This Sermon is prepared by
Rev.Fr.Peter Jayakanthan sss
Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament
Corpus Christi Catholic Church,
Houston, Texas, US
3rd Sunday of EasterSunday gathering…A Upper Room experience …. !!Acts3: 13-15, 17-19; 1Jn 2:1-5; Lk24: 35-48Dear sisters, Brothers and Children, I welcome you all to today’s Eucharistic celebration during the Easter season. We continue to hear the message of peace of the Risen Christ. We are also called share and promote peace within our communities. Why there is a lack of peace in our community? Why do we fail to live our lives as people of peace and hope? We shall relive the experience of the Apostles at this Eucharist, because every Eucharist is an Upper Room experience of peace and hope. Our participation may deepen our responsibility and commitment in our community of brothers and sisters, and may heal the wounded and broken relationships, with the hope that we may share and break bread together.When asked, “Why we are called Sunday Christians? and Why do we have an obligation to come for Sunday Eucharist?”, many of our people responded, “Because we are obliged to go, we do not want to go. Some children responded this way, and had even more reasons, such as: “Sunday mass is not giving answer to my life….It is full of rituals and with same responses….I don’t get any new message…I don’t find it motivating and inspiring for my life, and it is monotonous.” The Third Sunday of Easter readings make us aware of our Eucharistic celebration as a life giving and a life sharing community experience of God. The predominant feelings of the Apostles and followers of Jesus were fear, despair and sadness. The image they had of Jesus was a strong picture of the Crucified Christ. Fear, despair and sadness kept them in darkness. They locked themselves in the dark room. They were scared of the Jewish authorities and the Roman rulers, that they, too, would be arrested and tortured. They were in despair as their hopes in Jesus the ‘miracle man’ has left them empty-handed. The various post-Resurrection apparitions of Jesus are: appearing to Mary Magdalen, other women followers and St. Peter, appearing to Simon, walking with the two disciples, and appearing to the twelve, and appearing to disciples when Thomas was present; all of these created doubts, worries and fear. They were scared to share this with others because they thought these were visions, dreams and hallucinations. Jesus wanted his followers and His community as life-sharing and life-giving communities. They should be a lively, fearless and united community. He wanted their lifeless attitude and hopeless faces to be changed into the fullness of life. He says, ‘I am not ghost, replace your minds and hearts with me, a Risen Christ in my physical presence.’ He is removing their fear by calling them to touch and experience life. He offers them complete peace to their community. How does Jesus make His living presence convincing? In all the apparitions, Jesus proves that He is the same teaching Jesus, talking Jesus and eating Jesus. We have the teaching and eating in most of the apparitions. Initially, Jesus is refreshing the minds of His followers with His teaching. He confirms that He is the fulfillment of Old Testament, the Covenant and the Promise made in Salvation History. Bible scholars cite 324 Messianic prophecies scattered throughout the Old Testament, especially in the Prophets and in Psalms. Jesus explained to his disciples how these prophecies had been fulfilled in Him so that they may become witnesses to their Risen Lord in Jerusalem, and to all the nations. He commissions them to continue His mission. Peter is preaching the same fulfillment of the Promise to the Gentile–Jewish community in the first reading of today. Jesus’ teaching gave them life, hope and courage. Meals with fish and bread were very common around the Sea of Galilee and in Jerusalem. It was a meal carried by them for their long traveling. Today’s passage also parallels John 21 with the subject of the cooked fish. In John 21:9-14, Jesus was cooking the fish. In Luke, the disciples gave Jesus the cooked fish to eat. If Luke 13:35-48 is combined with the narrative from the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), both stories involved the Breaking of Bread (Luke 24:30, 35 and John 21:13). The most notable narratives with the blessing of bread and fish were the multiplication of the loaves and fishes (Mark 6:30-44, 8:1-9; Matthew 14.13-21, Matthew 15.32-39; Luke 9.10-17; John 6.1-14). Jesus opens their minds and hearts to recognize Him as the living and physical Jesus by dining with them and teaching them. There is life, hope and unity in teaching the Word of God and breaking and sharing the bread. These gatherings were life-sharing and life-giving moments. After the coming of the Holy Spirit, the disciples and followers continued this teaching of Scripture and breaking of the bread in their communities. Acts2:42”They devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship to the Breaking of Bread and the prayers.” Acts2:46,”They broke bread at home.” Acts20:7-12, “On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread;” the early communities constantly remembered, celebrated and remained united on the first day of the week, the Resurrection day. Their strong belief that the Risen Christ is present with them in the Word of God and in the Breaking of Bread made them strong communities. Justin the Martyr from 2nd Century, writes that the following were taken place in their celebration of Eucharist: readings from Old and New Testament, the homily by the or presider prayers and intercessions, kiss of peace, the president offering thanks giving prayer, communion for those gathered and for the sick, and a collection for the needy. Eucharist brings the Risen Christ among us and binds us with the whole Church as the Body of Christ. Unless we are sick and unable to participate, we are called participate in the Eucharistic celebration. It gives us the experience of communion with all and with Risen Christ. It makes me part of the Upper Room experience of the first Eucharist. When the Early Church was threatened with persecution and fear of division; they were eating from the same loaf and drinking from the same cup, and gathered around the same table as a united people. This keeps us united and strong with the sense of belonging, even today. The Eucharist is a summary of Jesus’ life. The Breaking of Bread is also a powerful sign of unity. When we Break Bread, it is a means of sharing in the Body of Christ. Paul says, “Because there is one bread … we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (I Corinthians 10:16-17). Not only is the person sharing the Cup and the Broken Bread establishing a union with Christ, yet a further union is established through the “partaking” of the same loaf — the union between all the members of the celebrating community. The Eucharist makes the members of the body celebrate their oneness. Oneness is experienced on three levels: one in Christ, one with each other, and one in service to the world. As Pope Paul VI once explained, “The church is more than ever alive, yet it seems good to consider that everything still remains to be done; the work begins today and never comes to an end” Today's Gospel scene is repeated every Sunday on our parish altars. Like the early disciples, we come together to repent of our sins, to express our thanks for the blessings received, to listen to God’s Word, and to offer ourselves to God along with our gifts of bread and wine. We also share in the spiritual food Jesus supplies, and we are sent to share his message with the entire world. Our heavenly Father will always love men because we possess Jesus Christ; thus in the service and glory of Jesus in the Sacrament of His Love, St Peter Julian prays: “O Cenacle!....O Holy Table which bore the consecrated Jesus! O divine fire which Jesus kindled on Mount Sion, burn, spread thy flames, and set the world on fire!” --Amen. 
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