Liturgical Readings for : Thursday, 4th April, 2024
Easter Thursday
The initial response of the disciples to the Lord’s coming was one of alarm and fright; that response quickly gave way to joy and then to loving service as they offered the Lord some food which he ate although now fully living in the Spirit.
FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of Acts of the Apostles 3:11-26
You killed the prince of life. God, however, raised him from the dead.
Everyone came running towards them in great excitement, to the Portico of Solomon, as it is called, where the man was still clinging to Peter and John. When Peter saw the people he addressed them,
‘Why are you so surprised at this? Why are you staring at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or holiness? You are Israelites, and it is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, who has glorified his servant Jesus, the same Jesus you handed over and then disowned in the presence of Pilate after Pilate had decided to release him.
It was you who accused the Holy One, the Just One, you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer while you killed the prince of life. God, however, raised him from the dead, and to that fact we are the witnesses; and it is the name of Jesus which, through our faith in it, has brought back the strength of this man whom you see here and who is well known to you. It is faith in that name that has restored this man to health, as you can all see.
‘Now I know, brothers, that neither you nor your leaders had any idea what you were really doing; this was the way God carried out what he had foretold, when he said through all his prophets that his Christ would suffer. Now you must repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, and so that the Lord may send the time of comfort. Then he will send you the Christ he has predestined, that is Jesus, whom heaven must keep till the universal restoration comes which God proclaimed, speaking through his holy prophets. Moses, for example, said:
“The Lord God will raise up a prophet like myself for you, from among your own brothers; you must listen to whatever he tells you.”
The man who does not listen to that prophet is to be cut off from the people. In fact, all the prophets that have ever spoken, from Samuel onwards, have predicted these days.
‘You are the heirs of the prophets, the heirs of the covenant God made with our ancestors when he told Abraham, “In your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.“ It was for you in the first place that God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.’
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 8
Response How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!
Or Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
1. How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!
What is man that you should keep him in mind, mortal man that you care for him? Response
2. Yet you have made him little less than a god; with glory and honour you crowned him,
gave him power over the works of your hand, put all things under his feet. Response
3. All of them, sheep and cattle, yes, even the savage beasts,
birds of the air, and fish that make their way through the waters. Response
Gospel Acclamation Ps 117: 24
Alleluia, Alleluia!
This day was made by the Lord; we rejoice and are glad.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 24:35-48 Glory to you, O Lord
It is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead.
The disciples told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.
They were still talking about all this when he himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!‘
In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost.
But he said,
‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts?
Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed.
Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.’
And as he said this he showed them his hands and feet. Their joy was so great that they still could not believe it, and they stood there dumbfounded; so he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’
And they offered him a piece of grilled fish, which he took and ate before their eyes.
Then he told them,
‘This is what I meant when I said, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms has to be fulfilled’.
He then opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them,
‘So you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses to this.
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
______________
Gospel Reflection Easter Thursday Luke 24:35-48
The Stations of the Cross have been an important part of our Catholic tradition for many years. Recently, I came across the expression ‘The Stations of Light’. These stations are the various appearances of the risen Lord to his disciples as recorded in the gospels. The whole of the Easter Season between now and Pentecost Sunday is an invitation to reflect on those’ Stations of Light‘. Today’s gospel reading puts before us one of those Stations of Light, Luke’s account of the appearance of the risen Lord to the disciples as a group. According to the beginning of that gospel reading, the two disciples who had met the Lord on the road to Emmaus and at table in Emmaus were sharing their story with the other disciples. It was while they were sharing their story that the risen Lord stood among them and declared, ‘Peace be with you’. Luke is reminding us that whenever we share our faith stories the risen Lord is there in our midst.
Sharing our faith with others creates an opening for the Lord to stand among us. In that gospel reading the disciples struggle to believe that the Lord was present to them. According to Luke, even after Jesus spoke to them, ‘their joy was so great that they still could not believe it and they stood there dumbfounded’. They presumed that the crucifixion of Jesus had brought to an end the story of their relationship with him. Yet, the presence of the risen Lord among them revealed that the Lord of love and life was stronger than the powers of hatred and death. The first Easter shattered all their expectations. Easter continues to shatter our expectations. The risen Lord continues to take us by surprise. He stands among us even when all hope seems lost; he touches us with his presence when we are least expecting it. When we are most aware of our failure to follow him, he speaks his word of peace to us, because even when we are faithless, he remains faithful. Easter announces that the story of our relationship with the Lord never ends, because his relationship with us never ends. He continues to stand among us, assuring us of his presence, offering us his gift of peace, and sending us out as his messengers of hope.
The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd
