Third Sunday of Easter Reflection: Emmaus Story and Psalm 16 Insights on Resurrection
Readings and Virtual Homily for April 19, 2026, Third Sunday of Easter; Day of Reflection April 25; Revived by Duty; A Quick Clarification; The Second Half of the April Schedule
Readings for Mass this Sunday:
Acts 2:14, 22-33
Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11
1 Peter 1:17-21
Luke 24:13-35
Dear Friends and Family,
This weekend's Gospel passage details the encounter with the risen Lord by two disciples on the road to Emmaus. I only the week before last gave the bullet-point summary of my usual Emmaus homily. It seems clear to me that the best understanding of this passage is that the two disciples are actually Jesus' aunt and uncle, Mary and Clopas. (Only Clopas is named.)
Wanting to reassure Mary and Clopas and return them to the disciples gathered in Jerusalem, Jesus (his identity hidden from them) explains to them that the Messiah had to suffer, that the Crucifixion had in fact fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies, which prophecies told of a suffering Messiah. Reaching their home in Emmaus, and inviting the "stranger" to stay the night, as it was getting toward dusk, Mary and Clopas came to recognize their nephew in the breaking of the bread. Jesus then vanishes and his aunt and uncle rush back to Jerusalem to share the Good News.
As I said, I have said all that just two weeks ago. In terms of a real homily for this week, the other readings offer some exceptional insights and real clarity, regarding the Resurrection. I am gonna keep it brief here, because this e-mail is already so long.
In the first reading from Acts, Peter actually quotes today's psalm, which assures us that the body of the Lord's "holy one" will not see corruption (vss. 25-28). Peter goes on to say that though David likely wrote the psalm this cannot be a reference to David because "he died and was buried and his tomb is in our midst to this day" (vs. 29). It is impressive to think, just by the bye, that the tomb of David was known to the residents of Jerusalem in Peter's time -- one thousand years after David had died.
In any event, quite clearly, as Peter points out, the psalm reference cannot be to David. It is not David's body that will not see corruption; David has been in his tomb for a thousand years. The "holy one" spoken of in today's psalm is the Messiah. The psalm predicts the Resurrection -- "my body dwells secure...you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor let your holy one see corruption. You will show me the path to life, abounding joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever" (vss. 10-11).
Jesus' body did, indeed, "dwell secure" in the tomb. There are deep theological arguments for what was happening with Jesus' body, those forty or so hours in the tomb. In a few words, what was happening was the reversal of the second law of thermodynamics. Rather than decaying, rather than seeing corruption, Jesus' body "dwells secure" in the tomb, which is better likened to a womb -- the womb opening on eternal life.
Jesus' soul, indeed, was not abandoned to Sheol. He went there, of course, and liberated the souls who had been waiting there from the beginning of human history. But Jesus' human soul was not abandoned to Sheol. Rather it -- he -- was shown "the path to life, abounding joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever" (vs. 11).
Psalm 16 gives us deep insights into the dynamics of the Resurrection. That is why Peter quotes it at length, in today's passage from Acts of the Apostles.
On the subject of Old Testament references to the Resurrection, there is still time to RSVP for next Saturday's Easter Season Day of Reflection at St. Clement. The topic is The Resurrection Prophecies -- that is, we will look at the foreshadowings and outright predictions of the Resurrection in the prophets and the psalms. In addition to today's psalm, there are many references to the Resurrection and some of them offer deep insights into the nature and reality of the events themselves, not just the Resurrection, but the separation of Jesus' soul from his body, the descent to the dead, the opening of the gates of heaven to humanity and so on.
We start with a big continental breakfast, there are two morning talks with a "breakfast break" in between. The lunch is huge and usually draws a lot of compliments. And then there is a third talk, early afternoon. It's a fun day. If you cannot come for the whole thing it is fine to drop in and leave when you need to. You may RSVP with Lisa Fisher at lmf7544@gmail.com or by e-mailing or calling the parish office.
I will close with the observation that, despite what I said last week about "needing a vacation" after spending Easter Week with such unexpected demands and responsibilities, in fact, starting with driving into campus Monday morning and now having completed the first week back since Easter break...I feel charged up. Light, happy, grateful, engaged.
I have seen this dynamic in play before -- sometimes, just showing up for duty is all it takes to get you back in shape, in form, engaged and glad to be engaged. My teens inevitably lift my spirit. They never miss. I am honored and proud to be counted among the academic professionals at the high school -- it was not a setting I had ever imagined for myself, while a seminarian; indeed, during my first nine years as a priest, working ("working") in the parishes.
Sometimes all it takes to snap back from a sense of vexation and exhaustion is to "get back with the program," return to routine. There is something to be said for duty and being available to fulfill it. I am -- once more -- delighted to be back among my teens and my colleagues at the high school, and I look forward to our last five weeks together, this academic year, the smooth, easy glide to the bottom of the slope, the downhill run.
I WILL get that new book done this summer. And a second one, as well, if I have anything to say about it.
That's it for this one.
Take care. God bless.
Love,
Fr. Brawn
The second half of the April schedule appears below. Before I get to that, though, I want to clarify something regarding last week's homily. That is, not the homily itself but the personal update part of the e-mail.
I mentioned that Easter Week did not at all go according to my plans; that I was pulled away from those plans (plans to finish a new book) so many times that at some point mid-week I just threw up my hands and said, "Forget it; just take care of what is coming at you." It occurred to me after I had sent the e-mail that it might have been understood by some of my correspondents that I was talking about interruptions that were coming from the parish.
I want to underscore that this was not at all the case. I need to say that, in fact, if I had laid my writing plans aside last week due to parish need, I would not have been vexed. As I have said from the start of my time at the high school eleven years ago, I remain a parish priest at heart. I LOVE parish work. In fact, I usually place the word work in quote marks, because to me, the "work" of the parish is not work. It is my life as a priest. And I love my life as a priest.
Given the fact of my assignment at the high school, I can only be a parish priest on the margins; around and about my high school responsibilities. My parish opportunities are precious to me; I wish I could have more of them. As it is, parish commitments, even in vacation time, which last week was, typically require no more than fifteen or twenty hours a week from me. I am telling you the truth when I say that I would gladly give twice that time to St. Clement, anytime St. Clement needed it.
Last week's unforeseen interruptions came from beyond-the-parish venues, primarily the diocese. I went to chancery twice last week, which may not sound like much, but to put that fact in perspective, I typically get to chancery twice in a year. If it had been the parish keeping me so busy last week, I'd have smiled right on through and said, "Me and my peeps here at St. Clement are rockin' it this week; I'll get the book finished this summer."
It was not St. Clement that kept me so busy last week. It WAS priestly work, involving an annulment and paperwork for an overseas wedding and more, and as one of my colleagues at chancery put it, "Thank God you are on vacation this week, Father. Otherwise, I am not certain we would be able to meet these deadlines."
For reasons I am deliberately omitting, it was a scramble, a series of headaches, for me, for my colleagues at the Tribunal, for the young couple involved, for the staff at the diocesan offices in Cebu, but by the grace of God, we met all the deadlines, got all the necessary forms filled out (for the SECOND TIME, again, never mind), got them signed, stamped and sent off via FedEx to the Philippines and...
And I will finish my new book in the summer.
So. The rest of the April schedule:
Saturday, April 18:
5 PM (English)
Sunday, April 19:
930 AM (Spanish)
630 PM (English)
Sunday, April 26:
8 AM, 1115 AM (both English)
Weekday Masses (all English)”
Sat. the 18
Mon. the 20
Sat. the 25
Mon. the 27