3rd Sunday of Easter (A)

(Edited) Sunday reflections: (From) years 2014 (A), 2015 (B), and 2016 (C)

May 4, 2014

Liturgical readings

Acts 2:14, 22-33

Psalm 16

1 Peter 1:17-21

Luke 24:13-35

"Stay with us."

Two disciples of Jesus were making their way to Emmaus. They were in a state of discouragement, hoping that Jesus would set Israel free. Their hopes were dashed since Jesus died on a cross. It was in this state of being disheartened by that event when the Lord joined them on their way to Emmaus. However, they did not recognize that it was Jesus who joined them in their journey. Then Jesus spoke to them: quoting from Scriptures regarding the events at Calvary. He explained to them that all that had to happen so that the Messiah would enter into His glory. So the disciples exclaimed to Jesus, "Stay with us." Jesus went and stayed with them. As they arrived at their destination, they sat down for a meal, and then as the Lord broke the Bread, the two suddenly recognized Jesus. They recognized Him in the "breaking of the bread".

What was in the "breaking of the bread" that caused the two disciples to recognize Jesus? Fr. Cantalamessa (Papal preacher in the Vatican) gives one interpretation to this event in his book, "The Eucharist: Our Sanctification":

Jesus accomplished an action: he broke bread...This action had a sacrificial

meaning. In breaking bread, Jesus was "breaking" himself - in the sense of what

Isaiah the prophet says of God's servant, as being broken for our transgressions.

This breaking of Himself before God and his followers was an act of "obedience

onto death".

The apostles said to Jesus, "Stay with us". What they lacked in spirit, they found again in the presence of Jesus. This is sometimes true of every believer before coming to God's presence in the celebration of the Eucharist. Perhaps there are times in the journey of every baptized Christian that they experience fear and discouragement in doing what is according to God's will. But like the two disciples on their way to Emmaus, every soul can be reanimated by God's Word when he recognizes the Lord's presence in the Mass. This question for reflection can help: When the priest does the "breaking of the bread" in the Mass, how do we recognize Jesus? How does the Lord "stay with us" in the "breaking of the bread"?

Scripture quote:

"For you will not abandon my soul to the nether world, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption...you have shown me the paths of life" (Acts 2)

St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury and Doctor of the Church

St. Anselm of Canterbury, Bishop and Doctor:
1033-1109 A.D.

Feast day, April 21

Birth and early life

St. Anselm of Canterbury was born to noble French parents in Aosta, northern Italy, ca. 1033 A.D. His parents were Gundolf and Ermenberga from an old Burgundian family. Deeply infuenced by his pious mother Ermenberga, Anselm asked that he be admitted to a monastery when he was 15 years of age. However, Gundolf, Anselm's father, was opposed to this desire of his son, and the abbot of the monastery, who was also well aware of that opposition, refused to admit Anselm. Unable to enter the monastery, Anselm lost interest in religion and began to lead the life of a carefree young nobleman.

Studies and entrance to the Bec Monastery

When Anselm's mother passed away, Anselm left home in 1056 A.D. to move to Burgundy, France, where he studied. He entered a school at Bec in Normandy, France in 1059 A.D. While at Bec, St. Anselm learned of his father's death and this left his soul torn between returning to Italy to manage the estates he inherited from his father, or entering a monastery - a youthful desire since he was fifteen. However, Archbishop Maurillus of Rouen advised Anselm to become a monk. Anselm acted upon the good counsel of the Archbishop and entered the Benedictine monastery at Bec. Anselm was 27 years of age when he entered. After three years in the Bec Monastery, the abbot Lanfranc was transferred to St. Stephen's in nearby Caen. Anselm was thus appointed prior of the Bec Monastery.

Elevation to the position of Archbishop of Canterbury


Anselm was named abbot of Bec in 1078 A.D., a position that required him to visit England and inspect the abbey property there. In 1092 A.D., the English clergy elected Anselm archbishop of Canterbury, a position that was left vacant since the death of Lafranc - who had been archbishop since 1070 A.D. At the time of Anselm's elevation to the position of archbishop, there was great strife between King William and the Church. The issue at hand was the Church's independence from the State. Because of this strife, St. Anselm was exiled several times. In exile, and unable to return to England, St. Anselm found a quiet retreat in a monastery in Italy. It was here that he resumed his writing (the Monologion, and then Proslogion). He completed his work Cur Deus Homo, in which he explained the wisdom, justice, and necessity of the Incarnation.

The Regional Council of Bari

St. Anselm attended the regional Council of Bari in 1098 A.D. He contributed well to the reconciliation between the Eastern and Western churches over the Filioque question: whether the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father only (as the Greek Church claimed), or whether the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father and the Son (as the Latin Church claimed). St. Anselm's discourse on this question helped the Church under Pope Urban II to resolve the issue. Aside from the Filioque question, the regional Council also denounced King William for simony, for persecuting Anselm, for oppression of the Church, and for personal depravity. Only entreaties from St. Anselm prevented the Pope from excommunicating the King. When King William passed away, he was succeeded by King Henry I. As with King William, the strife between Anselm and the English royal head, continued in the reign of King Henry I. This matter was again referred to the pope.

