How do we respond? What do we do with this love?

What if we did not see the Resurrected Lord before His Ascension? Luke 24:13-35

We have looked at almost all the senses in which Jesus has completed the works of God, and we have something in common with these disciples. We have shared a commonality with the disciples on the road to Emmaus and those commissioned at the Ascension: prior to this Bible study, we had little (and now somewhat more, though still growing) knowledge of how the prophets foretold his fulfillment of God's works. Unlike them, we have not beheld Christ's resurrected body with our bodily eyes, as his visible bodily companionship ceased after the Ascension. Yet, after promising "I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Mt 28:20), Christ blesses them and ascends—not disappearing but entering a new mode of presence that fulfills his pledge par excellence. This promise finds its supreme realization in the Eucharist, where Christ is truly, really, and substantially present—his Body and Blood, together with his Soul and Divinity—under the species of bread and wine. Far from a mere shift away from bodily presence, the Lord remains bodily in his glorified state at the Father's right hand while rendering himself sacramentally present to the Church through transubstantiation, drawing us into the memorial of his one eternal sacrifice.

But remember, if the resurrection never happened then none of this matters.

What have we learned so far, what is most important?

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1-3.

God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life. So that this call should resound throughout the world, Christ sent forth the apostles he had chosen, commissioning them to proclaim the gospel: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." Strengthened by this mission, the apostles "went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it." Those who with God's help have welcomed Christ's call and freely responded to it are urged on by love of Christ to proclaim the Good News everywhere in the world. This treasure, received from the apostles, has been faithfully guarded by their successors. All Christ's faithful are called to hand it on from generation to generation, by professing the faith, by living it in fraternal sharing, and by celebrating it in liturgy and prayer.

In short:

God made us for love, His life to share,  

Sin broke the bond, bringing despair.  

Through prophets, priests, and covenants of old,  

He prepared the way for His plan to unfold.  

In fullness of time, He sent us His Son,  

Redeemer and Savior, the Holy One.  

By grace, we return, our hearts realigned,  

In Christ’s covenant, salvation we find.  

His Spirit calls us, His children to be,  

Heirs of His life for eternity.  

Through His Church, His love and mission expand,  

Repent, seek God—the Kingdom’s at hand!  

What do we do now?

We begin to see the truth of Christ and His work to restore the relationship we shattered when we doubted and hid from Him. In our fall we did not merely wander—we rebelled. Yet He remained steadfast, pursuing us with relentless love and often shielding us from the full weight of our ruin.

At last He came Himself, taking flesh through a woman full of grace. He entered the poverty of our condition as a helpless child, lived among us, and bore the full cost of love: a public, shameful, and painful death for our sins. And yet, He returned with peace.

Do we accept this reality? Do we see how deeply we are broken—and what He has done for us? He never ceased loving us, even when we turned His gifts against Him. Justice reveals the debt we owe to the One who bore our betrayal and answered it with mercy. Such love calls for more than acknowledgment; it calls for our whole lives—not an hour of the week, but every moment, not a part of ourselves, but all. In living the fullness of the Christian life, even our sins become occasions to return more deeply to God.

Knowing our place in this story, we must embrace the relationship He offers. As He once called disciples, He now calls us through one another. In the turbulence of modern life—its noise, distractions, and temptations—we are like a fragile boat tossed by waves. Yet since our baptism, Christ has been in the boat with us. The question remains: what place has He been given? Scripture shows us two possibilities once we recognize what has been given to us.

1. John 21:1-14 - Return to the familiar

Granted that there is also a key aspect of grieving and emotionally and intellectually processing every that has just happened. However, will we return as Peter and the Apostles did to the pre-Jesus status quo? Will there be a noticeable change in the way we live? It would seem that if there is not, like Peter, we would be missing something important.

