THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Lord Jesus, explain the Scriptures to us.
Make our hearts burn within us as you talk to us. LK 24:32

ACTS 3:13-15,17-19 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Peter stands before the crowd and reveals to his hearers the difference between God's way and our way. He points out to them and to us the reason why most of us refuse to see or accept the undeniable evidence before us. 

The Jews had the Scriptures, they knew the prophecies, they were familiar with the psalms. They were aware that everything that happened in their salvation history from the very first words in written in the Scripture and right to the present time when You revealed Yourself as the Messiah and the fulfillment of the Covenant of God to the people He chose for His own.

But they rejected You and what is so terrible is that they put You to death in the worst possible way imaginable A death that no human being ought to be made to suffer. Why? Because You did not fit their idea of a Messiah. One conceived in their own imagination and patterned after their own desire to fulfill their human expectations. They lacked the division vision to see as God sees The absurdity of God's love was beyond their capacity to conceive because of our common downfall, pride, and because we see with the eyes of the world and not the Spirit.

But Peter comforts and encourages them not to be too dismayed because they acted out of ignorance and in doing so all that was foretold in Scripture about You, the Christ, the Anointed One of God, was fulfilled. The beauty of our faith is that we know You are a God of second chances. The door to Your mercy and grace is always open to all who repent and turn to You. You wash away our iniquity, You cleanse us of our sins, and You take away our guilt. Thank You! 

PSALM 4:2,4,7,9 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

You are the Light of the world, You are the Savior of the world. When we call, You answer, when we sigh, You hear. When we are in anguish You console us when we are wounded You heal us. When we plead for mercy You do not deny Your mercy to us.

You are the God of love, the God of hope, the God of tender mercy and compassion - we need never fear the wrath of Your justice when we are repentant and contrite. You came for sinners and heaven rejoices over the return of every sinner into the sheepfold.

‘What can bring us happiness?’ Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord, and we will lie down in peace. Sleep and rest will come to us at once because You O Lord make us dwell in safety in Your Sacred Heart which is our home.

1 JOHN 2:1-5 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Faith in You is the way to perfect peace in a world that is drowning in evil, malice, and mayhem. But many in the world refuse to believe in You despite the undeniable and undisputed evidence that You, the Son of God came into the world and redeemed us. 

We can choose to be happy. We can choose to live in peace with one another. We can put an end to all division, hatred, violence, and fear that is ripping the world apart but we refuse to do so because we love sin. We prefer the temporary pleasures of this life to the eternal treasures of God's Kingdom. 

John, the beloved disciples, says all we need to do is stop sinning but even when we do sin because we are weak, we have God the Father, and You, His Son, and Your Sacrifice that takes away not only our sins but the sins of the whole world. God's mercies never cease.

All who know You love You and will keep Your commandments - no one who disobeys Your commands can claim to love. We may be stubborn and our flesh will often lead us astray but when we repent and return to You and follow the Way of Truth Your love will be perfected in us. Life can be so easy, so simple, so joyous if we believe and obey Your commandment to love as You love.

LUKE 24:35-48 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

To be born a cradle Catholic is a privilege and a gift not given to all the tragedy though is that we fail to recognize this pearl of great price that was freely given to us through no merit of our own but by the sheer mercy and grace of God.

Who can question God why He has bestowed this wondrous gift of grace to us but the truth of the matter is that because this great treasure was given to us, we must understand its worth and that our accountability to Him is far greater than those who had to seek the Truth. 

Many of us were baptized as infants and were fed the truth at the breast. We were weaned on God's Word and we heard Your Name and were encourage to lisp it even as we learned to speak. We received the Sacraments, and the Eucharist was our daily Food. We participated in the rich life of the Church and the Good News was inscribed in our hearts.

The disciples returning from Emmaus were filled with excitement as they testified to the rest all that they had experienced and how they recognized You in the breaking of the bread. Where is our excitement? Our testimony? Our unrestrained joy at what we have personally experienced of Your divine life in us?

The evangelist tells us that while they were still talking about all they experienced You Yourself stood among them and gave them Your blessing of peace. It is Your gift to us and to an unbelieving world. But they were afraid, they doubted, despite the many occasions when You had said to them that You would be put to death but would rise again on the third day.

All You said to them then You say to us who believe in You now, 'Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ 

All who have eyes to see will see You plainly revealed in Scripture and will recognize that 'everything written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms has to be fulfilled.’ This is the Good News that we are commissioned to preach by the witness of our lives. ‘So you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.’