"In the Breaking of the Bread"

As we continue our Sunday celebration, I offer this version of Bob Hurd's "In the Breaking of the Bread":

 

Birthday Blessings, Frank!!!

Birthday greetings to Frank Perterson, son Adam's father-in-law, whose birthday is today!!! May this day, and each day of the upcoming year, be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!

Third Sunday of Easter

Today the Church celebrates the Third Sunday of Easter. The assigned readings for the Mass of Easter Day are Acts 2: 14, 22-33; 1 Peter 1:17-21; and Luke 24:13-35. The Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 16 (Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11).

For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:

YouTube: Responsorial Psalm / Third Sunday of Easter Year A / CBW#94 / Psalm 16

The Gospel reading is as follows:

That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?" They stopped, looking downcast.

One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?" And he replied to them, "What sort of things?" They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning  and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see."

And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures. As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.

Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?" So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!" Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

Reflections related to these readings:

Benedictine College: This Sunday, Jesus, the 'Undercover Boss,' Is Seeking You Out, Too (16 APR 26)

Word on Fire: The Pattern and Presence of Jesus (Cycle A * Easter * 3rd Week)

The Pilot: Echoes: Scott Hahn: Emmaus and us (17 APR 26)

The Pilot: Echoes: Father Joshua J. Whitfield: Scripture Reflection for April 19, 2026, Third Sunday of Easter (15 APR 26)

The Pilot: Echoes: Archbishop Richard G. Henning: 'Blessed are the peacemakers' (17 APR 26)

The Quiet Corner: Finding Jesus in the Father's House (16 APR 26)

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of opportunities to be Your presence to those we encounter/interact with each day.

Dr. R. Jared Staudt on Celebrating the Easter Season

"Easter is the feast of all feasts, and its 50-day season stands atop the liturgical year as its climax. While we might recognize this reality, the Easter season can seem like a letdown. While the goal of Lent appears to be clear-cut -- fight against sin, do penance, increase prayer and give alms -- what about Easter? What are we supposed to do for 50 days?

"If Lent is meant to clear away obstacles to receiving God's grace, Easter should be the time for entering into it. . . ."

In a recent commentary, R. Jared Staudt, Ph.D.,Associate Superintendent for Mission and Formation for the Archdiocese of Denver, reflected on how Easter can take on "just as much, if not more, significance than Lent." and on how the two "should be just as inseparable as the Cross and Resurrection themselves."

To access Dr. Staudt's complete post, please visit:

The Pilot: Echoes: Dr. R. Jared Staudt: The art of celebrating the Easter Season (15 APR 26)

Reflection Starter from Pope Leo XIV

"If the two disciples of Emmaus recognize Jesus when He breaks the bread for them, we too should recognize Him in this way. Not just in the Eucharist, but wherever there is a life that becomes broken bread, wherever someone makes a compassionate gift of themselves, like He did. With the grace of the Risen Christ, we can become this broken bread that transforms reality. (Lk 24:13–35)" - Pope Leo XIV

The Cascades: "Dreamin"

As this blessed week draws to a close, I offer this version of The Cascades presenting "Dreamin":

 

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of opportunities to participate in pilgrimages for for the graces You bestow on those who do so.

The Power of Pilgrimages

Deacon Don Grossnickle shouldn't even be here anymore. Diagnosed with Stage 4 heart failure in 2016, doctors told him he would be dead within two years. Shocked by the unexpected news, Deacon Don started going to cardiac rehab five days a week to exercise his heart muscle and simply maintain the status quo. His efforts have worked since his diagnosis took place 10 years ago, and he has obviously lasted well beyond his predicted expiration date. During a Christopher Closeup interview, Deacon Don observed, "Every day is a blessing. . . . I give all the glory to God. It is a miracle that I'm living. Most people say it's because God has got work for me to do, and I'm not finished yet."

In light of all his exercise, the Chicago-based deacon was in good shape for the walking required when he took the opportunity for a family pilgrimage to the Camino de Santiago in Spain with his wife, daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. And by choosing the shorter Camino Finisterre, the trip was not as physically demanding as the full pilgrimage trail would have been. It did, however, result in connecting with his daughter and her family in a better way, since they live in New York and don't see each other often. "We talked about our faith life. We talked about God, which is not always easy in just phone conversations. . . . We [visited] churches and [had] prayer time. So, it was heavy duty spiritual."

A few months after that, Deacon Don participated in a pilgrimage to Poland with 103 of his fellow Chicagoans to visit a variety of shrines, churches, and holy places. Deacon Don noted that he learned about "the larger context of how Poland has risen from the claws of communism. I came back tremendously inspired, maybe even with some saintly powers. . . . It opened doors to me, giving me great spiritual strength. . . . When Maximilian Kolbe or St. Faustina or John Paul II were down, the Spirit empowered them more. The great question, of course, is: how do saints do it? I think visiting their sites, knowing their stories from birth to their spiritual formation and vocational development, I could see myself in them. If they can do it, we can do it."

Despite his 77 years of age and 38 years in ministry, Deacon Don admitted that, spiritually speaking, "I was a juvenile and I'm still learning so much and growing and so humbled." That especially held true for his trip to Auschwitz, where he learned the details of St. Maximilian Kolb'’s sacrificing his life for a fellow concentration camp victim.

Regarding this part of his pilgrimage, Deacon Don said, "I was struck in disbelief, particularly with Birkenau. Auschwitz was small in comparison to the 20,000 that were interred in makeshift buildings, living among themselves on the way to certain death that they didn't really know or understand. It was shocking. I was very heartened with the idea that God gave me the potential to go there and look at what racism or discrimination can do when it goes wild. [It] empowered me and my preaching, maybe to be more open, to caution the world that each of us have an impact, basically to halt, each in our own way, that kind of discrimination, whether it's in the U.S. today with immigration issues or with discrimination going on in the world today against Jews. It had the impact, I think, of really inspiring and motivating, but it was deeply saddening."

This essay is a recent "Light One Candle" column by Tony Rossi, Director of Communications, The Christophers; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events.

Background information:

The Christophers

Belated Birthday Blessings, Marty!!!

Belated birthday greetings to brother Martin, whose birthday was yesterday!!! May each day of the upcoming year be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!

Reflection Starter from Stephen King

"Don't let the sun go down without saying thank you to someone, and without admitting to yourself that absolutely no one gets to this point on their own." - Stephen King

Old School : "Tomorrow Is Promised to No One"

It's time for some more barbershop harmony. In this video, Old Time is presenting "Tomorrow Is Promised to No One":