[00:00:05] Hello, my name is Sally Moriarty-Flask. Welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, April 19, 2026, the Third Sunday of Easter.
This week's episode is entitled: The Path of Life, and these readings will help us to share the joy of the disciples as they continue to understand what the Resurrection of Jesus means and to celebrate his victory over death.
[00:00:40] As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following:
On this Third Sunday of Easter, we've begun to settle a bit into the Easter season, we're starting to become comfortable with it… but we shouldn't. We should never take our Easter joy for granted! Because - as Catholic Christians - we encounter the Risen Christ at every Mass… not just during the Easter season, but throughout the year - in the words of Sacred Scripture and in the Eucharist… and we should never trivialize such great blessings. Yet all too often, we do just that. Instead, we should be inspired by the Easter season to share our blessings - our joy - with others… how can we not?
[00:01:32] So, let's begin in prayer:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for the path of discipleship that we walk, for that is where we come to know and love Jesus. Strengthen us on that path so that our hearts burn within us and we, in turn, joyfully share our experience of your Resurrected Son with others. We ask this through your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the firstborn from the dead, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures.
[00:02:18] Our Gospel this week is from Luke 24: 13 - 35.
This is the afternoon Gospel for Easter Sunday every year, but it is also the Gospel for this Third Sunday of Easter in Cycle A.
[00:02:35] “That very day, [the first day of the week,] two of [Jesus’ disciples] were going to a village named Emma’us, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, ‘What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?’ And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cle’opas, answered him, ‘Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?’ And he said to them, ‘What things?’ And they said to him, ‘Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty indeed in word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all of this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see.’ And he said to them, ‘O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. [And] he appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?’ And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!’ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.”
[00:05:35] In the beginning of Chapter 24, Luke tells his version of the discovery of the empty tomb on Easter morning. He says that several women went to anoint Jesus Body, with the spices they had prepared, but found the tomb empty. The women quickly report all this to the Apostles. Peter runs to the tomb to see that it is, in fact, empty but then goes home wondering what happened. All of that leads up to this passage, where we join two very sad disciples who are heading out of town…
“That very day, [the first day of the week,]”
Luke tells us that this took place on the same day as the Resurrection, the day after the Jewish Sabbath, which would be Sunday.
“two of [Jesus' disciples] were going to a village named Emma’us, about seven miles from Jerusalem,”
Numbers are always significant in Scripture - and seven is a perfect number. Luke is telling us that these disciples - who were heading to a village seven miles from Jerusalem - were perfectly dejected. All their hopes and dreams had been laid to rest in the tomb with Jesus. He hadn't turned out to be the Messiah they wanted or expected, so they just left and headed to a village seven miles away. Now, a number of different places claim to be the biblical Emmaus, but we don't know the exact location of that village today.
“[the disciples were] talking with each other about all these things that had happened.”
Whenever something important or shocking happens, we talk about it… a lot. Think of monumental events in history - the Apollo 11 moon landing, the terrorist attacks on 9/11, or the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger. Big events spark big conversations. And those two disciples had experienced a really big event.
“While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.”
Jesus appears in his Resurrected, transformed Body, but his own disciples don't recognize him. It seems unbelievable that men who spent so much time with Jesus, who traveled with him, who ate and drank with him, were now unable to recognize him. But there's a greater purpose at work here - a divine purpose. These two disciples will only recognize Jesus through faith, not through their physical sight, and they simply aren't yet ready to do that. That gives Jesus the opportunity to slowly and gradually reveal his identity to them… in a way they can better understand and accept.
“And [Jesus] said to them, ‘What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?’ And they stood still, looking sad.
Sad was an understatement… miserable was probably a better description.
“Then one of them named Cle’opas,”
Now early Christian tradition identifies Cleopas as the brother of Jesus’ foster father, Joseph. This is a man who would have known Jesus throughout his entire life, but even he is not yet able to recognize the Risen Jesus.
“Cle’opas answered him, ‘Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?’ And he said to them, ‘What things?’”
