A Scriptural Reflection by Fr. Jim Sullivan on the Mass Readings for Sunday, April 19, the Third Sunday of Easter
Acts 2:14, 22-33
Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11
1 Peter 1:17-21
Luke 24:13-35
This weekend’s Gospel passage details the encounter with the risen Lord by two disciples on the road to Emmaus. I only the week before last gave the bullet-point summary of my usual Emmaus homily. It seems clear to me that the best understanding of this passage is that the two disciples are actually Jesus’ aunt and uncle, Mary and Clopas. (Only Clopas is named.)
Wanting to reassure Mary and Clopas and return them to the disciples gathered in Jerusalem, Jesus (his identity hidden from them) explains to them that the Messiah had to suffer, that the Crucifixion had in fact fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies, which prophecies told of a suffering Messiah. Reaching their home in Emmaus, and inviting the “stranger” to stay the night, as it was getting toward dusk, Mary and Clopas came to recognize their nephew in the breaking of the bread. Jesus then vanishes and his aunt and uncle rush back to Jerusalem to share the Good News.
In terms of a real homily for this week, the other readings offer some exceptional insights and real clarity, regarding the Resurrection.
In the first reading from Acts, Peter actually quotes today’s psalm, which assures us that the body of the Lord’s “holy one” will not see corruption (vss. 25-28). Peter goes on to say that though David likely wrote the psalm this cannot be a reference to David because “he died and was buried and his tomb is in our midst to this day” (vs. 29). It is impressive to think, just by the bye, that the tomb of David was known to the residents of Jerusalem in Peter’s time — one thousand years after David had died.
In any event, quite clearly, as Peter points out, the psalm reference cannot be to David. It is not David’s body that will not see corruption; David has been in his tomb for a thousand years. The “holy one” spoken of in today’s psalm is the Messiah. The psalm predicts the Resurrection — “my body dwells secure…you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor let your holy one see corruption. You will show me the path to life, abounding joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever” (vss. 10-11).
Jesus’ body did, indeed, “dwell secure” in the tomb. There are deep theological arguments for what was happening with Jesus’ body, those forty or so hours in the tomb. In a few words, what was happening was the reversal of the second law of thermodynamics. Rather than decaying, rather than seeing corruption, Jesus’ body “dwells secure” in the tomb, which is better likened to a womb — the womb opening on eternal life.
Jesus’ soul, indeed, was not abandoned to Sheol. He went there, of course, and liberated the souls who had been waiting there from the beginning of human history. But Jesus’ human soul was not abandoned to Sheol. Rather it — he — was shown “the path to life, abounding joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever” (vs. 11).
Psalm 16 gives us deep insights into the dynamics of the Resurrection. That is why Peter quotes it at length, in today’s passage from Acts of the Apostles.
That’s it for this one.
Take care. God bless.
Love,
Fr. Jim
I was born in Marysville, in the Sacramento Valley, to a large and faith-filled Catholic family. I was named for my priest uncle, and as a little boy wanted to be a priest. I outgrew that ambition and by the time I was headed for my freshman year at the University of California at Berkeley was planning on a career in law.
