Letters From Home

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

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

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

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

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

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Lecturas: Hechos 3,13-15, 17-19 Salmo 4,2, 4, 7-9 1 Juan 2, 1-5 Lucas 24, 35-48

En el evangelio de hoy, Jesús les enseña a los discípulos cómo interpretar los textos sagrados.

Les comenta que todas las Escrituras lo que hoy nosotros llamamos el Antiguo Testamento se refieren a Él. Les dice que todas las promesas ahí contenidas se han cumplido en su pasión, muerte y resurrección. Y les afirma que estas Escrituras profetizan la misión de la Iglesia – el predicar el perdón de los pecados a todos los pueblos, empezando en Jerusalén.

En la primera y segunda lectura de este día, vemos el inicio de esta misión. Y a los apóstoles interpretando las Escrituras como les enseñó Jesús.

San Pedro en su predicación dice que Dios ha llevado a su cumplimiento lo que había anunciado antes por medio de los profetas. Su discurso está lleno de imágenes del Antiguo Testamento. Evoca a Moisés y al éxodo, en el que Dios se reveló a sí mismo como el Antiguo Dios de Abrahán, de Isaac y de Jacob (véase Éxodo 3,6, 15). Identifica a Jesús como el siervo sufriente de Isaías que has sido glorificado (véase Isaías 2,13).

También Juan ocupa imágenes del Antiguo Testamento para describir a Jesús. Haciendo alusión a los sacrificios de sangre que ofrecieron los sacerdotes de Israel en expiación por los pecados del pueblo, (véase Levítico 16, Hebreos 9-10), dice que Jesús intercede por nosotros ante Dios (véase Romanos 8,34) y que su sangre es un sacrificio de expiación por los pecados del mundo (véase 1 Juan 1,17).

Es notable que las tres lecturas, las Escrituras son interpretadas para servir a la misión de la Iglesia- de revelar la verdad sobre Jesús, llevar al pueblo al arrepentimiento, borrar los pecados, y perfeccionar su amor a Dios.

Así es como nosotros deberíamos escuchar las Escrituras. No solo para conocer más sobre Jesús, sino para experimentarlo personalmente y descubrir el plan que tiene para nuestras vidas.

En la Biblia, la luz de su rostro brilla sobre nosotros, como cantamos en el salmo de hoy. Conocemos las maravillas que ha hecho en la historia. Por eso tenemos la confianza de acudir a Él, sabiendo que nos escucha y nos responde.

Readings: Acts 3:13–15, 17–19 Psalm 4:2, 4, 7–9 1 John 2:1–5 Luke 24:35–48

Jesus in today’s Gospel teaches His apostles how to interpret the Scriptures.

He tells them that all the Scriptures of what we now call the Old Testament refer to Him. He says that all the promises found in the Old Testament have been fulfilled in His Passion, death, and Resurrection. And He tells them that these Scriptures foretell the mission of the Church—to preach forgiveness of sins to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

In today’s First Reading and Epistle, we see the beginnings of that mission. And we see the apostles interpreting the Scriptures as Jesus taught them to.

God has brought to fulfillment what He announced beforehand in all the prophets, Peter preaches. His sermon is shot through with Old Testament images. He evokes Moses and the Exodus, in which God revealed himself as the ancestral God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (see Exodus 3:6, 15). He identifies Jesus as Isaiah’s suffering servant who has been glorified (see Isaiah 52:13).

John, too, describes Jesus in Old Testament terms. Alluding to how Israel’s priests offered blood sacrifices to atone for the people’s sins (see Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9–10), he says that Jesus intercedes for us before God (see Romans 8:34), and that His blood is a sacrificial expiation for the sins of the world (see 1 John 1:7).

Notice that in all three readings, the Scriptures are interpreted to serve and advance the Church’s mission—to reveal the truth about Jesus, to bring people to repentance, the wiping away of sins, and the perfection of their love for God.

This is how we, too, should hear the Scriptures. Not to know more “about” Jesus, but to truly know Him personally, and to know His plan for our lives.

In the Scriptures, the light of His face shines upon us, as we sing in today’s Psalm. We know the wonders He has done throughout history. And we have the confidence to call to Him, and to know that He hears and answers.

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

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

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for the Memorial of St. Stanislaus by Ms. Joan Watson.

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