Notice Jesus’ only reaction is to ask them a question and then give them the opportunity to talk. He lets them pour out all their disappointment, their sadness, and their pain. And he just listens… at first.
“And they said to him, ‘Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,’”
And notice how they referred to Jesus - as a prophet. Their faith really has been shaken! And remember, Moses was also described as being mighty in word and deed, and Jesus was supposed to be the NEW Moses.
“and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.”
This tells us that they were still, despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, holding on to the idea that the Messiah would be a conquering hero who would defeat the Romans and liberate Israel, but - of course - those particular hopes were dashed.
“Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body;”
Remember, Luke tells us that a group of women reported the empty tomb to the Apostles. The problem there is that women, in biblical times, were considered to be unreliable witnesses.
“they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.”
Remember, the angels actually asked the women: ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, he has risen.”
“Some of those who were with us went to the tomb,”
Luke only tells us that Peter went to the tomb; in John's Gospel, we are told it was both Peter and John, the Beloved Disciple.
“and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see.”
These two disciples, however, are still stuck in the empty tomb, and they are unable to fully understand its meaning. Okay, these two disciples have now had the opportunity to get out all of their sadness, all of their disappointment… and Jesus has just listened. Now things are going to change a little.
“And he said to them, ‘O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!’”
That is reminiscent of Jesus' words to the disciples when he calmed the sea in Matthew 8, he said: “O you of little faith.” Then Jesus reminds these two of the promises made by the Old Testament prophets - including Isaiah's Suffering Servant songs!
“Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”
And of course, that is exactly what Jesus told them while he was with them… especially on his final journey to Jerusalem. They heard his words, they listened, but they didn't understand. Unfortunately, that same thing often happens to us!
“And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”
If you think about it, that is - essentially - the liturgy of the Word in the Mass, right? Remember, Saint Augustine said that the New Testament is hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is revealed in the New. And the process of explaining Scripture and making connections is exactly what should happen during a good homily in every Catholic Mass! That doesn't always happen, not every homily is good, but that is - nevertheless - the ideal.
“So they drew near to the village to which they were going.”
In other words, they hadn't yet reached their destination - they were close, but not quite there, meaning that they weren't yet those seven perfect miles away… so there was still time and room for Jesus to work.
“He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.’”
Jesus doesn't force himself on those two disciples. He gives them the opportunity to invite him to stay with them… just as he gives us the opportunity to invite him into our hearts. Remember, in biblical times, hospitality was of prime importance. The disciples are intrigued by this stranger. They are drawn to him in a way they can't quite explain yet. And they decide that they want to offer him their hospitality… they have accepted Jesus’ unspoken invitation to draw nearer to him.
“So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to them.”
Jesus turns the tables on their hospitality - the guest becomes the host! And those actions… take, bless, break, give - are incredibly familiar to every Catholic Christian. They are the actions of the priest in the Mass, during the Eucharistic prayer!
“And their eyes were opened”
Meaning that their eyes of faith were opened and they can now see Jesus for who he really is.
“and they recognized him;”
And in truth, that is the same way we recognize Jesus today - in the Eucharist! Not just in the Easter season, when we're supposed to encounter the Risen Christ, but at every celebration of the Catholic Mass, at every Eucharist… whether it's a daily Mass, a Sunday Mass, an evening Mass, an early morning Mass, it doesn't matter! Whether the celebrant is a priest, a bishop, or the Pope himself - doesn't matter! We encounter Jesus in the same way at every single Mass!
“and he vanished out of their sight.”
New body, new rules! In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it this way: Jesus’ authentic, real body possesses the new properties of a glorified body - he is no longer limited by time and space or confined to earth - he can appear where and when he wishes and in whatever form he desires.
“They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?’”
Those words can help us imagine what their voices must have sounded like… they have been rejuvenated, renewed! They are now excited, their energy and their enthusiasm has been restored. The same thing should happen to us every time we attend Mass… when we listen to the Scriptures, when we hear the homily, when we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus in Holy Communion… we, too, should be renewed, restored, and rejuvenated. Our hearts should burn within us!
