A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

(Chapter 2:14, 22-33)

The Acts of the Apostles, written by St. Luke is an extension of his Gospel and was written perhaps 60 to 70 years after the death of Jesus. Luke was a gentile convert, so he has the apostle Peter especially addressing Jews who were potential converts. Luke wants his readers to see the connection between Jesus and King David. Just as God was on David’s side, so “Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God” and “God raised him up.” Finally, “he received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father and poured him forth, as you see and hear.”

The point is that David was loved by God in a special way, but with Jesus the connection is so powerful and intimate that the Father gives him the Holy Spirit which Jesus then gives to his followers. Each of us today shares this gift of the Holy Spirit who lives within us. Have you ever thought of the Holy Spirit as your life partner? I did not learn that through all my years of Catholic education, but later, when I finally “got it,” it changed my life forever. In a world beset by climate change, war, poverty, homelessness, and disease, it is comforting and empowering to know that the Spirit of God lives within each of us and accompanies us as we navigate life’s challenges.

Responsorial Psalm

(Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11)

“Lord, you will show us the path of life.” Do you know what your path of life is? Is it something you have consciously chosen, or is it a path that you stumbled onto? In either case, do you feel that you are on the right path, God’s path for you? If so, stay faithful to the journey. If not, ask the Holy Spirit to show you the way.

A reading from the First Letter of Peter

(Chapter 1:17-21)

The author says clearly, “you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors.” This is a powerful sentence. Jews believed that salvation came from obedience to the Law of Moses. Peter and all the apostles believed that salvation came from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is what we believe as well. Our salvation does not come primarily from observance of the commandments and the laws of the Church, as important as they are. It is a gift given to us by Jesus. We need only to accept the gift and live in the gift of God’s grace and mercy.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke

(Chapter 20:19-31)

This is the famous story of two disciples who meet a stranger on the road to a small town called Emmaus. We know the name of one of the disciples, Cleopas, who tells the story of the risen Christ. It has always interested me that the first people to experience the empty tomb were women and that the men did not believe them. These men are also confused about what really happened, and they do not recognize Jesus until he breaks bread with them. For the early Christians, meeting Jesus in the breaking of the bread was essential. It certainly was a Jewish tradition to break bread together and, of course, the most important occasion was when all the apostles were together at the Last Supper.

You and I can come to know Jesus a little more deeply every week in the breaking of the bread at the Eucharist. That does not happen automatically. It is easy to get caught up in the routine of the Mass, but the gift is there every time for us if we can open our hearts and minds to Jesus. It is also a time when we can come to know ourselves on a whole other level and open our hearts to those with whom we share life.

Like the two disciples, we are on a lifelong journey that I believe is a journey into the mystery of God’s all-powerful and all-encompassing love. The two travelers in this story had come from Jerusalem and heard the resurrection stories, yet they still could not recognize Jesus until, “While he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him.”

Let us see our weekly Eucharistic experience as a stop on the journey as it was for the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, a stop that brings us closer to Jesus and to our truest, most authentic selves.

 ✝️

Painting: "Supper at Emmaus," 1606, by Michelangelo Merisi (Caravagio). Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan. Public domain.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
 
Bill Ayres was a founder, with the late singer Harry Chapin, of WhyHunger. He has been a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years and has two weekly Sunday-night shows on WPLJ, 95.5 FM in New York. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

(Chapter 2:42-47)

Our Christian tradition identifies Luke, the disciple of Paul, as the author of the Gospel according to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Luke intended Acts to be a continuation of his Gospel to let people know what was going on in the first Christian communities. Today’s reading gives us a picture of what was important in the lives of our spiritual ancestors.

“They devoted themselves to the teachings of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” It sounds wonderful, and so it was.

This was the very beginning of our Church, our faith. Most of these Christians were Jews, so they met for prayer “in the temple area,” but notice that they were “breaking bread in their homes.” They did not dare to break bread in the temple, because it would have caused a riot. They were trying to be good Jews and faithful followers of Jesus at the same time. All of this was during dark times in the shadow of the Roman rulers who had murdered Jesus and were already murdering the Christians. It was a fearful, challenging time, but it brought the believers together in a unique way to grow and protect one another in the face of continual danger.

