Point to Him

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/040815.cfm) reminds me that our actions should point to God.

You should live for something greater than yourself.

In the first reading, we see Peter and John heal someone in the name of Jesus Christ. They acknowledged that the power is not from them, and they invoked Jesus name for healing. In the gospel, we see that the disciples recognized Jesus by his actions – when they broke bread. These two instances reminds us that it is important to point to God through our lives.

God should be seen as we live our lives.

The way we act, the way we conduct ourselves, should always point to God. People should see God’s gentleness in the way we treat others. People should see God’s patience as we deal with others. People should see God’s love as we give attention to the least, the last and the lost.

How we act should be consistent with what we say.

In the first reading, Peter and John’s words were consistent with their actions. In the gospel, Jesus’ words were prelude to his action on breaking bread. These two – words and actions, should always go hand in hand, so we can truly point to Jesus by our lives – by what we say and what we do.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to love and serve you. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, help me live for you. May my words, may my actions, may my life point to you all the time. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

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April 8, 2015

Wednesday in the Octave of Easter

Lectionary: 263

Reading 1 Acts 3:1-10

Peter and John were going up to the temple area

for the three o’clock hour of prayer.

And a man crippled from birth was carried

and placed at the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate” every day

to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple.

When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple,

he asked for alms.

But Peter looked intently at him, as did John,

and said, “Look at us.”

He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.

Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold,

but what I do have I give you:

in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.”

Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up,

and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong.

He leaped up, stood, and walked around,

and went into the temple with them,

walking and jumping and praising God.

When all the people saw him walking and praising God,

they recognized him as the one

who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple,

and they were filled with amazement and astonishment

at what had happened to him.

Responsorial Psalm PS 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9

R. (3b) Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;

make known among the nations his deeds.

Sing to him, sing his praise,

proclaim all his wondrous deeds.

R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Glory in his holy name;

rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!

Look to the LORD in his strength;

seek to serve him constantly.

R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

You descendants of Abraham, his servants,

sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!

He, the LORD, is our God;

throughout the earth his judgments prevail.

R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

He remembers forever his covenant

which he made binding for a thousand generations—

Which he entered into with Abraham

and by his oath to Isaac.

R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Alleluia Ps 118:24

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

This is the day the LORD has made;

let us be glad and rejoice in it.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week,

two of Jesus’ disciples were going

to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,

and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.

And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,

Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,

but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.

He asked them,

“What are you discussing as you walk along?”

They stopped, looking downcast.

One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,

“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem

who does not know of the things

that have taken place there in these days?”

And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”

They said to him,

“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,

who was a prophet mighty in deed and word

before God and all the people,

how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over

to a sentence of death and crucified him.

But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;

and besides all this,

it is now the third day since this took place.

Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:

they were at the tomb early in the morning

and did not find his Body;

they came back and reported

that they had indeed seen a vision of angels

who announced that he was alive.

Then some of those with us went to the tomb

and found things just as the women had described,

but him they did not see.”

And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!

How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!

Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things

and enter into his glory?”

Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,

he interpreted to them what referred to him

in all the Scriptures.

As they approached the village to which they were going,

he gave the impression that he was going on farther.

But they urged him, “Stay with us,

for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”

So he went in to stay with them.

And it happened that, while he was with them at table,

he took bread, said the blessing,

broke it, and gave it to them.

With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,

but he vanished from their sight.

Then they said to each other,

“Were not our hearts burning within us

while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”

So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem

where they found gathered together

the Eleven and those with them who were saying,

“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”

Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way

and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.