“And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem.;”
We heard earlier that it was evening, the end of the day was approaching - so their decision to jump up and attempt the journey back to Jerusalem is not only questionable, but quite possibly dangerous. They would have been traveling at night… they would have had to contend with the threat of not only wild animals but bandits… they would have had no paved roads, no readily accessible amenities, no street lamps… nothing but rocks, sand, and darkness. However, we know they made it safely because, we are told, they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them.
Now, the eleven, of course, are the other Apostles (minus Judas Iscariot) while those who were with them would have been others of Jesus’ disciples.
“[And all of them] said, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!’”
Saint Luke and Saint Paul both mention that Jesus appeared to Simon. That is, however, the only record we have of that meeting. Whatever may have taken place, whatever that appearance may have looked like, the words that were exchanged have never been written down anywhere. I suspect that such an encounter would have been too personal and too poignant to ever be recounted to anyone else. I'm sure Peter held that in his heart for the rest of his life.
“Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.”
The breaking of the bread is how the early Church referred to the Eucharist, and we encounter Jesus the same way today. We may be in the midst of the Easter season, but we should never allow ourselves to become overly comfortable with the Easter season, despite its yearly occurrence. We should never take our Easter joy for granted, even though it is always with us. We should never trivialize the blessings of attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion, no matter how frequently - or infrequently - that occurs. We should never become complacent with God's gifts of grace and mercy bestowed upon us in the Sacraments - because they are not solely for our benefit! Rather, all of these great blessings should inspire, energize, and motivate all of us to share everything we have received with the world!
[00:21:33] That takes us to our First Reading, which is from Acts 2:14, 22-33.
“Then Peter, standing with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, ‘Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ Brethren, I may say to you confidently of the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and hear.”
If we think back to last week, we heard how the early Church shared everything in common… from knowledge to resources to the Eucharist. This week's passage is actually from an earlier part of Acts. Fifty days after Passover, great crowds were again gathered in Jerusalem, this time for the Feast of Weeks (or Shavuot), which commemorates the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. The Feast of Weeks is one of the three major pilgrim festivals where Jews were required to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast if they were able to do so. And if the number 50 sounds familiar to us… it should - because it also marked the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles - a feast that Christians call Pentecost. This is a portion of Peter's address to the crowds, and this speech occurs right after the Apostles were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit - the very same “power from on high” that Jesus promised they would receive in Luke 24. After the Spirit descended upon the Apostles, they were driven out of their self-imposed seclusion in the Upper Room to embark upon the mission which Jesus had intended for them to undertake.
So, let's listen in as Peter begins his speech…
“Then Peter, standing with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed [the crowds],
Notice the number of Apostles is again Twelve, because Matthias was chosen to replace Judas in Chapter 1 of Acts. In this address, Peter will remind the crowds at both the beginning and the end of his speech that his listeners themselves witnessed many of the events that took place during the Passover fifty days earlier. Great crowds gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover when these events occurred. And now they are gathered again for the Feast of Weeks.
“Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.”
Peter's trying to grab their attention… he wants to address all who would be considered local to the area. Then he says…
“Men of Israel hear these words:”
So, now Peter means those who have traveled from outside the immediate area. So, what is he going to say to them?
“Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God”
Now that was done directly and publicly at Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan, but also…
“with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, [and] as you yourselves know—"
Peter is reminding these people of all of Jesus’ miracles, his healings, his teachings, everything that he had said and done that HAD been witnessed by so many throughout Israel. And by this time, if any events had not been directly witnessed, then certainly gossip about those events had been spread by people who had witnessed them.
“this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”
Peter is saying that God knew every event would transpire as it did, that those events took place according to his plan, and that the collaboration of the Jewish and Roman authorities was part of that plan.
