Daily Readings Reflection for 4/08/10

Reflection on Today’s Daily Readings by Fr. Bertrand Buby, SM

Scripture: Lectionary # 264 ( April 8th) Acts 3:11-26. Psalm 8:2.5.6-7.8-9.
Luke 24:35-48.

Chapter 24 of Luke contains the full day of Jesus with his disciples
through three different appearances. All are his way of sharing their
experience of the Resurrected one through what he said (the Scriptures) and
what he did (the breaking of the Bread). His universalism, the theme of
prayer, and the gift of the promised Holy Spirit are contained in this
magnificent ending of the Gospel of Luke.

Jesus appears in the last of his visits to them in Jerusalem. This too is
part of Luke's theological perspective where the Gospel starts in
Jerusalem, ends in Jerusalem and from there to the entire known world of
his time.
Again and again in his Acts of the Apostles, Luke will come back to what he
is saying here in our liturgical passage for today. We will see this in
his summaries and especially in the speeches of Peter and Paul. He is
leading us from his first writing into its sequel in such a subtle way that
helps us appreciate the great teacher and theologian this evangelist is.
Scripture and the Breaking of the Bread (Communion at table, Eucharist at
altar) are the fabric of this last appearance in the twilight of Easter
Sunday, the first day of the week in the calendar of the Jews. Chapter
24:verses 44-48 are essential to what will be continued in the early Church
that Luke will describe and allow to emerge in the Acts. Together then,
with the eleven who listened to Jesus then, let us listen now:

"This is what I told you, he said, while I still walked in your company;
how all that was written of me in the law of Moses, and in the prophets,
and in the psalms, must be fulfilled. Then he enlightened their minds to
make them understand the scriptures; So it was written, he told them, and
so it was fitting that the Christ should suffer and should rise again from
the dead on the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should
be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.. Of
this you are all witnesses."

The Holy Spirit will give them, the apostles and friends of Jesus, and will
give us the understanding of what Jesus said while he was here and what he
did for all peoples. We are thus able to call upon the Spirit to help us
understand and to do what Jesus wants us today and what Mary and the women
would do. Amen.