Scripture Reading Reflection
by Fr. Andrew Kelly
THIRD SUNDAY EASTER SUNDAY – APRIL 19, 2015
Every Sunday the community gathers for the Scriptures and the “breaking of the bread.” Essential for both is the Easter faith and awareness that the risen Lord Jesus Christ is radically and absolutely present within the community.
If Easter faith and awareness is lacking, the Scriptures are monotonous, strange, mumbled words meaning little or nothing. The same is true with the “breaking of the bread.” The bread remains dry, tasteless and nothing more.
For all that to change, the community must allow Sunday’s Easter Gospel (Luke 24:35-48) to happen. This means allowing the risen Christ to penetrate the community’s locked cold heart. Christ then opens the community’s mind to the understanding that all the Scriptures point to Christ’s presence. Next, Christ breaks the bread — opening the community’s eyes to recognize Christ’s presence.
If Easter has happened within the community, the Scriptures are now Christ’s voice speaking living vibrant words. The broken dry bread is now Christ’s risen body given up for the community’s eternal life in Christ.
What an amazing thing happens within a community filled with faith and awareness of Christ’s risen presence. Christ’s eternal light and life now radiates from the community’s once dead cold heart.
(Father Andrew Kelly is a retired priest of the Diocese of Davenport.)
