This week's readings Week of April 14-20 Sunday, April 14, 2002 Reading I: Acts 2:14, 22-33 Reading II: 1 Pt 1:17-21 Gospel: Lk 24:13-35 Monday, April 15, 2002 Reading I: Acts 6:8-15 Gospel: Jn 6:22-29 Tuesday, April 16, 2002 Reading I: Acts 7:51-8:1a Gospel: Jn 6:30-35 Wednesday, April 17, 2002 Reading I: Acts 8:1b-8 Gospel: Jn 6:35-40 Thursday, April 18, 2002 Reading I: Acts 8:26-40 Gospel: Jn 6:44-51 Friday, April 19, 2002 Reading I: Acts 9:1-20 Gospel: Jn 6:52-59 Saturday, April 20, 2002 Reading I: Acts 9:31-42 Gospel: Jn 6:60-69 Pope's Prayer Intentions April General Intention That family life may be central to world society: That even amidst the world's unsettled ways, the family may be seen as crucial in its vocation as a cradle of life and school of faith and right values. April Mission Intention Finding courage and strength from the martyrs of our time to proclaim the Gospel: That the heroic martyrs of our time may hearten our ecclesial communities to courageously announce Jesus Christ the Redeemer of humankind.

Walk the road:

		Word of God  Word of Life  Fr. John G. Stillmank

Standing before the Jews and all people staying in Jerusalem, "Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed" words which represent the core of our faith in the saving mystery of Jesus Christ.

Peter, who failed Jesus on the day of his crucifixion, is now the leader of the tiny, growing Church which Jesus founded in his blood.

Readings for Third Sunday of Easter (April 14) Acts 2:14, 22-23 Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10,11 1Peter 1:17-21 Luke 24:13-35

What we hear from Peter is that Jesus worked mighty deeds, wonders, and signs in the midst of the people; that he was killed by being crucified; that God raised him up, "releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it."

Peter also teaches that Jesus is the descendent of David, who will sit upon the throne of David as King forever. "God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses." The sense of the Church has always been that it is a living witness of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

After the death and resurrection of Jesus, there are numerous accounts recorded in the New Testament (and doubtless many more not recorded) of his appearing to the disciples. Perhaps none is more memorable than the story of the two disciples meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus.

These two disciples walked along with Jesus, although they didn't recognize him. To them he appeared as any normal human being. He feigned ignorance about the events of the last few days, and they told him, in few words, the whole story - an early telling of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

But they didn't believe it! They despaired of all their hopes for who Jesus was. They thought he had failed.

Jesus chided them for failing to recognize that the Scriptures told the story of the mission of the Christ, who had to suffer, die, and rise again. He explained it to them, just as he had explained it to the Apostles near the end of his earthly life, before his Passion. His apparent failure is actually the triumph of God's plan.

What was their response?

They asked him to stay with them, and later that evening they recognized him in the breaking of the bread. "Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?" they exclaimed. Their eyes of faith were straining to recognize him, and finally he opened their eyes and hearts to see him as Jesus, the Lord.

These two accounts, the words of Peter to all Jerusalem and the words of the disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus - on the very day of his resurrection - give us the very core of our belief in Jesus as Lord and Messiah. And it is the account of Peter and the account of these two which intersect when the two return from Emmaus to Jerusalem - immediately after recognizing Jesus - and are told "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"

Our faith in Jesus Christ is founded in reality, not fantasy, not wishful thinking, not empty hope. Jesus was careful to leave witnesses to his life, his work, his passion, and his resurrection at the heart of his new Church.

We who proclaim the death and resurrection of the Lord today, in our time, can trace our belief in him back through our parents and teachers, back through centuries and millennia, to the first disciples who followed him from the very beginning, who learned at his feet, who struggled to believe, who failed at times, and ultimately who allowed the power of God to triumph in them.

He was made known to them in the breaking of bread, just as we know him. He taught them about himself in the Scriptures, just as we have been taught. His life, his mission, his passion, death, resurrection - his very self - burns in our hearts when we walk the road with him.

Walk the road, then, with hearts on fire for Christ!

Fr. John G. Stillmank is Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Madison and pastor of St. Andrew Parish, Verona, and St. William Parish, Paoli.