Third Sunday of Easter
April 26, 2020 – Year A
Readings: Acts 2:14, 22-33 / Ps 16 / 1 Pt 1:17-21 / Lk 24:13-35
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Today, the beginning of the third week of the season of Easter, is also Sunday of the Word of God. Our Holy Mother Church wants to remind us how important Sacred Scripture is in our lives as Christians. We all know that words have power. They can create, encourage, strengthen, enlighten, and can even help us to recover from a serious illness.

Karen Mannering of Herne Bay in Kent, is a survivor of COVID-19. She said that when she was in the isolation unit of the hospital, she was so scared and thought she was going to die. What calmed her down and gave her strength during those most difficult moments were the words of her husband, children and other relatives who were constantly talking to her on the phone.

Sometime in the past you may recall when your mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, a relative or a friend said some encouraging and empowering words to you that gave you strength and confidence., For you they are like gold coins you would like to pull out from your pocket or purse when you feel down, discouraged, or simply not well.

In today’s gospel, we have heard the story of the two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus. Sad, discouraged, their faith shaken, the risen Christ walked along with them and explained to them the meaning of God’s words in the scriptures that pertained to Him as the Messiah. Although they did not recognize Him when they were on the road, they must have felt the power of His words. That is why, when the recognized Him in the breaking of the bread, they exclaimed “Were not our hearts burning inside us as He talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” Needless to say, they were not the same from that day on.

From the time we wake up in the morning and go to bed at night, we will hear words coming from different sources, but we have a choice. Do we listen to the bad news or do we listen to the good news, most especially from God’s living words? The choice is just like asking ourselves if we want to feel helpless and miserable or joyful and empowered. I believe the choice is pretty obvious. If we start the day right, we will end the day right.

If we start our day in prayer and talk to Jesus in a deeply personal way, even if there are difficulties during the course of the day, we will figure out a solution to any type of problem. Just like those two disciples going to Emmaus, the Lord Jesus, Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, is walking with us.