Trinity

Today's gospel is basically a repeat of yesterday's gospel and so I thought I would share a poem that I think captures the essence of being born in the Spirit. I find that this gospel whispers Trinity in my ear and so I offer you a reflection on Trinity. We are each one of us a relationship and in relationship and the fruit of The Relationship. The wind blows us where it wills and all we have to do is learn to dance with that wind. Our cooperation with The Relationship is our acceptance of heavenly things and in that balance of mystery and knowing and believing, we will be born into eternal life. 

Trinity

By Jennifer Lyn

Each one of us is a trinity: 

our mind, our will, and our soul. 

Our creative self lives within our mind, 

imagining a world filled with wonder, awe, and fierce love. 

This idea comes to life in our will, 

giving birth to the hope for our world. 

Our will becomes a resemblance of our thoughts 

like a child resembles their father. 

The connection between these two, 

our creative nature and our actual nature, 

becomes its very own completeness 

and a soul is given wings to roam. 

This beautiful bird can soar to heights unimagined 

because it receives its wind from the mind and the will 

circling around like kids on a playground, 

making energy, grace, and passion.

Each one of us becomes a trinity 

when that which we dream of becomes our identity, 

and gives our heart its beat. 

We need these three to be in harmony in order to thrive, 

and in order to resemble that which also created us: 

Father

Son

Holy Spirit

So let your trinity join hands with one another today 

and you will soar.

Reading 1 ACTS 4:32-37

The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the Apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the Apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.

Thus Joseph, also named by the Apostles Barnabas
(which is translated Ason of encouragement"),
a Levite, a Cypriot by birth,
sold a piece of property that he owned,
then brought the money and put it at the feet of the Apostles.

Responsorial Psalm PS 93:1AB, 1CD-2, 5

R.(1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia JN 3:14-15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man must be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him
may have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 3:7B-15

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"'You must be born from above.'
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
'How can this happen?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

Set The World On Fire

Today is the feast of St. Catherine of Siena and I am going to use one of her favorite quotes in regards to today’s gospel: “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Unless you are born from above, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” This of course confused the literal-minded Pharisee, “How can a man once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?” This just makes me smile because I know some pretty shallow thinkers and they just can’t see beyond the literal as easily as the deep thinkers. Jesus was constantly trying to get people to look beyond. Being born again means to awaken ourselves to a life with Christ (living water) and to a life in the Spirit. We have probably all had a significant moment, encounter, anointing, awakening, or conversion that set our hearts on fire in some powerful way. These are our own being “born from above” and “what is born of spirit is spirit” touchstones. The spirit is the love between the Father and the Son and when we reside there we will flow from there, and when we flow from love, we will be who God meant for us to be, and we will be setting the world on fire. If we live in the spirit, we will look different, act different, be different, and these will be magnets or lighthouses or beacons for others to come and also be born in the spirit. This is the very essence of what the apostles thrived on after Pentecost. Their baptism in the Holy Spirit was their launching into the heart of God and they did indeed set the world on fire. Jesus told them that they would do so much more than he ever did and that commissioning remains with each and every one of us. Ponder your own rebirth in the Spirit today. What is your touchstone moment(s) of entry into that new life? What was your life like before? Do you need a refresher course on getting in touch with whom God meant you to be?

I had a Catherine of Siena moment yesterday at work. I was on a break and simply picked up my ukulele to play some music in the activities room to relax a bit. All my sweet memory care friends were in watching a movie and so I had some time to steal away. As I was playing music, three of my non-verbal (for the most part) friends came wandering in one by one because they heard me playing faintly down the hallway and simply needed to be in the music. They each sat by themselves spread throughout the room and as I sang, they closed their eyes and entered into the melody. I sang their favorites, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, How Great Thou Art, Love Me Tender, Smile, You Are My Sunshine. These three in particular have the hardest time piecing words together while talking and they each have their own way of expressing their emotions or thoughts through hand movements or facial expressions. Something special happens, however, when they hear music. There is a melting away of the tension that they seem to constantly live in. There is a shedding of the confusion that rests like a fog over them. There is a fluidity that moves gracefully through their soul as they begin to sway to the tune and the rhythm. It’s a special kind of anointing to witness and I do not take it lightly or for granted. In those moments I know that I am who God meant me to be because the fire of Pentecost rests on each one of us. The atmosphere is different, the fragrance is lovely, and heaven mingles with earth. The language of love through music pierces their frozen minds for one moment in time and this is what it means to be born from above. I feel that my words are so inadequate at capturing the preciousness of this moment, but if you can picture what it looks like to savor something; a perfect bite, a perfect kiss, a perfect sunrise, a perfect harmony, a perfect moment in time, then you would know what my sweet friends look like when a song washes over them. It is a glimpse into glory and it is what Jesus talks about in today’s gospel, “The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born in the Spirit.” I cannot orchestrate these moments, I can simply show up with what God has meant me to be, and let the Spirit blow where it wills. Set the world on fire today. It is well with my soul.

Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 267

Reading 1 ACTS 4:23-31

After their release Peter and John went back to their own people
and reported what the chief priests and elders had told them.
And when they heard it,
they raised their voices to God with one accord
and said, "Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth
and the sea and all that is in them,
you said by the Holy Spirit
through the mouth of our father David, your servant:

Why did the Gentiles rage
and the peoples entertain folly?
The kings of the earth took their stand
and the princes gathered together
against the Lord and against his anointed.

Indeed they gathered in this city
against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed,
Herod and Pontius Pilate,
together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
to do what your hand and your will
had long ago planned to take place.
And now, Lord, take note of their threats,
and enable your servants to speak your word
with all boldness, as you stretch forth your hand to heal,
and signs and wonders are done
through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook,
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Responsorial Psalm PS 2:1-3, 4-7A, 7B-9

R. (see 11d) Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Why do the nations rage
and the peoples utter folly?
The kings of the earth rise up,
and the princes conspire together
against the LORD and against his anointed:
"Let us break their fetters
and cast their bonds from us!"
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He who is throned in heaven laughs;
the LORD derides them.
Then in anger he speaks to them;
he terrifies them in his wrath:
"I myself have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain."
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD.
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD said to me, "You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish."
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

AlleluiaCOL 3:1

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If then you were raised with Christ,
seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 3:1-8

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with him."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." 
Nicodemus said to him,
"How can a man once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?"
Jesus answered,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and Spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you,
'You must be born from above.'
The wind blows where it wills,
and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Lightly Clad

It seems like the apostles were attempting to get back to life as usual. I remember doing the same after dad died and then I realized that life will never be the same and I needed to establish a new norm, a new daily, a new routine, and a new way of thinking. Jesus knows the human heart and so he enters this typical scene, but he gives them something more, he gives them his presence in a whole new way. He asks them if they had caught anything yet. Their ordinary way of doing their ordinary was not quite happening that morning, so he encouraged them to do it a different way and they caught more than they could hold. Jesus meets me in my daily and encourages me to do things in a different way, by trusting in his direction. How far these guys had come from the first time that Jesus advised them to cast their nets on the other side. They were so much more pliable and the memory of that initial call from Jesus ignited John the beloved’s instant recognition of his best friend. When he tells Peter that it’s Jesus, Peter tucks in his garment because he is “lightly clad” and dives in the water to get to Jesus. I love the difference in these two guy’s approach to Jesus. John, the beloved, is the one that recognizes Jesus, and Peter is the one who jumps in the water half-naked to get to him before the others. I’d like a balance between the two: John’s tender intimacy in my prayer life and Peter’s fearlessness in my apostolic action. Jesus must have been so tickled by Peter’s half-nakedness since the next detail in the story is that they were very close to shore and he could have just floated in on the boat while putting his clothes back on! Oh, Pete, I love your all in-ness!! 

Jesus had breakfast waiting for them, but asked them to also bring some of the fish that they just caught for the feast. Jesus wants our gifts, our offerings, and our ordinary to mingle with his because he just loves the way we are. I keep connecting my heart to Peter’s in this story because he is still probably horrified at the fact that he denied Jesus three times and yet the mercy of God broke through his horror with the peace and love that Jesus was delighted to bring every time he showed up! Peter’s denial was being transformed into a bold and living faith that would never deny his Lord again. Today’s gospel is a glimpse into that moment when mercy saves, when mercy heals, when mercy commissions, and when mercy wrecks the old with the promise of the new. I have been a recipient of such mercy and so I find myself also wanting to jump in just as I am just to be near him. Mercy stands on the shore and beckons me to tuck my garment in and come where my beloved waits to feed me with his presence and meet me in my newness. Today’s gospel is a beautiful display of God’s waiting on us and for us. It doesn’t matter how we come to him, just that we come. He wants to nourish us in extraordinary ways so that our ordinary will no longer be the same. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 ACTS 4:1-12

After the crippled man had been cured,
while Peter and John were still speaking to the people,
the priests, the captain of the temple guard,
and the Sadducees confronted them,
disturbed that they were teaching the people
and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
They laid hands on Peter and John
and put them in custody until the next day,
since it was already evening.
But many of those who heard the word came to believe
and the number of men grew to about five thousand.