Responsorial Psalm

(Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24)

“Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.” How are you experiencing God’s love during this most treacherous time? How can you share God’s love with those who you are with every day and those whom you talk to only on the phone or online?

A reading from the First Letter of Peter

(Chapter 3:1-4)

The Resurrection is not only something that happened to Jesus two thousand years ago; it is something that we live every day. We were raised with Christ. There is new life for us, not only in eternity but starting now. We can live in the Spirit because the Spirit has been given to each of us. We do not live alone. We live in the Spirit and the Spirit connects us to one another. We are brothers and sisters in the Spirit. Let us rejoice in that, even on this day—especially on this day.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John

(Chapter 20:19-31)

This is the story of the man we call “Doubting Thomas,” but it is also a story about the Holy Spirit. “Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you…. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.’”

Notice the progression of mission and power: from the Father to Jesus and then to the disciples and, of course, now to us. It all comes through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is in the power of the Holy Spirit that our sins are forgiven. The Holy Spirit is present in each of us. Amazing! We are never alone but especially not in times of danger and stress.

But Thomas misses all of this, and when he is told, he refuses to believe: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” So, there it is—a man who was with Jesus as a trusted disciple refuses to believe. Perhaps there were others who doubted, but here we have one true story of disbelief.

We know the rest of the story. Jesus invites Thomas to put his finger into his hand and his hand into his side “and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas doesn’t touch Jesus but simply says, “My Lord and my God.” Then Jesus says something so powerful that it reverberates to us today: “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” We have not seen, but we do believe. How is that possible? Because we have the very Spirit of God living within us—always, every moment of every day. We did not earn it. It is a pure gift from our all-loving, all-merciful God.

 

 ✝️

Painting: "The Incredulity of St. Thomas" by Michelangelo Merisi (Caravagio). Sanssouci Picture Gallery, Potsdam, Germany. Public domain.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
 
Bill Ayres was a founder, with the late singer Harry Chapin, of WhyHunger. He has been a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years and has two weekly Sunday-night shows on WPLJ, 95.5 FM in New York. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

(Chapter 10:34a,37-43)

The Acts of the Apostles is a continuation of Saint Luke’s Gospel—an account of the birth and earliest life of the Church after the resurrection of Jesus. In the passage read today, Peter speaks for the community and recounts the major events in the life of Jesus: his anointing with the Holy Spirit; his ministry of healing; his passion, death, and resurrection; and his reappearance, eating and drinking with the disciples. Peter wants everyone to know that he and the other apostles have been “commissioned” by Jesus to preach the good news and that “everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Imagine how difficult all this had been for Peter and the other apostles. They lost the friend and leader in whom they had placed all their hope. They gave up everything to follow him, and then they lost him to a horrible death. They could have called it quits and returned to their former lives. There were probably many who encouraged them to do so, but they persisted. Why? Because somehow, in ways we cannot understand, they still experienced the presence of Jesus, and they continued to answer his call. Because of those relatively few courageous people, we have a community, a Church, today. Let us be thankful for them and let their courage strengthen us as we continue our baptismal journey.

Responsorial Psalm

(Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23)

“This is the day the Lord has made: let us be glad and rejoice.” What do you rejoice in every day?

A reading St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians

(Chapter 3:1-4)

The Resurrection is not only something that happened to Jesus two thousand years ago; it is something that we live every day. We were raised with Christ. There is new life for us, not only in eternity but starting now. We can live in the Spirit because the Spirit has been given to each of us. We do not live alone. We live in the Spirit and the Spirit connects us to one another. We are brothers and sisters in the Spirit. Let us rejoice in that, even on this day—especially on this day.

A reading from the Gospel according to John

(Chapter 20:1-9)

It is remarkable that the Gospel reports that, in the deeply patriarchal society of the time, a woman was the first person to discover the empty tomb and alert the apostles. It is Mary Magdalene that tells the shocking news to Peter. When Peter and John enter the tomb, they get it. His body was not stolen. Something else has happened. They see and believe. Now, their challenge is to convince the others that they are not out of their minds, that something else had happened that they could not yet explain.

