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. Acts 3:7-10
 |
| Caravaggio, Supper at Emmaus |
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?” Luke
24:17-19A
Piety
Lord
Jesus Christ,
Stay
with us, too, we pray,
in
every part of our journey,
no
matter how full of doubt or fear we may be today.
Through
your Holy Spirit,
we pray
that you will open our eyes, too
Help
us see you as our risen Lord
in
all your beauty,
and
in all your loving power.
Amen.
—John Witvliet, from
the close of a sermon on Luke 24.
Study
Usually, God is
inviting or commissioning us to do something.
Today’s readings
have turned the table on both Peter and Jesus.
 |
| Road to Emmaus, Janet Brooks Gerloff |
First, this time when
the crowd recognizes Peter, he is not in denial any longer. He does not run away to hide stays with the
beggar. Acting in the name of Jesus, he heals
the crippled man much to the amazement and astonishment of the crowd.
A 2005 Catholic
Online article by Monsignor Charles M. Mangan keys in on the phrase “Stay with
us.”
Three
short words sum up the servants’ appeal to their master. ‘Stay with us’ gives God ‘permission’ to remain in our lives through
the invisible but nevertheless real principle of grace.’ …When Christ vanished
before the eyes of the two disciples after the breaking of the Bread, Cleophas
and his unnamed companion could have melted into lethargy. Their Master had left;
they were seemingly by themselves. But instead of becoming passive, they
quickly journeyed to tell the Eleven what had transpired. Although Jesus had temporarily departed, his Presence remained.”
Action
In this the Octave of
Easter, open your eyes to a new experience that stretches you beyond your
comfort zone. If you normally help
at a food pantry, for example, assist a young person in crisis. If you typically
counsel at a family crisis center, consider volunteering with a jail ministry.
Trust Jesus to stay with you as you grow.
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