On the next day, their leaders, elders, and scribes
were assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest,
Caiaphas, John, Alexander,
and all who were of the high-priestly class.
They brought them into their presence and questioned them,
"By what power or by what name have you done this?"
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them,
"Leaders of the people and elders:
If we are being examined today
about a good deed done to a cripple,
namely, by what means he was saved,
then all of you and all the people of Israel should know
that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean
whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead;
in his name this man stands before you healed.
He is the stone rejected by you, the builders,
which has become the cornerstone.
There is no salvation through anyone else,
nor is there any other name under heaven
given to the human race by which we are to be saved."

Responsorial Psalm PS 118:1-2 AND 4, 22-24, 25-27A

R.(22)  The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
"His mercy endures forever."
Let those who fear the LORD say,
"His mercy endures forever."
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia PS 118:24

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 21:1-14

Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee's sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing."
They said to him, "We also will come with you."
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?"
They answered him, "No."
So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something."
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord."
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you just caught."
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, "Come, have breakfast."
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?"
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
after being raised from the dead.

In Their Midst

Today’s gospel helps me see how Jesus continues to pursue us. I can’t help thinking that Jesus has been having a bit of fun with just appearing to his friends, as we have already seen three incidents of it since Easter. I mean I know that I would thoroughly enjoy sneaking up alive on my loved ones if I had risen from the dead, just sayin’! “While they were still speaking about this, he stood their in their midst…” “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) Jesus loves to be in our midst ready to speak peace to us, ready to console our troubled hearts, ready to just be with us, and ready to remind us of his love. He said, “’Peace be with you.’ But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost.” (Translation: he scared the crap out of them. It’s such a funny visual in my mind.) I can just picture Jesus being so entertained by their reaction and his next question said with an amused tone, “Why are you troubled? (As if he didn’t know that sneaking up on them would be frightening, wink wink) And why do questions arise in your heart?” Still seeing their confusion over whether he was real or not, he asked them to physically touch him and see that he was indeed alive. This encounter gives me food for thought about my own prayer life. When I am distressed, confused, and troubled, he comes in and breathes peace into my world. Then he asks me to tell him why I’m troubled and why my heart is in doubt. He reminds me that he has not gone anywhere and is still very much alive. Once I recognize him in my midst he wants to stay and become a part of my everyday. The last thing Jesus does to make himself truly known to his disciples is ask for some food. Sharing a meal is the ultimate show of communion and fellowship, which is exactly what he wants with each of us. 

After he captures their hearts with peace, concern for their troubles, physical touch/presence, and fellowship, he can get to the impartation with which today’s gospel ends. “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” Jesus pursues us with peace, love, presence, and friendship so that we can pursue others in his name with the same. This is the “format” with which he comes to us and it is the way he wants us to love others. I have a friend that lovingly reminds me that we need to serve others FROM God and not FOR God. This is a good thing to ponder today. What does serving from God mean as opposed to serving for God? Jesus stands in our midst today. Let’s receive his peace, let’s be touched by him, and let’s be in communion with him so that we can love others from this presence. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 ACTS 3:11-26

As the crippled man who had been cured clung to Peter and John,
all the people hurried in amazement toward them
in the portico called “Solomon’s Portico.”
When Peter saw this, he addressed the people,
“You children of Israel, why are you amazed at this,
and why do you look so intently at us
as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety?
The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus
whom you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence,
when he had decided to release him.
You denied the Holy and Righteous One
and asked that a murderer be released to you.
The author of life you put to death,
but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.
And by faith in his name,
this man, whom you see and know, his name has made strong,
and the faith that comes through it
has given him this perfect health,
in the presence of all of you.
Now I know, brothers and sisters,
that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did;
but God has thus brought to fulfillment
what he had announced beforehand
through the mouth of all the prophets,
that his Christ would suffer.
Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away,
and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment
and send you the Christ already appointed for you, Jesus,
whom heaven must receive until the times of universal restoration
of which God spoke through the mouth
of his holy prophets from of old.
For Moses said:

A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you
from among your own kin;
to him you shall listen in all that he may say to you.
Everyone who does not listen to that prophet
will be cut off from the people.    