There is no historical account of the resurrection itself. We know that it was not a resuscitation. The physical body of Jesus did die. The risen Jesus was different, but so real that the apostles and many others placed their faith in him, and he in turn gave them—and now gives us—the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our Church. It is a matter of faith. It is, in fact, the basis of our faith. Happy Easter! Happy Resurrection! Happy new life!

Celebrate!

Share this table prayer with those you will eat with today. Pray together:

Christ has risen! Alleluia!

Loving God, you who create all things
and generously give us all we need,
we praise you and thank you for being present with us now
as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, your Son.

Thank you for accompanying us on our Lenten journey;
please be with us during this Easter season, and always,
as we strive to live as disciples of your Son.

May the breaking of bread, today and every day,
remind us of the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ,
who died to atone for our sins
and rose again so that we, too, may rise
and live in your presence forever.

O God, bless this food and we who share it,
and be with those who cannot share it with us.

We ask this in the name of the same Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

 ✝️

Photograph by Jonny Gios on Unsplash.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
 
Bill Ayres was a founder, with the late singer Harry Chapin, of WhyHunger. He has been a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years and has two weekly Sunday-night shows on WPLJ, 95.5 FM in New York. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

Procession: A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew

(Chapter 21:1-11)

This is Matthew, a Jew writing especially for Jewish converts to Christ. Matthew wants to make sure he conveys that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Messiah. That is why he has Jesus “riding on a donkey” as the prophet Zechariah foretold and describes the crowd crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”—words from Psalm 118.

There are supporters who believe Jesus to be the Messiah, and yet not long after, in this same city, another crowd yells, “Crucify him.” Have you ever wondered why the people of Jerusalem changed sides so quickly? As we hear later in the story, it was the Pharisees and other religious leaders who were threatened by Jesus that wanted him dead and roused many to turn against him even though it was not in the people’s best interest. It is a pattern that has continued throughout history.

A reading from the Prophecy of Isaiah

(Chapter 50:4-7)

This is one of the four poems called “Suffering Servant Songs” that depict a messenger sent to convince the people to be true to the covenant God had made with them. The Servant suffers rejection and even death while being faithful to his mission. The early Church saw Jesus as the embodiment of the Suffering Servant, as do we today.

Have you ever suffered for doing the right thing, for standing up for the truth, for helping someone in need? At times, we all may be called to be suffering servants but not people without hope. Our hope is in Jesus, especially in times of suffering.

A reading St. Paul's Letters to the Philippians

This passage was probably a hymn sung at early Christian liturgies that incorporates the image of the Suffering Servant that was familiar to the Jews of the time. But it goes beyond this image to one obedient to the point of death: “Because of this, God greatly exalted him” … “and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”

This was a radical statement for any Jew to make. For Judaism, God is totally other, not embodied in some aspect of nature. God is God. That’s it. But here, the early Christians boldly sing of their belief “that Jesus Christ is Lord.” That may be easy for us to say now, but it was a dangerous song back then.

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew

(Chapters 26:14-27:66)

This is the most important part of the Gospels, and so we read the whole passage reverently. It is impossible to get the many parts of the story all at once. Please try to read all four of the gospel Passion stories, or at least one of them, sometime this week and talk about it with someone who shares your faith.

There are so many interesting characters and stories within stories. Let’s look more closely at Judas and Peter. Both betray Jesus but in different ways and for different reasons. Peter is afraid, afraid for his life. He knows how hideous the Roman crucifixions were. So, here he is the one chosen by Jesus to be the leader, the “rock,” and he crumbles. We do not know why Judas betrayed Jesus to the Romans. Was it just for money or were there other motives? In any case, Judas becomes so wrapped in guilt that he kills himself. He does not believe that he can be forgiven. That means that he did not really understand who Jesus was, the healer, full of compassionate forgiveness, and so he cut himself off from the gift that Jesus offered him. Peter recognized his tragic mistake and turned himself around, had a change of heart, and asked for forgiveness. Later, of course, he gave his life for Jesus and for the message of forgiveness. And what of Judas? Did his suicide mean that he was forever condemned for his lack of faith in forgiveness? We might be inclined to answer quickly, but remembering the dimensions of God’s mercy, we leave that judgment to him.