2. Acts 2:1-4; 41-47 - Pursue the fullness of the new life in Christ

Very different from the pre-Jesus status quo, the life we will take up interiorly and exteriorly ought to be different, or more accurately, new. Old perspectives must be changed and the very meaning of life as one understands it should change. Still, there can be hindrances to taking up this new life and experiencing that final conversion. In truth, this can only be that we are not receiving God's love sufficiently, and what obstacles we find in the way need to be dealt with properly, this may require help from a spiritual director, psychologist, and much vulnerable, diligent, and searching honesty. Let's consider this a step further

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is arranged to instruct us in this way of life:

The four parts are related one to another: the Christian mystery is the object of faith (first part); it is celebrated and communicated in liturgical actions (second part); it is present to enlighten and sustain the children of God in their actions (third part); it is the basis for our prayer, the privileged expression of which is the Our Father, and it represents the object of our supplication, our praise and our intercession (fourth part).

The Liturgy itself is prayer; the confession of faith finds its proper place in the celebration of worship. Grace, the fruit of the sacraments, is the irreplaceable condition for Christian living, just as participation in the Church's Liturgy requires faith. If faith is not expressed in works, it is dead (cf. Jas 2:14-16) and cannot bear fruit unto eternal life. In reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church we can perceive the wonderful unity of the mystery of God, his saving will, as well as the central place of Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, sent by the Father, made man in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, to be our Savior. Having died and risen, Christ is always present in his Church, especially in the sacraments; he is the source of our faith, the model of Christian conduct and the Teacher of our prayer.

How, then, should we define Discipleship and Evangelization?

Discipleship is a lifelong, grace‑filled conformity to Christ—formed by Scripture, Tradition, the sacraments, and the Church’s prayer. It is a vocation of love, receiving God’s love in Christ and responding through continual conversion, where grace heals and re‑orders the person toward God. Because the Gospel is missionary, discipleship means witnessing to Christ and helping others become His followers. It is always communal, as believers support one another and embody God’s Trinitarian love. Thus, discipleship is formation, communion, and mission—a shared journey of becoming like Christ and helping one another toward heaven. 

Evangelization is the Spirit-empowered mission of the Church to announce and manifest Jesus Christ and his Gospel. Modeled on Christ’s prophetic, priestly, and royal ministry, the Church proclaims the Gospel through word, witness, sacramental life, and charity to persons and cultures within the unfolding history of salvation. By fulfilling Christ’s mandate to evangelize all nations, this mission calls people to conversion, reconciliation with God, incorporation into the Church, and participation in the life of the Trinity. Through it the People of God are built up and the world itself is renewed in the light of Christ for the glory of God, and called to this same mission through discipleship. 

What have we done in this Study?

• Session 2 (which was the first content session) presents Interpreting Scripture as an act of communication in which God, the loving source, speaks through the Holy Spirit and human authors so that His message—fully revealed in Christ—may reach our hearts and minds (cf. 1 Cor 2:10–16; CCC 65, 109). When this communication is received without distortion from sin, ignorance, or distraction, it becomes an invitation to communion that necessarily calls forth obedience and love rather than mere intellectual agreement.

• In Session 3, we looked at John 15, which presents Christ speaking intimately to His closest disciples, revealing that true life, love, joy, and unity flow only from abiding in Him, where obedience is not slavery but friendship rooted in being chosen and loved first (cf. John 15:9–17; CCC 459, 755). This session prepares participants for mission by showing that fraternal love and vulnerability arise from communion with Christ, even amid opposition from the world, and that authentic Christian witness flows from remaining in His love and bearing fruit together (cf. John 15:18–27; CCC 849).

• Session 4 explores humanity’s identity as created in the image and likeness of God—made for covenantal relationship, stewardship, and communion—revealing original holiness, human dignity, and our vocation to live in harmony with God, one another, and creation (cf. Gen 1–2; CCC 1, 374–375). Through the Fall in Genesis 3, we see how distrust fractures this communion, yet God immediately reveals mercy and hope, promising redemption that ultimately finds its fulfillment in Christ, who restores what sin corrupted (CCC 397; Gen 3:15).

• Session 5 defines a covenant as a divinely initiated relationship in which God binds humanity to Himself through a mediator, promises, obligations, and sacred signs, progressively restoring communion broken by sin and culminating in Jesus Christ, the mediator of the new and eternal covenant (cf. CCC 54–73). Beginning with the Adamic covenant, we see how God establishes humanity in dignity, stewardship, and holiness, reveals the tragedy of human infidelity, and sets in motion a covenantal plan that steadily prepares for redemption and fulfillment in Christ.