Preeminent theologian, "Father of Scholasticism" and Doctor of the Church

Though preoccupied for many years with defending the Church's right against the English kings, St. Anselm was also a preeminent theologian and has been called "the Father of Scholasticism". His Monologion speaks on the existence of God, and his Proslogion deduces God's existence from man's notion of a perfect being. Among his other writings are: De fide Trinitatis, De conceptu virginali, De veritate, Liber apologeticus pro insipiente, and many other letters, prayers, and meditations.

St. Anselm of Canterbury died on Wednesday of Holy Week, April 21, 1109 A.D., in his seventy-sixth year. He was buried in Canterbury Cathedral. In 1720 A.D., St. Anselm was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Clement XI. The Church celebrates his feast on April 21.

References of this article

• Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney


• The Doctors of the Church vol 2, by John F. Fink


• A Year With the Saints, by Don Bosco Press, Inc.

Memorial of Saints (April 17)

St. Anicetus became Pope ca. 155 A.D. He actively opposed the Gnostic heresy and Marcionism. It was in his pontificate that a dispute arose between the Church of the West and the East regarding the liturgical date for Easter. St. Polycarp, a disciple of St. John, and who also became bishop of Smyrna, got involved in this dispute. This is one of the disputes between the churches of the West and the churches of the East that extended to the next centuries (died ca. 166 A.D.).

St. Elias was an aged priest of Cordova, in Spain. It was St. Eulogius who gives an eyewitness account of the story of St. Elias. According to Eulogius, Elias was executed for the faith together with two young men whom Elias was instructing in the faith - St. Isidore and St. Paul (died ca. 856 A.D.).

Blessed Mary Ann of Jesus Navarro dedicated her life to God under the spiritual direction of the Mercedarians. She was noted for her holy life because of her devotion to the Eucharist, and her works of mercy towards the poor. In 1614 A.D., she made her profession as a member of the Third Order of Mercy. Up to this date, her body remains incorrupt and has been miraculously preserved in Madrid, Spain (died ca. 1624 A.D.).

Blessed Clare of Pisa was betrothed at an early age. In the home of her future husband's parents, she assisted the poor and the sick within the neighborhood. When Clare's husband died during an epidemic, she refused a second marriage and decided to become a religious. She joined the Poor Clares and took the religious name, Clare (her real name was Theodora Gambacorti). Because of disputes in the family, she found herself instead in a Dominican convent. Eventually, since she wanted to live a spirit of reform, her father built a new convent for her, where she and her companions followed a stricter observance of the Dominican rule (died ca. 1419 A.D.).

St. Benedict Joseph Labre was rejected entrance by three different religious orders. So he decided to be a pilgrim in imitation of Christ, who had "nowhere to lay his head". Benedict visited all the major shrines of western Europe and spent his last years in Rome. He is the patron saint of wandering people and the homeless (died ca. 1783 A.D.).

St. Mappalicus was a resident of Carthage (now in present-day Tunisia). He was tortured and died a martyr for the Christian faith under the reign of Emperor Decius. Decius decreed that all persons must sacrifice to Rome's pagan gods. Mappalicus and seventeen other Christians refused to obey this decree. They were all put to death by various means at the same place and time (died ca. 250 A.D.).

St. Innocent of Tortona was arrested for being a Christian, but was able to escape to Rome. In Rome, he became a deacon and soon appointed bishop of Tortona in 322 A.D. St. Innocent was active in preaching the faith and in building churches during the twenty-eight years of his episcopate (died ca. 350 A.D.).

St. Donnan was an Irish disciple of St. Columba. Together with fifty-two companions, Donnan founded a monastery on the island of Eigg, Inner Hebrides. When bandits raided their monastery, they were all killed just after St. Donnan had finished saying the Mass on Easter (died ca. 618 A.D.).

St. Robert of Chaise-Dieu was ordained and became a canon at St. Julian's Church at Brioude. He spent several years in the monastery of Cluny when St. Odilo was abbot, and then went on a pilgrimage to Rome. When he returned, he became a hermit near Brioude. A knight named Stephen and other followers joined Robert. St. Robert then organized the community which grew to three hundred monks (died ca. 1067 A.D.).

St. Stephen Harding originally lived with a group of hermits near Molesmes. In 1094 A.D., together with others, Stephen obtained permission to leave Molesmes so that they can found the monastery at Citeaux. Stephen was subprior at the time, Alberic was prior, while Robert was abbot. Eventually, Stephen became abbot of Citeaux. After some time, because of a series of unfortunate events, the young community at Citeaux was in crisis. But in 1112 A.D., Bernard (St. Bernard of Clairvaux) entered the Citeaux monastery with a group of his relatives. From then on, St. Stephen Harding drew up the rule for the Cistercian Order (died ca. 1134 A.D.).