3rd  SUNDAY  OF  EASTER Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us?   ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Let all the earth cry out to God with joy; praise the glory of his name; proclaim his glorious praise, alleluia. INTRODUCTION On this Sunday, Jesus our Risen Lord joins us on our journey of life as an unidentified traveller, opens our eyes of faith and gently leads us to a new way of experiencing him fully in the heavenly city of Jesusalem. PENITENTIAL RITE At the Eucharistic celebration today, we will be privileged to listen to the Word of God and participate in the breaking of the bread. We shall prepare ourselves to be transformed by God’s Word, and in the breaking of the bread, by frankly telling the Lord our difficulties and disappointments like the two disciples of Emmaus. (Pause) Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord, Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. Opening prayer Let us pray. God our Father, may we look forward with hope to our resurrection, for you have made us your sons and daughters, and restored the joy of our youth. We ask this… FIRST READING (Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter boldly proclaims that the crucified and risen Christ is the promised Messiah and the Lord of the whole universe.) A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (2:14,22-33) Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed the multitude, “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 thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let thy Holy One see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou wilt make me full of gladness with thy 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 with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.” This is the Word of the Lord PSALM (15) Response: Preserve me, Lord, I take refuge in you. Preserve me, Lord, I take refuge in you. I say to the Lord: “You are my God. O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup; it is you yourself who are my prize.” I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, who even at night directs my heart. I keep the Lord ever in my sight; since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm. And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad; even my body shall rest in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead, nor let your beloved know decay. You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, at your right hand happiness forever. SECOND READING (Jesus redeemed us with his blood. St Peter urges us to have a strong faith and hope in the risen Lord.) A reading from the First Letter of St Peter (1:17-21) If 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 were 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 Word of the Lord ACCLAMATION (Mt 4:23) Alleluia, alleluia! Lord Jesus, open to us the scriptures. Make our hearts burn within us while you talk to us. Alleluia! GOSPEL (The disheartened disciples of Emmaus recognised Jesus their Master and Lord in the breaking of the bread.) A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Luke (24:13-35) On the first day of the week two disciples were going to a village named Emmaus, 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 Cleopas, 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 in deed and 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 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. 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. This is the Gospel of the Lord I believe ... PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL Cel: The disciples’ love and hospitality toward Jesus enabled them to recognise him in the breaking of the bread. Let us open our hearts in love to pray and intercede for our brothers and sisters in need. Response: Lord, be with us and hear our prayer. 1. That the Church may recognise the presence of the risen Lord in the changing world situations and in the creative and transforming growth in science and technology, let us pray to the Lord. 2. That all the world leaders who are committed to create a better world, may be endowed with a new understanding to face the difficulties and challenges of today, let us pray to the Lord. 3. That all the believers in the Lord, may be purified of all erroneous ideas and thoughts and may be sacred from false practices, let us pray to the Lord. 4. That all of us who participate in this eucharist may to recognise and believe the presence of the Lord in our daily lives and bear witness to his resurrection, let us pray to the Lord. Cel: Father, help us like the two disciples of Jesus your Son, to recognise and experience Jesus in the breaking of the bread and give powerful witness to him in our daily lives. We ask this…. Prayer over the gifts Lord, receive these gifts from your Church. May the great joy you give us come to perfection in heaven. Grant this... PREFACE (22) Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. We praise you with greater joy than ever in this Easter season, when Christ became our paschal sacrifice. He has made us children of the light, rising to new and everlasting life. He has opened the gates of heaven to receive his faithful people. His death is our ransom from death; his resurrection is our rising to life. The joy of the resurrection renews the whole world, while the choirs of heaven sing for ever to your glory: All: Holy, holy, holy… Communion antiphon The disciples recognized the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread, alleluia. Prayer after communion Lord, look on your people with kindness and by these Easter mysteries bring us to the glory of the resurrection. We ask this... We are on the journey of life from our birth to death, from a world of old ways and forms to a world of new relationships and attitudes. While on this journey we would easily fail to recognize Jesus accompanying us on the road, if our minds are closed with depressing thoughts and attitudes with regards to the many events happening in our lives. We can also miss Jesus if we are too pre-occupied only with ourselves. Jesus intervenes and tries to explain the meaning and purpose of these events using various means like a Sunday Mass, a Bible Class, a retreat, a prayer meeting, an advice from a good friend etc. He opens our eyes to see the greater meaning and purpose of those events from God’s viewpoint. As we go on our journey we may find ourselves also in the company of many people living or moving with us, who mean nothing to us, who are outside of our interests and concerns. We can be so blind to them that they are so unreal to us. They hardly exist for us and we show our indifference to them. By our insensitivity and unconcern we can miss the Lord and his blessings in our lives. In the Gospel story, Emmaus became a place of transformation. When they recognised Jesus at the breaking of bread, they became transformed disciples. But the recognition could happen only because they opened their hearts to the stranger with love and hospitality, and said with concern, “Stay with us”. Taking the stranger into their homes and even sharing their meal with him became the Eucharistic table where their eyes were opened. When we allow others to have a place in our hearts, and share our material blessings with them, we obey the Lord’s words: “do this in memory of me”. When we dare to break the bread of our lives, we are able to see things under a new light and with a new radiance.     March 2008                 READINGS OF THE WEEK         (Psalter Week 2)   7 Mon (W) John Baptist de la Salle, Acts 6:8-15; Ps 119:23-24,26-27,29-30; Jn 6:22-29 8 Tue (W) Acts 7:51 — 8:1a; Ps 31:3cd-4, 6 and 7b and 8a, 17 and 21ab; Jn 6:30-35 9 Wed (W) Acts 8:1b-8; Ps 66:1-3a, 4-5, 6-7a; Jn 6:35-40 10 Thu (W) Acts 8:26-40; Ps 66:8-9, 16-17, 20; Jn 6:44-51 11 Fri (W) Stanislaus, Acts 9:1-20; Ps 117:1bc, 2; Jn 6:52-59 12 Sat (W) Acts 9:31-42; Ps 116:12-13, 14-15, 16-17; Jn 6:60-69