• Session 6 covers the covenant with Noah is a divinely initiated, universal covenant of peace in which God, through Noah as mediator, binds Himself to humanity, all living creatures, and creation itself, promising preservation, order, and stability despite ongoing human sin (Gen 9; CCC 56–58, 71). This covenant both restrains chaos after the Fall and prepares for Christ, foreshadowing salvation through judgment, the Church as the ark of refuge, and the definitive New Covenant in which God’s promise is fulfilled eternally rather than temporarily.

• Session 7 introduces Lectio Divina as the Church’s ancient, Spirit-guided way of receiving Scripture so that the Word shapes us before we attempt to analyze it, in fidelity to Sacred Tradition and the interior work of grace (cf. CCC 117–119, 2705–2708). Entering John 1 through this method reveals Jesus as the eternal Logos made flesh and the Lamb of God, inviting not only understanding but a personal encounter that culminates in prayer, contemplation, and a lived response of witness.

• Session 8 explores God’s call to Abram as the foundational moment of the Abrahamic covenant, highlighting Abram’s faith-filled obedience amid human hesitation, the promises of land, descendants, and universal blessing, and the mysterious priest-king Melchizedek as a foreshadowing of Christ’s eternal priesthood. This session invites reflection on how God’s unilateral commitment shapes salvation history, calling believers to trust, obedience, and participation in the unfolding covenant fulfilled in the Church

• Session 9 continues Abraham’s covenant story, showing how God perfects Abraham’s faith through promises, trials, and the ultimate test of Isaac, while foreshadowing Christ and emphasizing obedience, trust, and the gradual unfolding of salvation history through Abraham’s descendants. The session also connects these events to Joseph’s story, illustrating God’s providential care, redemption through suffering, and the call to forgive and participate in the ongoing restoration of humanity.

• Session 10 introduces the Mosaic covenant, tracing Israel’s journey from promise to slavery and divine deliverance, highlighting how God’s guidance through Moses prefigures salvation in Christ and the sacramental reality of Baptism. It emphasizes God’s providence, the preparation of His people for covenant obedience, and the ultimate fulfillment of His promises in Jesus, who liberates humanity from sin and death.

• Session 11 emphasizes Moses as the mediator of the Sinai covenant, showing how God draws His people into deeper participation in His plan through law, sacrifice, and worship, while also revealing the consequences of disobedience and the necessity of trust. It highlights the covenant as preparation for Christ, with Israel called to be a priestly people, and teaches that obedience, faith, and perseverance shape the communion and kingdom of God.

• Session 12 presents David as the covenant mediator of the kingdom, showing how God fulfills His promises through the line of David, prepares the way for Christ, and establishes a kingdom that foreshadows the universal reign of Jesus. It emphasizes the patterns of obedience, failure, and divine mercy, the role of wise and faithful leadership, and the ultimate hope of an eternal, unshakeable kingdom realized in Christ and witnessed by the apostles.

• Session 13 surveys the prophets as witnesses to God’s growing promise of redemption, revealing how Israel’s history prepares for a transformative act that will heal covenant infidelity and restore communion with God (cf. CCC 64). Through prophecies from Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and others, Scripture foretells a Messiah—Son, King, Servant, and covenant-maker—whose suffering and reign will establish a new and everlasting covenant. These hopes culminate in the Annunciation and birth narratives, where the long-awaited fulfillment begins in Christ (cf. CCC 431).

• Session 14 presents the Passion and Cross as the climactic moment in which Christ seals the New Covenant through His sacrificial death, fulfilling the Law, the prophets, and God’s plan of revelation. Reading the Passion narrative reveals how Jesus freely bears the curse of humanity’s covenantal failure, conquering sin and death through the very instrument of suffering (cf. CCC 580, 436). In this mystery, the cross becomes the bridge from death to life, inviting believers to encounter Christ personally and respond with obedient faith (cf. CCC 73).

