Daily Gospel for Wednesday,
23 April 2014
“Simon Peter answered
him, ‘Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.’”—John
6:68
Easter Wednesday
Feast of the Church:
Wednesday in the
Octave of Easter
Urbi et Orbi message
of his holiness Pope Benedict XVI - Easter 2006
Dear Brothers and
Sisters!
Christus resurrexit!- Christ
is risen!
During last night's
great Vigil we relived the decisive and ever-present event of the Resurrection,
the central mystery of the Christian faith. Innumerable Paschal candles were
lit in churches, to symbolize the light of Christ which has enlightened and
continues to enlighten humanity, conquering the darkness of sin and death for
ever. And today there re-echo powerfully the words which dumbfounded the women
on the morning of the first day after the Sabbath, when they came to the tomb
where Christ's body, taken down in haste from the Cross, had been laid. Sad and
disconsolate over the loss of their Master, they found the great stone rolled
away, and when they entered they saw that his body was no longer there. As they
stood there, uncertain and bewildered, two men in dazzling apparel surprised
them, saying: «Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, he is
risen» (Lk 24:5-6). «Non est hic, sed
resurrexit» (Lk 24:6). Ever since that morning, these words have not ceased to
resound throughout the universe as a proclamation of joy which spans the
centuries unchanged and, at the same time, charged with infinite and ever new
resonances.
«He is not here . . .
he is risen.» The heavenly messengers announce first and foremost that Jesus
«is not here»: the Son of God did not remain in the tomb,because it was not
possible for him to be held prisoner by death (cf. Acts 2:24) and the tomb
could not hold on to «the living one» (Rev 1:18) who is the very source of
life. Like Jonah in the belly of the whale, so too Christ crucified was
swallowed up into the heart of the earth (cf. Mt 12:40) for the length of a
Sabbath. Truly, «that Sabbath was a high day», as Saint John tells us (Jn
19:31): the highest in history, because it was then that the «Lord of the
Sabbath» (Mt 12:8) brought to fulfilment the work of creation (cf. Gen 2:1-4a),
raising man and the entire cosmos to the glorious liberty of the children of
God (cf. Rom 8:21). When this extraordinary work had been accomplished, the
lifeless body was suffused with the living breath of God and, as the walls of
the tomb were shattered, he rose in glory. That is why the angels proclaim «he
is not here», he can no longer be found in the tomb. He made his pilgrim way on
earth among us, he completed his journey in the tomb as all men do, but he
conquered death and, in an absolutely new way, by an act of pure love, he
opened the earth, threw it open towards Heaven.
His resurrection
becomes our resurrection, through Baptism which «incorporates» us into him. The
prophet Ezekiel had foretold this: «Behold, I will open your graves, and raise
you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of
Israel» (Ez 37:12). These prophetic words take on a singular value on Easter
Day, because today the Creator's promise is fulfilled; today, even in this
modern age marked by anxiety and uncertainty, we relive the event of the
Resurrection, which changed the face of our life and changed the history of
humanity. From the risen Christ, all those who are still oppressed by chains of
suffering and death look for hope, sometimes even without knowing it.
May the Risen Lord
grant that the strength of his life, peace and freedom be experienced
everywhere. Today the words with which the Angel reassured the frightened
hearts of the women on Easter morning are addressed to all: «Do not be afraid!
... He is not here; he is risen (Mt 28:5-6)». Jesus is risen, and he gives us
peace; he himself is peace. For this reason the Church repeats insistently:
«Christ is risen - Christós anésti.» Let the people of the third millennium not
be afraid to open their hearts to him. His Gospel totally quenches the thirst
for peace and happiness that is found in every human heart. Christ is now alive
and he walks with us. What an immense mystery of love!
Christus resurrexit, quia
Deus caritas est! Alleluia! - Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Saints of the Day:
SAINT GEORGE
Martyr
(280-303)
St. George was born in Cappadocia, at the close of the third century, of Christian parents. In early youth he chose a soldier's life, and soon obtained the favor of Diocletian, who advanced him to the grade of tribune. When, however, the emperor began to persecute the Christians, George rebuked him at once sternly and openly for his cruelty, and threw up his commission. He was in consequence subjected to a lengthened series of torments, and finally beheaded.
There was something so inspiriting in the defiant cheerfulness of the young soldier, that every Christian felt a personal share in this triumph of Christian fortitude; and as years rolled on St. George became a type of successful combat against evil, the slayer of the dragon, the darling theme of camp song and story, until "so thick a shade his very glory round him made" that his real lineaments became hard to trace.
Even beyond the circle of Christendom he was held in honor, and invading Saracens taught themselves to except from desecration the image of him they hailed as the "White-horsed Knight."
The devotion to St. George is one of the most ancient and widely spread in the Church. In the East, a church of St. George is ascribed to Constantine, and his name is invoked in the most ancient liturgies; whilst in the West, Malta, Barcelona, Valencia, Arragon, Genoa, and England have chosen him as their patron.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
Saint Adalbert
Born 939 of a noble Bohemian family; died 997. He assumed the name of the Archbishop Adalbert (his name had been Wojtech), under whom he studied at Magdeburg. He became Bishop of Prague, whence he was obliged to flee on account of the enmity he had aroused by his efforts to reform the clergy of his diocese. He betook himself to Rome, and when released by Pope John XV from his episcopal obligations, withdrew to a monastery and occupied himself in the most humble duties of the house. Recalled by his people, who received him with great demonstrations of joy, he was nevertheless expelled a second time and returned to Rome. The people of Hungary were just then turning towards Christianity. Adalbert went among them as a missionary, and probably baptized King Geysa and his family, and King Stephen. He afterwards evangelized the Poles, and was made Archbishop of Gnesen. But he again relinquished his see, and set out to preach to the idolatrous inhabitants of what is now the Kingdom of Prussia. Success attended his efforts at first, but his imperious manner in commanding them to abandon paganism irritated them, and at the instigation of one of the pagan priests he was killed. This was in the year 997. His feast is celebrated 23 April, and he is called the Apostle of Prussia. Boleslas I, Prince of Poland, is said to have ransomed his body for an equivalent weight of gold. He is thought to be the author of the war-song, "Boga-Rodzica", which the Poles used to sing when going to battle.
Easter Wednesday
Acts 3:1 Peter and
John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.[a] 2
A certain man who was lame from his mother’s womb was being carried, whom they
laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask gifts for
the needy of those who entered into the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about
to go into the temple, he asked to receive gifts for the needy. 4 Peter,
fastening his eyes on him, with John, said, “Look at us.” 5 He listened to
them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “Silver and
gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ
of Nazareth, get up and walk!” 7 He took him by the right hand, and raised him
up. Immediately his feet and his ankle bones received strength. 8 Leaping up,
he stood, and began to walk. He entered with them into the temple, walking,
leaping, and praising God. 9 All the people saw him walking and praising God.
10 They recognized him, that it was he who used to sit begging for gifts for
the needy at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. They were filled with wonder and
amazement at what had happened to him.
Footnotes:
a. Acts 3:1 3:00 PM
Psalm 105:1Give thanks
to Yahweh! Call on his name!
Make his doings known among the peoples.
2 Sing to him, sing
praises to him!
Tell of all his marvelous works.
3 Glory in his holy
name.
Let the heart of those who seek Yahweh
rejoice.
4 Seek Yahweh and his
strength.
Seek his face forever more.
6 you offspring[a] of
Abraham, his servant,
you children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7 He is Yahweh, our
God.
His judgments are in all the earth.
8 He has remembered
his covenant forever,
the word which he commanded to a thousand
generations,
9 the covenant which
he made with Abraham,
his oath to Isaac,
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 105:6 or,
seed
The Holy Gospel of Jesus
Christ according to Saint Luke 24:
13 Behold, two of them were going that
very day to a village named Emmaus, which was sixty stadia[a] from Jerusalem.
14 They talked with each other about all of these things which had happened. 15
While they talked and questioned together, Jesus himself came near, and went
with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 He said to
them, “What are you talking about as you walk, and are sad?”
18 One of them, named
Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who doesn’t know
the things which have happened there in these days?”
19 He said to them,
“What things?”
They said to him, “The
things concerning Jesus, the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and
word before God and all the people; 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers
delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we were
hoping that it was he who would redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is
now the third day since these things happened. 22 Also, certain women of our
company amazed us, having arrived early at the tomb; 23 and when they didn’t
find his body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, who
said that he was alive. 24 Some of us went to the tomb, and found it just like
the women had said, but they didn’t see him.”
25 He said to them,
“Foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have
spoken! 26 Didn’t the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter into his
glory?” 27 Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them
in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 They came near to the
village, where they were going, and he acted like he would go further.
29 They urged him,
saying, “Stay with us, for it is almost evening, and the day is almost over.”
He went in to stay with
them. 30 When he had sat down at the table with them, he took the bread and
gave thanks. Breaking it, he gave to them. 31 Their eyes were opened, and they
recognized him, and he vanished out of their sight. 32 They said to one
another, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us, while he spoke to us along the
way, and while he opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 They rose up that very hour,
returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and those who
were with them, 34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to
Simon!” 35 They related the things that happened along the way, and how he was
recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.
Footnotes:
a. Luke 24:13 60 stadia
= about 11 kilometers or about 7 miles.
Easter Wednesday
Commentary of the Day:
Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Sermon 235 ; PL 38, 1117
« Stay with us »
My brethren, when was it that the Lord made himself recognized? When he broke the bread. So we ourselves are convinced, too: when we break the bread we recognize the Lord. If he hadn't wanted to be recognized until that moment it was for our sakes, we who were not to see him in the flesh but who were yet to eat him in the flesh. So you who believe in him, whoever you are, you who do not bear the name of christian in vain, you who do not come casually into the church, you who hear the word of God in fear and hope: for you the broken bread will be a consolation. Our Lord's absence is not a real absence. Have trust, be faithful and he is with you even if you do not see him.
When the Lord hailed them the disciples had no faith. They did not believe in his resurrection, they did not even hope that he might be raised. They had lost faith; they had lost hope. They were dead men walking alongside a living one; they were walking, dead, with life. Life was walking with them but, in their hearts, life was not as yet renenewed.
And do you long for life? Imitate the disciples and you will recognize the Lord. They offered hospitality; our Lord seemed determined to proceed on his way but they held him back... You too, then, keep hold of the stranger if you wish to recognize your Savior... Learn where to look for the Lord, where to possess him, where to recognize him: in breaking bread with him.
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