The Power of Resurrection

April 23, 2025 Wednesday in the Octave of Easter
Daily Readings: Acts 3:1-10; Luke 24:13-35

Today’s readings present two powerful encounters – one between Peter and John and a lame beggar, and another between Jesus and two discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus. Both moments are rich in grace, filled with transformation, and point toward the core of the Easter message: the Risen Lord meets us where we are and restores us to new life.

Let us begin with the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. Peter and John are heading to the temple for prayer. At the gate sits a lame man, begging for money—something he had likely done for years. But Peter offers something radically different. He says, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

Peter does not give the man what he wanted. He gives him what he truly needed. The healing is not merely physical. It is spiritual, social, and deeply restorative. This man, once on the outside, is now jumping with joy, praising God, and entering the temple—the sacred space from which he was once excluded. This is the power of the Gospel: it restores, it includes, and it gives new identity and dignity.

In the Gospel, we find another kind of brokenness—not of body, but of spirit. Two disciples walk away from Jerusalem, away from their dreams, away from their community. They are heartbroken, disappointed, and confused. They had hoped that Jesus would be the one to redeem Israel—but He was crucified. Their hopes died on that cross. And yet, even in their disillusionment, Jesus draws near. He walks with them. He listens to their story. He allows them to share their sorrow. And then He gently opens the Scriptures to them. He gives them a new lens to understand what has happened—not as tragedy, but as fulfillment. Still, they don’t recognize Him…until He breaks the bread.

In that moment of breaking bread, their eyes are opened. They realize: It is the Lord! Their sorrow turns to joy. Their retreat turns into a mission. They rise, like the lame man, and run back to Jerusalem to proclaim the Good News. That’s what an encounter with Christ does. It turns disappointment into enthusiasm, sorrow into worship, fear into proclamation. The Risen Jesus still comes to us—in the Word, in the Sacraments, in the community, and in the poor. He still says: Rise up and walk. He still breaks bread and opens our eyes.

Call to Action for Catholic Living:

• Who are the lame beggars at your gates—those excluded by society, by the Church, or by your prejudices?
• Are you willing, like Peter and John, to stop, see them, and offer the healing presence of Jesus?
• Have you recognized the Lord walking beside you, listening, explaining, breaking bread?