life.

After opening the Scriptures, Jesus at table took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples—exactly what He did at the Last Supper (see Luke 22:14–20).

In every Eucharist, we reenact that Easter Sunday at Emmaus. Jesus reveals Himself to us in our journey. He speaks to our hearts in the Scriptures. Then at the table of the altar, in the person of the priest, He breaks the bread.

The disciples begged Him, “Stay with us.” So He does. Though He has vanished from our sight, in the Eucharist—as at Emmaus—we know Him in the breaking of the bread.

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Saturday of the Second Week of Easter by Mr. Clement Harrold.

Learn more about the Mass at www.stpaulcenter.com

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Friday of the Second Week of Easter by Dr. John Bergsma.

Learn more about the Mass at www.stpaulcenter.com

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Thursday of the Second Week of Easter by Ms. Joan Watson.

Learn more about the Mass at www.stpaulcenter.com

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter by Dr. John Bergsma.

Learn more about the Mass at www.stpaulcenter.com

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter by Dr. Shane Owens.

Learn more about the Mass at www.stpaulcenter.com

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Monday of the Second Week of Easter by Dr. Scott Hahn.

Learn more about the Mass at www.stpaulcenter.com

Readings:
Acts 2:42–47
Psalm 118:2–4, 13–15, 22–24
1 Peter 1:3–9
John 20:19–31

We are children of Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead. Through this wondrous sign of His great mercy, the Father of Jesus has given us new birth, as we hear in today’s Epistle.

Today’s First Reading sketches the “family life” of our first ancestors in the household of God (see 1 Peter 4:17). We see them doing what we still do—devoting themselves to the Apostles’ teaching, meeting daily to pray and celebrate “the breaking of the bread.”

The Apostles saw the Lord. He stood in their midst, He showed them His hands and sides. They heard His blessing and received His commission: to extend the Father’s mercy to all peoples through the power and Spirit He conferred upon them.

We must walk by faith and not by sight—we must believe and love what we have not seen (see 2 Corinthians 5:7). Yet, the invisible realities are made present for us through the devotions the Apostles handed on.

Notice the experience of the risen Lord in today’s Gospel is described in a way that evokes the Mass.

Both appearances take place on a Sunday. The Lord comes to be with His disciples. They rejoice, listen to His Word, and receive the gift of His forgiveness and peace. He offers His wounded body to them in remembrance of His Passion. And they know and worship Him as their Lord and their God.

Thomas’ confession is a vow of faith in the new covenant. As promised long before, in the blood of Jesus we can now know the Lord as our God and be known as His people (see Hosea 2:20–25).

This confession is sung in the heavenly liturgy (see Revelation 4:11). And in every Mass on earth we renew our covenant and receive the blessings Jesus promised for those who have not seen but have believed.

In the Mass, God’s mercy endures forever, as we sing in today’s Psalm. This is the day the Lord has made—when the victory of Easter is again made wonderful in our eyes.