Third Sunday of Easter Year B 2021

James Pirotta is a parishioner of Holy Spirit Parish, St Clair, NSW. He is a BASIC GIFT member (Brothers and Sisters in Christ Growing in Faith Together), a youth group of the parish. GOSPEL: Luke 24:35-48 The disciples told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised Jesus at the breaking of bread. They were still talking about all this when Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’ In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said, ‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ And as he said this he showed them his hands and feet. Their joy was so great that they could not believe it, and they stood dumbfounded; so he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ And they offered him a piece of grilled fish, which he took and ate before their eyes. Then he told them, ‘This is what I meant when I said, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms, has to be fulfilled.’ He then opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘So you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.’' PRAYER God of all the prophets, you fulfilled your promise of old that your Christ would suffer and so rise to glory. Open our minds to understand the Scriptures and fill us with joyful wonder in the presence of the Risen Christ, that we may be his witnesses to the farthest ends of the earth. Amen. (Fr. Kieran O'Mahony OSA)