April 21, 2023

Third Sunday of Easter / Msgr. Owen F. Campion

The Sunday Readings

Msgr. Owen CampionAgain, as is usual for the Easter season, the Acts of the Apostles provides the first reading for Mass this weekend.

This reading recalls an event like several others in Acts. St. Peter preached in the name of all the 11 surviving Apostles. His remarks recorded in this passage were brief and crisp.

The term used by biblical scholars is that Peter’s message was kerygmatic, drawing from kerygma, the Greek word for “message.” It means that Peter’s words contained the basic information about Jesus and God’s plan of salvation.

Despite the small number of Christians at the time and the fact that the Jewish culture and the effects of Roman domination were overwhelming, the Apostles were still determined to speak aloud about Jesus.

Their resolve revealed their trust and faith in Jesus as Savior and Son of God. The world desperately needed Jesus. Only Jesus could fill what the world needs—then and now. Remembering last weekend’s first reading that described both the early Church’s love for the Lord and its outreach to the troubled and needy, this reading shows that the first followers of Christ saw informing others about the Redeemer as a loving service.

Note also, here as elsewhere in Acts, Peter alone spoke on behalf of the Apostles, even when they were present.

The First Epistle of St. Peter supplies the next reading. Scholars debate the authorship of this epistle. Was Peter the author? Or was someone writing in Peter’s name the author, or was the author presenting ideas that had come from Peter?

In any case, the reading shows how totally committed to Jesus the Savior the early Christians were, and how aware they were that salvation had come through the Lord’s death and resurrection.

The last reading, from St. Luke’s Gospel, is the powerful and lovely story of the risen Lord’s walk to Emmaus with two disciples. The Emmaus narrative appears only in Luke. It is one of the most renowned and beloved pieces in the New Testament.

Important in its message is the fact that, regardless of their devotion to Jesus, the disciples still do not understand everything. They are limited human beings, bewildered by the events of the Lord’s death and resurrection. They need Jesus to understand the deep meaning and purpose of all that they had seen.

Secondly, Jesus meets this need. He teaches them. Thirdly, Jesus is with them. Finally, as they share a meal, with its eucharistic overtones, Jesus is the central figure presiding as they “break the bread” (Lk 24:35). The connection with the Eucharist is too strong to overlook.

Reflection

Beginning with the Scripture readings for Easter itself and continuing this weekend, the Church expresses to us forcefully and clearly its unflinching belief that after his crucifixion and death the Lord Jesus rose to new life.

With equal vigor and faith, it also insists that Jesus did not rise and then disappear. Instead, the Lord was with the Apostles, showing to Thomas his wounds and blessing those who believe. He was alive, present and still teaching during the journey to Emmaus. The supper at Emmaus was the culmination of the two disciples’ time with Jesus.

The use of the technique of kerygma gives us the basic facts of the Lord’s identity and mission. The experience of the Apostles shows us that they literally knew the risen Christ. We turn to them to know Jesus ourselves.

Knowing Jesus is more than possessing data. It confronts us with the obligation to follow Jesus if we know him.

By our discipleship, we extend Christ to those whom we meet. †

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