As we head into the Easter season, each week the readings help us get a fuller understanding of the resurrection. On Easter Sunday, we heard about the empty tomb. Last week we encountered the risen Christ. And in today’s gospel, we’re starting to get some more details.
There are two things that seem to capture our imagination. The first is about Jesus’ physical body. His resurrected body is very real, as if he never died. He even asks for something to eat. Would a ghost sit down at the table and eat fish with them?!
But he also shows them his hands and feet where his wounds were. They were very real, too. So, yes, he did die. And, yes, he was alive again—resurrected from the dead—eating fish and talking with his disciples.
And that leads to the second thing. After they overcame their awe at seeing Jesus’ physical resurrected body, he talked with them and engaged their minds. Luke says it better, “he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”
He helped them see how all the events, journeys of faith, and prophecy that went before him were leading up to him and the event of the resurrection. And then he sent them to share the good news. Just like the apostles in the upper room, we open our minds to understand more and more God’s activity in our world, and we’re blessed because here, at St. Hubert, there are many ways we can discover it and learn more. We are the new witnesses of the resurrection.
The Joy of the Gospel Speaking of understanding the Scriptures, Fr. Fred Liccardi—our former Associate Pastor—is back at St. Hubert for a three-part series being offered by the CAFÉ team. See page 6 for the details. This Wednesday he’ll unpack the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and how they encountered the risen Christ—in the breaking of the Bread (the Body of Christ!) and in understanding the scriptures. It’s a perfect follow-up to today’s gospel. Come and be inspired!
Praying for Direction
We all have a vocation—a way to live our life to love God, others and ourselves as completely as we can.
It can be through marriage, the single life, or for some a life of service to the Church. Next Sunday the Church around the world will be praying for vocations to the religious life, priesthood and the diaconate. It’s quite possible someone in our parish has discovered God’s invitation to this in their heart. As we pray for them, we hope they will take the next step to learn more…and there are two good opportunities coming up!
For young men interested in learning more about the priesthood (ages 13-18) St. Joseph College Seminary is hosting the 5
th annual Who Will Fill These Shoes event on April 28—a chance to come to the seminary on the campus of Loyola University to meet seminarians and to see if this is something to consider. More information is in the narthex or on-line at cometojoseph.org. (Our college seminarians are Ramblers for God!)
For young women 18-50, check out page 9. There is a Discerning Your Gifts Retreat May 4-6
th to help you discover if religious life is for you.
If someone wants to talk more about going to one of these events or about a religious vocation in general, I am here to listen.
May God bless us as we continue our Easter celebration,