Frederick, Maryland, United States - Daily Mass Reading & Meditation for Thursday, 24 April 2014 - Catholic Meditations

Frederick, Maryland, United States - Daily Mass Reading & Meditation for Thursday, 24 April 2014 - Catholic Meditations

Meditations: Acts 3: 11 As the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.

12 When Peter saw it, he responded to the people, “You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up, and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to release him. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses. 16 By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which is through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

17 “Now, brothers,[a] I know that you did this in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But the things which God announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.

19 “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that he may send Christ Jesus, who was ordained for you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets. 22 For Moses indeed said to the fathers, ‘The Lord God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him in all things whatever he says to you. 23 It will be that every soul that will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.’[b] 24 Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days. 25 You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘In your offspring[c] will all the families of the earth be blessed.’[d] 26 God, having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to you first to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your wickedness.”

Footnotes:

a. Acts 3:17 The word for “brothers” here may be also correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”

b. Acts 3:23 Deuteronomy 18:15,18-19

c. Acts 3:25 or, seed

d. Acts 3:25 Genesis 22:18; 26:4

Thursday within the Octave of Easter

You are the children of the prophets and of the covenant. (Acts 3:25)

Noticing that a crowd has gathered around the man whom they have just cured, Peter takes full advantage of the people’s curiosity. He launches into an address that both explains what has just happened and offers everyone else a share in the salvation that this miracle has revealed.

Although Peter announces that this salvation comes through repentance, he doesn’t just

address the people as sinners guilty of condemning Jesus to death. Rather, he addresses what’s best in their nature and experience. He invites them to take hold of the grace God has already given them. He recalls the God they have always worshipped and reminds them that in Jesus, the crucified and risen Messiah, this God is now freely healing people and giving them new life.

Generously, Peter attributes their part in the death of Christ to ignorance rather than to malice. Then he goes on to point to the promised blessing that is rightfully theirs. No wonder so many are eager to believe!

What a model for us as we take up the call to share the gospel! We are surrounded by people who need a savior. How do we view them? How do we talk about them? How do we talk to them? It can be tempting to focus on their shortcomings and sins, but such an approach can lead us to turn our backs on them as being hopeless. It will certainly lead them to keep their distance from us! No one is attracted by condemnation!

On the other hand, we can try to develop a more positive attitude. We can begin by looking for Jesus in each person around us. We can try to identify his image in them and look for ways that they manifest his goodness. Certainly any desire to do the right thing, any impulse of generosity or sense of justice, can show us a way to talk with them about the Lord. If we begin at this spot, we’ll find it easier to help them take one step closer to the God who is already at work in their hearts.

All it takes is an open, respectful heart. The rest is up to God.

“Father, you loved me long before I came to know you. Open my eyes to see how you are at work in every human heart.” Amen.

Psalm 8:2 2 From the lips of babes and infants you have established strength,

    because of your adversaries, that you might silence the enemy and the avenger.

5 For you have made him a little lower than God,[a]

    and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You make him ruler over the works of your hands.

    You have put all things under his feet:

7 All sheep and cattle,

    yes, and the animals of the field,

8     The birds of the sky, the fish of the sea,

    and whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

9 Yahweh, our Lord,

    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 8:5 Hebrew: Elohim. The word Elohim, used here, usually means “God”, but can also mean “gods”, “princes”, or “angels”. The Septuagint reads “angels” here.

Luke 24:35 They related the things that happened along the way, and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

36 As they said these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”

37 But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.” 40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 While they still didn’t believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”

42 They gave him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. 43 He took them, and ate in front of them. 44 He said to them, “This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled.”

45 Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures. 46 He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.

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