Acts 3: 1-10 “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.’...” Psalm 105: 1-2, 3- 4, 6-7, 8-9 “…Glory in his holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD! Look to the LORD in his strength: seek to serve him constantly….” Luke 24: 13-35 “…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.” Feast of St. Margaret Clitherow (1555-1586) Protestant wife and mother who became Catholic. She was known for her good cheer and zeal for her Faith. She harbored fugitive priests, and was arrested. When asked to deny her Faith, she stood firm. She was crushed to death by the hostile authorities. Oh to have this kind of faith. We read today’s living WORD with new understanding, having witnessed Christ’s love for us in His death and resurrection. In our first reading in Acts 3, I was moved by seeing the noticeable change in the Apostle Peter; for his encounter with the man who was begging for alms was very special. It seems Peter has gone from being brash and clumsy to being humble and caring. Peter did not pass by the lame man begging for alms, even though he could not give the man the coins he was seeking. He was fully present to the man and gave him something far more valuable in the long run. My heart lingered on the change in Peter. I was touched not so much at the gift, but rather by Peter’s humility and concern for another human being. Luke’s gospel reading today is the powerful story of the two men not recognizing Jesus on the Road to Emmaus after His resurrection. I can see myself fully in these two men, who are walking with the Lord, but do not recognize Him. They are devastated by the events that have occurred over the last week and they do not see the Lord in their midst. What storms are we facing today, that seem so large that we don’t have the mind to stop and call upon the Lord. If we could refocus our attention, might we see His outstretched hand, reaching out, ready to be present in that moment? Our personal disasters have a way of consuming us, and it’s only when we can’t figure out what we can do next that we call upon the Lord. Let us remember these two desperate souls on the way to Emmaus the next time we find ourselves in an impossible situation. There is our Lord literally walking right next to us, so that all it takes is trust on our part. No need to be gloomy over our situations. After all, how did Peter become the man we see in today’s reading in Acts, a man with humility and concern for others? Peter’s life prior to this point showed many stumblings and yet the Lord, knowing his potential to be a good leader, continued grooming him. The Lord knows our potential too, and will stick with us; for we’re all called to be leaders in our Faith. In one sense the sooner we put our trust in the Lord the quicker we’ll make it through the next storm. |