3rd Sunday of Easter

Live Stream Saturday at 4:15pm

Resources

Here you can find this Sunday's Readings, songs and hymns chosen by our music ministers, Father's homily, some petitions for us to offer together to God, the Spiritual Communion Prayer and a prayer for during this pandemic. If you are looking for something more, try these resources:

• Our YouTube Channel: We are teaming up with St. Joseph the Worker to livestream Mass. Join us at 4:15pm on Saturday on YouTube. You will also be able to access the video after the live broadcast if you'd rather participate in the Mass on Sunday.
• Archbishop's Live Broadcast: The Archdiocese will livestream Mass at 9:00am on Easter Sunday with Archbishop Jackels presiding.
• Magnificat: Head over to Magnificat for a full outline of all the prayers and readings for today's Mass.
• MagnifiKid: This is a resource to serve as a spiritual guide for kids that include activities and explanations for the readings and rituals of Mass.

The Readings

First Reading Acts of the Apostles 2:14, 22-33

Then Peter stood up with the other eleven apostles and in a loud voice began to speak to the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, listen to me and let me tell you what this means. Listen to these words, fellow Israelites! Jesus of Nazareth was a man whose divine authority was clearly proven to you by all the miracles and wonders which God performed through him. You yourselves know this, for it happened here among you. In accordance with his own plan God had already decided that Jesus would be handed over to you; and you killed him by letting sinful men crucify him. But God raised him from death, setting him free from its power, because it was impossible that death should hold him prisoner. For David said about him, ‘I saw the Lord before me at all times; he is near me, and I will not be troubled. And so I am filled with gladness, and my words are full of joy. And I, mortal though I am, will rest assured in hope, because you will not abandon me in the world of the dead; you will not allow your faithful servant to rot in the grave. You have shown me the paths that lead to life, and your presence will fill me with joy.’

“My friends, I must speak to you plainly about our famous ancestor King David. He died and was buried, and his grave is here with us to this very day. He was a prophet, and he knew what God had promised him: God had made a vow that he would make one of David's descendants a king, just as David was. David saw what God was going to do in the future, and so he spoke about the resurrection of the Messiah when he said, ‘He was not abandoned in the world of the dead; his body did not rot in the grave.’ God has raised this very Jesus from death, and we are all witnesses to this fact. He has been raised to the right side of God, his Father, and has received from him the Holy Spirit, as he had promised. What you now see and hear is his gift that he has poured out on us.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11 - Lord, You will show us the path of life.

Second Reading 1 Peter 1:17-21

Beloved: You call him Father, when you pray to God, who judges all people by the same standard, according to what each one has done; so then, spend the rest of your lives here on earth in reverence for him. For you know what was paid to set you free from the worthless manner of life handed down by your ancestors. It was not something that can be destroyed, such as silver or gold; it was the costly sacrifice of Christ, who was like a lamb without defect or flaw.

He had been chosen by God before the creation of the world and was revealed in these last days for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from death and gave him glory; and so your faith and hope are fixed on God.

Gospel Luke 24:13-35

On that same day two of Jesus' followers were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking to each other about all the things that had happened. As they talked and discussed, Jesus himself drew near and walked along with them; they saw him, but somehow did not recognize him. Jesus said to them, “What are you talking about to each other, as you walk along?” They stood still, with sad faces. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn't know the things that have been happening there these last few days?”

“What things?” he asked.

“The things that happened to Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. “This man was a prophet and was considered by God and by all the people to be powerful in everything he said and did. Our chief priests and rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and he was crucified. And we had hoped that he would be the one who was going to set Israel free! Besides all that, this is now the third day since it happened. Some of the women of our group surprised us; they went at dawn to the tomb, but could not find his body. They came back saying they had seen a vision of angels who told them that he is alive. Some of our group went to the tomb and found it exactly as the women had said, but they did not see him.”

Then Jesus said to them, “How foolish you are, how slow you are to believe everything the prophets said! Was it not necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and then to enter his glory?” And Jesus explained to them what was said about himself in all the Scriptures, beginning with the books of Moses and the writings of all the prophets.

As they came near the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther; but they held him back, saying, “Stay with us; the day is almost over and it is getting dark.” So he went in to stay with them. He sat down to eat with them, took the bread, and said the blessing; then he broke the bread and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight. They said to each other, “Wasn't it like a fire burning in us when he talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”

They got up at once and went back to Jerusalem, where they found the eleven disciples gathered together with the others and saying, “The Lord is risen indeed! He has appeared to Simon!”

The two then explained to them what had happened on the road, and how they had recognized the Lord when he broke the bread.

Homily

Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Easter 2020

Prayers of the Faithful

With faith and hope in God, let us bring our needs before the Lord.

• That Pope Francis and all church leaders be blessed and strengthened as they minister to their flock during these difficult times, we pray to the Lord. Risen Lord, hear our prayer.
• That government leaders and medical experts be graced with wisdom and knowledge to combat the spread of COVID-19 and to find a cure, we pray to the Lord. Risen Lord, hear our prayer.
• That people affected by the coronavirus rely on their faith and God’s word to bring them understanding, comfort and strength, we pray to the Lord. Risen Lord, hear our prayer.
• That teachers and students experience Jesus walking beside them as they navigate their way through a challenging and unique closure to the school year, we pray to the Lord. Risen Lord, hear our prayer.
• That all members of the Church be renewed in their desire to draw closer to the Risen Lord, we pray to the Lord. Risen Lord, hear our prayer.
• That Daryl Seiler, Minor Maas, Robert & James Willis, Grace & Nick Ervolino, Bob Zahren, the Honkamp & Wubben families,  Ken Green, Betty Tranel, Gary Anglin, and all who have died rise to the fullness of joy in God’s presence, we pray to the Lord. Risen Lord, hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus, hear our prayers and awaken in us a new awareness of the great love of God for the whole of creation. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Communion

Spiritual Communion Prayer

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

A Prayer for During the Pandemic

Holy Virgin of Guadalupe,
Queen of the Angels and Mother of the Americas.
We turn to you today as your beloved children.
We ask you to intercede for us with your Son,
as you did at the wedding in Cana.

Pray for us, loving Mother,
and gain for our nation and world,
and for all our families and loved ones,
the protection of your holy angels,
that we may be spared the worst of this illness.

For those already afflicted,
we ask you to obtain the grace of healing and deliverance.
Hear the cries of those who are vulnerable and fearful,
wipe away their tears and help them to trust.

In this time of trial and testing,
teach all of us in the Church to love one another and to be patient and kind.
Help us to bring the peace of Jesus to our land and to our hearts.

We come to you with confidence,
knowing that you truly are our compassionate mother,
health of the sick and cause of our joy.

Shelter us under the mantle of your protection,
keep us in the embrace of your arms,
help us always to know the love of your Son, Jesus. Amen.