“Moreover, all the prophets who spoke,
from Samuel and those afterwards, also announced these days.
You are the children of the prophets
and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors
when he said to Abraham,
In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
For you first, God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you
by turning each of you from your evil ways.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 8:2AB AND 5, 6-7, 8-9

R.(2ab) O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, our Lord,
how glorious is your name over all the earth!
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.
All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia PS 118:24

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 24:35-48

The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way,
and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread.

While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
"Peace be with you."
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, "Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have."
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?"
They gave him a piece of baked fish; 
he took it and ate it in front of them.

He said to them,
"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled."
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them,
"Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things."

Were Not Our Hearts Burning Within Us?

Today’s gospel brings to mind my own walk on the Camino de Santiago. Two years ago on this exact date I was on my last day before reaching Santiago, which happened to be the anniversary of my dad’s death. The disciples in today’s gospel were also walking out their grief and pondering the agony and mystery of the death of someone they deeply loved. Grief and confusion have a funny hold on one’s ability to do ordinary things. There is a fog that overshadows all and I remember questioning the reality of everything I had ever known. Life without dad seemed like I had entered an alternate universe and nothing made any sense. I think the disciples on the road in today’s gospel might have been experiencing these same kinds of emotions, which makes it easy for me to understand how they did not even recognize him walking and talking alongside them. How many times have I been self-absorbed in my own stuff that I have failed to see what is right in front of me? I think it is beautiful that Jesus entered into the mix in such an ordinary way, with a simple conversation, a walking with, and then a meal. I think a lot of times I want Jesus’ presence in my life to be dramatic like a Broadway production complete with a full overture, a cast of 100’s, a spectacular tap dance number (of course), Jesus singing the epic song in his obviously beautiful tenor voice with that one note that will change your life forever, and the great big production number from A Chorus Line to close it all! I know it sounds silly, but the reality of it is that I want Jesus to be loud and obvious and in my face so that I know it’s him for sure, but he simply joins me in my ponderings, walks with me when I am confused, and stays with me when I invite him to. This sums up the simple and beautiful encounter on the road to Emmaus this morning. 

Jesus walks alongside us constantly and I am thinking about my own inability to see him, hear him, and know his presence. What do I need to do today to recognize him? How can I be aware of my own heart burning within me today as he talks to me and as he opens Scripture to me? What moment or blessing will my eyes be open to see him? One thing I learned on the Camino is that walking slows everything down and in that slowness one begins to see the world differently. Instead of passing things by, I was walking into each moment and as I entered slowly, I was able to recognize the gift of the present. The gift of the present is when you realize his presence. Were not our hearts burning within us? Slow down and we will feel that burn. That burn will melt our hearts so that we can recognize him. It is well with my soul. 

P.S. My dad was in Vietnam when I was born, and my mom would sit me in front of his picture everyday so that I would recognize him when he finally came home. This seems like a wonderful reminder that time in the presence of our Father daily, will let us recognize him when we finally come home. 

Reading 1 ACTS 3:1-10

Peter and John were going up to the temple area
for the three o’clock hour of prayer.
And a man crippled from birth was carried
and placed at the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate” every day 
to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple.
When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple,
he asked for alms.
But Peter looked intently at him, as did John,
and said, “Look at us.”
He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.
Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold,
but what I do have I give you: 
in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.”
Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up,
and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong.
He leaped up, stood, and walked around,
and went into the temple with them,
walking and jumping and praising God.
When all the people saw him walking and praising God,
they recognized him as the one
who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple,
and they were filled with amazement and astonishment
at what had happened to him.

Responsorial Psalm PS 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9

R.(3b) Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord. 
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord. 
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord. 
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord. 
or:
R. Alleluia.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generationsB 
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord. 
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia PS 118:24

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them, 
“What are you discussing as you walk along?”
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?”
And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”
They said to him, 
“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning 
and did not find his Body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, “Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, 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,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the Eleven and those with them who were saying,
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.