First Reading
Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
1. In the history of the Church can there have been decisions that were made out of ignorance? The present day, the Church has apologized for some decisions, as for instance, for slavery. What can we learn from this?
2. Is the point of this reading to lay blame for the suffering servant’s death, or to tell us that sin can be erased and the offenders can be raised to new life by the same power that raised Jesus to life?
Second Reading
1 John 2:1-5a
1. John says in his epistle, “is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.” And Luke’s gospel says “that “repentance, forgiveness of sins, would be preached in Christ’s) name to all the nations.” (Gospel). From these statements would you guess that Christ came to save forty-four thousand people? Most people? All people?
2. Does “All people” include all the people in the world who love God and their neighbor, but have not heard about, or don’t know Jesus? Are they God’s children too?
Gospel
Luke 24:35-48
1. “But they were startled and terrified.” Why did the disciples go from being terrified to experiencing unconceivable joy? Would you be terrified if you saw a ghost? Would you be ecstatic if you could see for the first time that there was life after death?
Jesus realizes that the Apostles are unsettled in seeing him, that they are bewildered because the reality of the Resurrection is inconceivable to them. They believe they are seeing a spirit— he shows them his wounds. “And since this did not seem enough to overcome the disciples’ disbelief—the Gospel says something interesting: there was so much joy they had within that this joy prevented them from believing it: “No, it cannot be! It cannot be so! So much joy is not possible!” And Jesus, in order to convince them, asks, “have you anything here to eat?” (Luke 24:41). They offer him some broiled fish; Jesus takes and eats it in front of them, in order to convince them.
2. What was the disciples’ task, having recognized the risen Lord, and having seen that he “opened their minds to understand the scripture,”? Is our task now to preach the good news of God’s forgiveness to all nations? How can we do that globally? What about locally or in our neighborhoods?
