and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread. – Luke 24:35

I grew up in a Sunday Mass-going household. Masses were lengthy, boring and irrelevant that I found myself complaining. High Masses made me anything but high. There were more important matters to spend time on, but I was obliged and felt obliged.

       When I became an adult, each Mass became an escape from the chaos of daily grind, opium to run away from problems. I needed it to break free.

      Then Jesus happened in my life. The Mass grew on me — its importance and relevance. Today, I go to Mass every day. My daily schedule is structured around it.

       The boredom I used to experience at Mass has turned to peace. It is my spiritual refreshment in the midst of chaos. It’s where I get my needed inspiration.

       Mass miraculously stretches my time, making it possible for me to do daily tasks more wisely. I gain wisdom that becomes apparent when senseless decisions are reduced to a minimum.

    In the Mass, more than asking for anything, I offer thanksgiving, knowing that He will bless me with more reasons to keep going. Rene Espinosa (drekki@gmail.com)

Reflection:“If we only knew how God regards this Sacrifice, we would risk our lives to be present at every single Mass.” (St. Padre Pio)

Lord, make me realize what the Eucharist truly is — the source and summit of Christian life, the highest form of prayer and worship.

St. Conrad of Parzham, pray for us.

What comes first – faith or repentance of sin? Peter tells the people that the first step to conversion is to repent from one’s sins. It is best for these to happen simultaneously since they rely on each other in order to deepen. The more we repent, the deeper we delve into our faith. Likewise, the more we have faith, the more we recognize sin and realize our need to repent.

11 As the crippled man who had been cured clung to Peter and John, all the people hurried in amazement toward them in the portico called “Solomon’s Portico.” 12 When Peter saw this, he addressed the people, “You children of Israel, why are you amazed at this, and why do you look so intently at us as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus whom you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence, when he had decided to release him. 14 You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses. 16 And by faith in his name, this man, whom you see and know, his name has made strong, and the faith that comes through it has given him this perfect health, in the presence of all of you. 17 Now I know, brothers and sisters, that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did; 18 but God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer. 19 Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away, 20 and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment and send you the Christ already appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of universal restoration of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. 22 For Moses said: A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen in all that he may say to you. 23 Everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be cut off from the people. 24 “Moreover, all the prophets who spoke, from Samuel and those afterwards, also announced these days. 25 You are the children of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors when he said to Abraham, In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 26 For you first, God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”

P S A L M 

R: O Lord, our God, how wonderful is your name in all the earth!

1 [2] O Lord, our Lord, how glorious is your name over all the earth! 4 [5] What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him? (R) 5 [6] You have made him little less than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 [7] You have given him rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under his feet. (R) 7 [8] All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field, 8 [9] the birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas. (R)

GOSPEL 

Jesus opens the minds of the disciples to the Scriptures. Through the Holy Spirit, we too can understand God’s Word in the Scriptures. Let us always ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in understanding what we read. This will deepen our faith and also give us more knowledge about His will for us.

This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.

35 The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way, and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread. 36 While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38 Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” 40 And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of baked fish; 43 he took it and ate it in front of them. 44 He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day 47 and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.”

think: How did Jesus “open your mind” to understand His message?

Read the Bible in one year Leviticus 25-27

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________________________

LOOK. TOUCH. SEE.

There was some kind of an exciting press release going on. The two who wanted out were back. And they were back together with the rest, recounting “what had taken place along the way.” But the Powerpoint presentation they had was no match for  what was about to take place.

       Prior to His coming in flesh, it was more of “listen and watch.” When He “stood in their midst,” and greeted them, “Peace be with you,” it was more of “look, touch and see.” This man was the same One who had asked them earlier: “Who do people say that I am?” This is the same wonder worker whom everybody wanted to listen, touch and see for themselves. But now, He tells everyone, “Look at My hands…Touch Me and see.”

         It had become a very intimate and personal “show and tell.” The Risen Lord was not one to merely tell them about the new life and the new victory He has pulled off. He was there to show, and “a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see.”

        I thank the good Lord my parents did not just tell me to believe. I saw them live the way they believed.

        I thank the Lord most of my formators in the seminary were not just people who taught what they believed. They showed me in flesh and blood what believing and belonging to the Church meant.

       I thank God I lived through very holy popes: Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul I, Pope St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis. They did not just tell the world to listen and watch. No, they showed and lived in full frame, as digital photographers call it, what it meant to die to themselves and live for Christ, for their faith, for the Church, and for all of us weaker in the faith.

       I praise God for the “cloud of witnesses” who lived and died for God and others.

         I am often like those two “downcast” disciples. I need a “Show and Tell” to get me up and going. And today, the Risen Lord does that for me. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

---------- REFLECTION QUESTION ----------

Who are the people who “showed and told” Jesus to you?

Risen Lord, let me look to the empty tomb that my downcast soul may once again be joyful in Your victorious rising. Amen.