3rd Sunday of Easter

On the day of Pentecost Peter stood up with the Eleven and, with a loud voice,

addressed them, "Fellow Jews and all foreigners now staying in Jerusalem, listen to

what I have to say. Fellow Israelites, listen to what I am going to tell you about Jesus

of Nazareth. God accredited him and through him did powerful deeds and wonders and

signs in your midst, as you well know. You delivered him to sinners to be crucified

and killed, and in this way the purpose of God from all times was fulfilled. But God

raised him to life and released him from the pain of death, because it was impossible

for him to be held in the power of death. David spoke of him when he said: I saw the

Lord before me at all times; he is by my side, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my

heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced; my body too will live in hope. Because you

will not forsake me in the abode of the dead, nor allow your Holy One to experience

corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life, and your presence will fill

me with joy.

You call upon a Father who makes no distinction between persons but judges

according to each one's deeds; take seriously, then, these years which you spend in a

strange land. Remember that you were freed from the useless way of life of your

ancestors, not with gold and silver but with the precious blood of the Lamb without

spot or blemish. God, who has known Christ before the world began, revealed him to

you in the last days. Through him, you have faith in God who raised him from the

dead and glorified him in order that you might put all your faith and hope in God.

That same day, two of them were going to Emmaus, a village seven miles from

Jerusalem, and they talked about what had happened. While they were talking and

wondering, Jesus came up and walked with them, but their eyes were held and they did

not recognize him. He asked, "What is this you are talking about?" The two stood still,

looking sad. Then one named Cleophas answered, "Why, it seems you are the only

traveller in Jerusalem who doesn't know what has happened there these past few days."

And he asked, "What is it?" They replied, "It is about Jesus of Nazareth. He was a

prophet, you know, mighty in word and deed before God and the people. But the chief

priests and our rulers sentenced him to death. They handed him over to be crucified.

We had hoped that he would redeem Israel. It is now the third day since all this took

place. It is true that some women of our group have disturbed us. When they went to

the tomb at dawn, they did not find his body; they came to tell us that they had seen a

vision of angels who told them that Jesus was alive. Some friends of our group went to

the tomb and found everything just as the women had said, but they did not see him."

He said to them, "How dull you are, how slow of understanding! You fail to believe

the message of the prophets. Is it not written that the Christ should suffer all this and

then enter his glory?" Then starting with Moses and going through the prophets, he

explained to them everything in the Scriptures concerning himself. As they drew near

the village they were heading for, Jesus made as if to go farther. But they prevailed

upon him, "Stay with us, for night comes quickly. The day is now almost over." So he

went in to stay with them. When they were at table, he took the bread, said a blessing,

broke it and gave each a piece. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him;

but he vanished out of their sight. And they said to each other, "Were not our hearts

filled with ardent yearning when he was talking to us on the road and explaining the

Scriptures?" They immediately set out and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the

Eleven and their companions gathered together. They were greeted by these words:

"Yes, it is true, the Lord is risen! He has appeared to Simon!" Then the two told what

had happened on the road and how Jesus made himself known when he broke bread

with them.