“But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”
Peter is courageously and publicly proclaiming the reality of the Resurrection. And when we read the Gospels carefully, we realize that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and is a direct sign of Jesus’ Resurrection and his enthronement in heaven. In fact, in John 16, Jesus says: “if I do not go away the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”
“For David says concerning him,”
Peter, of course is referring to King David, who is considered to be the author of a significant number of the Psalms in the Psalter - about half, to be honest. The words that follow are from Psalm 16, which is our Responsorial Psalm this week, and Peter is suggesting that David was actually talking about the Messiah in that Psalm… the same Messiah that Peter himself identified at Caesarea Philippi in Matthew 16… Jesus - the Christ, the Son of the living God. So, what is it that David said of the Messiah?
“I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.”
We know that Jesus’ Body did NOT experience corruption and that he was RAISED from death. And it is THAT reality which gives all of us hope - hope that God will not abandon us, just as he did not abandon his Son… hope that he will raise us up to new life, as his Son was raised… hope that we will be in the presence of God the Father and Jesus the Son for all eternity.
“Brethren, I may say to you confidently of the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.”
We know that David died, we know that his flesh did see corruption. In fact, I have pictures of David's tomb from my trip to Israel, and I will include them on my Instagram post this week.
“Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,”
That oath - that promise - is found in 2 Samuel 7, when God says to David: “I will establish the throne of [your] kingdom forever.”
“he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.”
Peter is creating what is called a midrash - which is an interpretation or analysis of Jewish Scripture. He is looking at Psalm 16 in light of his own experiences with the very real person of Jesus.
This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses.”
No one directly witnessed the Resurrection event! Let me say that again… no one directly witnessed the Resurrection event. All of the disciples, however, witnessed the aftermath of the Resurrection event - they all witnessed the reality of the empty tomb, they all saw Jesus after his Resurrection, they spoke with him, they shared meals with him, but they did not directly witness his Resurrection.
And it's important for us to understand the root of the word witness… it comes from the Greek word martyrian, which in English is martyr. But martyrdom tends to have only one dimension for most Christians. However, in the 4th century, Saint Jerome said: “Let us not imagine that martyrdom is only in the shedding of blood; there is martyrdom in everything.” By that, Saint Jerome means that everything we do as Christians should give authentic witness to our faith.
“Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God,”
In heaven.
“and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit,”
Regardless of what name is used… the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Truth, the Counselor, the Advocate, the Paraclete… all those names refer to the same Holy Spirit.
“[Jesus] has poured out this [Holy Spirit] which you see and hear.”
Remember, the power of the Holy Spirit is what propelled the Apostles out of the Upper Room in the first place. The power of the Holy Spirit is what enabled the Apostles to communicate with men of different backgrounds speaking different languages. The power of the Holy Spirit gave the Apostles the courage to boldly proclaim the reality of their encounter with the Risen Jesus. The same Holy Spirit is still with us, still guiding us, still helping us. Remember, in John 14, Jesus promised the Spirit would be with us forever and in Luke 12 Jesus also promised us that the Spirit will teach us what we ought to say… so, when the Spirit prompts us to step out of our comfort zone… to witness, to testify, to evangelize, to share the great blessings we have received from God with others… how can we not?
[00:34:28] Our Responsorial Psalm this week is Psalm 16, and the refrain is:
“Lord, you show me the path of life.”
The NAB translation says – “us” – “Lord, you show us the path of life.” That different translation reflects a communal response rather than an individual one, which is more appropriate for a liturgical Psalm refrain, and here are the verses:
“Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; the LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.”
“I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”
“Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure. For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your godly ones see the Pit.”
“You show me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy, in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.”
This Psalm is a Prayer of Confidence and, as mentioned earlier, it is attributed to David. The first stanza of this Psalm reflects the type of prayer that would have been offered by the descendants of the tribe of Levi… remember the Levites were not assigned a territory after the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land. In Numbers 18, God tells the Levites that HE is their inheritance, not a plot of land. That's what David means by the words: “The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup.” I also want to point out that when Peter quotes this Psalm in Acts, he uses slightly different words… he says “Hades” rather than “Sheol” and “corruption” rather than “the Pit” - does that really matter? No, it's just an acknowledgment that differences in translations occurred even in biblical times.