As we celebrate this Palm Sunday conscious of the millions of refugees living in poverty, the thousands killed or displaced by war and natural disaster, the hundreds of innocents killed by firearms, let us pray that the risen Jesus who overcame suffering and death will be with those who suffer throughout the world. Let us also ask ourselves what we can do to help our vulnerable sisters and brothers.

As you may know, I co-founded WhyHunger with the late Harry Chapin. We started the first hunger hotline in America, the New York Hunger Hotline. Some years later, we started the National Hunger Hotline which still operates at 1-800-548-6479. Over the years, we have helped millions of hungry people find food in their neighborhoods. During the past two weeks our calls have gone up 300 percent. If you know people who are hungry, please tell them to call that hotline. And if you can do anything to help hungry people near you or far away, please do.

 ✝️

Painting: Entry into Jerusalem by Giotto di Bondone (1303). Scrovegni Chapel, Veneto, Italy. Public domain.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
 
Bill Ayres was a founder, with the late singer Harry Chapin, of WhyHunger. He has been a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years and has two weekly Sunday-night shows on WPLJ, 95.5 FM in New York. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

A reading from the Prophecy of Ezekiel

(Ezekiel 37:12-14)

The Babylonian Exile (597 BC to 538 BC) was a terrible period in the history of the Jewish people. After a war in which forces of the Neo-Babylonian Empire sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple of Solomon, a large number of Judeans were taken captive. Amid this tragedy, the prophet Ezekiel preached hope. Ezekiel lived in exile in Babylon which for thousands of Israelites was a grave. But Ezekiel has a message from God: “O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord…. “I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land…. I have promised, and I will do it.”

Ezekiel wasn’t preaching false hope. After the Persians conquered the Babylonians, King Cyrus freed the captive Israelites and sent them home to Jerusalem. In times of disaster, there are true prophets, sent from God, and false prophets. Sometimes, it is hard to tell the difference unless we listen to the Spirit dwelling within us and all around us.

 Responsorial Psalm

(Psalm 130:1-8)

“With the Lord there is mercy and the fullness of redemption.” Mercy is a key word for Pope Francis. He feels he experienced God’s mercy in a powerful way when he was a bishop in Argentina in a period of political strife and violence. It changed his life forever. He encourages us to seek God’s mercy throughout our lives.

A reading St. Paul's Letters to the Romans

(Romans 8:8-11)

Paul tells the Romans, “You are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you…. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you.”

As you know, Paul was not always a believer in Jesus, but once he “got it” he was all in. He experienced the Holy Spirit in him, and he knew the power it gave him to face adversity, torture, and even death. He believed that his mortal body would be given a new life after death. Jesus died and will live forever, a seeming contradiction but not for Jesus and not for us, because God’s Spirit lives in us.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

(Chapter 11:1-45)

Let us try to really get into this beautiful story: “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” Yes, Jesus loved everyone, but he was also fully human and had an especially deep friendship with this family. So, you would think that when Jesus heard that Lazarus had died, he would have rushed to comfort the family. No! “So, when he heard that (Lazarus) was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was.” Then finally he said to his companions, “Let us go back to Judea.”

Of course, by then Lazarus was not only dead but already entombed. “Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you…. Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will live forever. Do you believe this?’ She said, ‘Yes, Lord….’”

So, Jesus went to the tomb and “cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’” John ends the story by telling us, “Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what had been done began to believe in him.” Still, many more did not, just as many today who are Christians doubt that we will also be resurrected. Yet, there are only two choices: believe in resurrection or there is nothingness. I am going with Jesus and the promise of resurrection. How about you?

 ✝️

Painting: The Raising of Lazarus" by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640). Galleria Sabauda, Torino, Italy. This image is reproduced here under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International .

Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
 
Bill Ayres was a founder, with the late singer Harry Chapin, of WhyHunger. He has been a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years and has two weekly Sunday-night shows on WPLJ, 95.5 FM in New York. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.