Thursday within the Octave of Easter, April 8
Acts 3:11-26
/ Luke 24:35-48
Jesus instructs his disciples; You are to be my witnesses.
Jesus
underscores three things in this reading.
(1)
the reality of
the resurrection,
(2)
the necessity of
the cross, and
(3) the urgency of the task of preaching the Good News to all nations.
Wednesday within Octave of Easter, April 7
Acts 3:1-10
/ Luke 24:13-45
Two disciples welcome a stranger; The stranger turned out to be Jesus.
The Emmaus episode dramatizes three of the ways that people encountered the risen Jesus: in the broken brother, the broken word, and the broken bread.
When there was sin, the world was in the grip of darkness. We celebrate tonight how Jesus came in that darkness to bring us the light of God's love by his death and resurrection. Now a new era could begin for the world and for all of us. This is why we light the fire, for Jesus came to light in us the fire of his love and hope. Let its flames leap up high in us and make us fervent. We kindle the light and profess that Jesus Christ is our light and the light of the world. We follow him and ask him to make us lights on the path of others. What a joy for us!
Holy Week, Wednesday, March 31
Isaiah 50:4-9 / Matthew 26:14-25
Jesus speaks about his betrayer; Judas said, "Surely it is not I?"
Judas was able to conceal his plan from the other disciples, but he wasn't able to conceal it from Jesus. And this allows us to see how Jesus deals with sinners. One of the greatest mysteries of life is the tremendous respect God has for the free will of people.
Tuesday of Holy Week, March 30
Isaiah 49:1-6 / John 13:21-33, 36-38
Jesus talks about betrayal; The disciples were amazed at Jesus' words.
The surprising thing about Judas' plan to betray Jesus is that the other disciples had no idea of it. How could they have lived so close to Judas and been so blind to what was going on in his mind? There are two lessons here. First, our external words and actions may deceive others, but they will never deceive God.
Weekday homilies
for the Holy Week:
March 29 Monday: Jn 12:1-11: 1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at table with him. 3 Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”