[00:36:35] That takes us to our Second Reading, which is from 1 Peter 1: 17-21.
“[I]f you invoke as Father him who judges each one impartially according to his deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile. You know that you are ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake. Through him you have confidence in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
This is the second of five passages we will hear from 1 Peter during this Easter season. This is a Pastoral Letter - we are told, in the greeting, that it was sent to several different Churches - so think of it as an encyclical, of sorts.
So, let's explore what Peter has to say in this passage…
“[I]f you invoke as Father him who judges each one impartially according to his deeds,”
Every Christian can call God “Father” - remember, Jesus told us to call God “Our Father” when he taught his disciples how to pray in Matthew 6. But if we do call on God as our Father then we must live accordingly… we must live a life worthy of our Christian faith. But what exactly does that mean? Peter says…
“conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile.”
And the word “fear” doesn't mean terror or fright - it means reverence or awe. In fact, the NAB translates that as “reverence.” The NAB also translates “exile” as “sojourning”… either way, it refers to our time here on earth. While the word “exile” suggests that we are in this world, but not really of this world; the word “sojourning” is more suggestive of a passing journey, something that is impermanent, brief, fleeting - either way, Peter's words remind us that we do not belong here on earth, that we belong in heaven, that the Kingdom of God is our true home.
“You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers,”
Peter means ancestors, and the NAB actually translates that as ancestors. And the communities that Peter addresses in this letter are of Gentile origin, meaning that their ancestors would have been pagans.
“not with perishable things such as silver or gold,”
Again, not with the fleeting, impermanent things of this world, no matter how valuable they may appear to be.
“but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”
Peter is - of course - referring to the Passover lamb when he says a lamb without blemish or spot; he is equating Jesus with the Passover lamb. Whether or not his Gentile audience would have been able to fully grasp that reference is uncertain, although some undoubtedly would. Some of the communities Peter addressed in this letter were originally founded by Paul - and Paul always relied on his Jewish heritage, his knowledge of Jewish theology and the Jewish Scriptures, as the starting point - the framework - if you will, for his then teaching the good news of Jesus.
“He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake.”
Notice Peter doesn't say the end times - meaning the Second Coming - he says the end of the times - meaning the age that began with the Death and Resurrection of Jesus… the age in which the Apostles themselves were living… the age in which we are still living… the age of the Church.
“Through him you have confidence in God, who raised him from the dead in and gave him glory.”
Peter is using the plural ‘you’ - he's saying that every Christian has confidence in God because God loves us… and he showed us just how much he loves us by sending his Son to live among us… to suffer and die for us… and to be raised to glory for us. What Peter means, in a much broader sense, is that no one can be a Christian in isolation… none of us are alone on this journey... we all accompany each other.
That's one of the reasons that the saints bring such comfort to Catholic Christians… the saints understand better than we do what true unity of purpose is among Christians… they've already finished their journey and are with God in heaven, so they can help us when we get stuck along the way, when we experience difficulties, when we lose heart, or make mistakes. Peter then concludes this passage…
“so that your faith and hope are in God.”
In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes that faith, hope, and love are the greatest of all virtues. In the Letter to the Hebrews, we read that faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen… so when we do see God face-to-face we will no longer need faith or hope… and only love will remain, which is why Paul says that love is the greatest of the three.
But until we are with God, our Heavenly Father, faith and hope endure.
On this Third Sunday of Easter, we are reminded that we all share the road of discipleship and accompany each other on the journey… that our hearts should constantly burn within us so that we are ready to witness our faith in whatever way the Holy Spirit prompts us to do… that martyrdom doesn't always mean shedding our blood, because there is martyrdom in everything… and that we should never take our blessings for granted or become too comfortable with them!
Instead, we should celebrate because our Easter joy is with us every day… filled with such blessings, how can we not share our great joy with everyone?
[00:44:33] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for spending this time with me and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain, and may he hold you safe and secure in the palm of his hand.
From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with the permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God Bless.