• Session 15 synthesizes the entire covenantal story by presenting Jesus Christ as the definitive mediator and fulfillment of every covenant, in whom God’s faithful initiative toward humanity reaches its climax (cf. Heb 1:1–2; CCC 460). Through His life, death, and resurrection, Christ perfects the promises made to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, transforming partial mediations into a universal covenant of grace, salvation, and divine sonship. Believers are thus invited to participate in this communion through faith, obedience, sacrifice, and life in the Church.

• Session 16 centers on Christ’s question, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matt. 16:15), inviting participants to confront Jesus’ identity and respond in faith. Through Scripture, C.S. Lewis’s trilemma, and Christ’s divine actions and claims, the study shows that Jesus demands a decision—Lord, liar, or lunatic. The parable of the Prodigal Son then illustrates humanity’s fall, repentance, and restoration, revealing the Father’s mercy and calling each believer to rediscover identity through returning to God.

• Session 17 This concluding session focuses on response and mission. Participants are called to consider what to do with the love and grace revealed in Christ, even without firsthand experience of His resurrected body (Luke 24:13–35). The session emphasizes that Christ’s presence has shifted from bodily to sacramental in the Eucharist, reinforcing the ongoing reality of His saving work in the Church.

Music

Further Study

 Perhaps turn lights off in the room and light a candle

 John 6:16–21; Luke 8:22–25; Matthew 8:23–27; Mark 4:36–41

What is the one thing that matters in this life?

• Jesus! Knowing, Loving, and Serving Him in that order

The fullness of the Christian life as discussed in the previous session will be enough to save us from ourselves if we truly aim for its fullness and we will always fall short of it in this life which is why we must continue renewing our efforts always striving through sacraments, conforming our lives to Christ's, and encountering Him always in prayer. It is one thing to have command over nature but what about death

How do I proclaim Christ if given the prudential opportunity?

This is the consistent evangelistic structure Luke records across Jewish, mixed, and Gentile audiences.

1. Address - Who are your (speaking to) and why? as needed

2. God of Israel / Creator God acts in history - What has God done for Man? and/or What would be significant to them about the Gospel?

3. Jesus’ ministry empowered by God - What lengths did God go to?

4. Human rejection and crucifixion - How did we Respond at the time?

5. God raises him - How did God overcome our response and triumph over our failings?

6. Scriptural fulfillment - How can this be expected and was anticipated from old?

7. Exaltation and present lordship - How is this relevant now and what is next?

8. Witness testimony - How is this personal? How did it affect your life?

9. Offer of forgiveness - How can one who is unconverted be accepted?

10. Call to repentance and faith - What must they do?

11. Warning / universality of salvation - What should they be aware of in terms of urgency, follow-up, and nuance?

How is this demonstrated in Scripture?

I. Address to the Audience (Who are your (speaking to) and why?) - Acts 2:14, 22; 3:12; 13:16

“Men of Israel, and all who fear God, listen. Rulers and elders of the people, hear these words. We bring you good news.”

II. God’s Initiative in History (What has God done for Man?) - 

“The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, the God who made heaven and earth and gives you rains and fruitful seasons, chose our fathers and led them out of Egypt with uplifted arm. He gave them judges, and afterward David as king. Of his posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.”

III. The Ministry of Jesus (What lengths did God go to?)

“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed, for God was with him.
You yourselves know the deeds of power and signs that God did through him.”

IV. The Rejection and Death of Jesus (How did we Respond?)

“You handed him over and rejected him. Though no cause for death was found, you asked that he be killed. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. You killed the Author of life.”

V. God’s Vindication: Resurrection (How does God triumph?)

“But God raised him from the dead. It was impossible for him to be held by death. He appeared to witnesses chosen beforehand— to us who ate and drank with him after he rose.”

VI. Fulfillment of the Scriptures (How was this expected?)

“This happened to fulfill what God foretold through the prophets: that his Messiah would suffer and rise. As it is written: ‘You will not let your Holy One experience corruption.’ ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you.’ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand.’ David died and was buried, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption.”

VII. Exaltation and Present Reign (What now?)

“God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior. He is Lord of all, ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. He has poured out the Holy Spirit that you now see and hear.”

VIII. The Promise (What is it to me?)

“All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. Through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is set free from what the law could not free you.”

IX. The Call to Respond (What must I do?)

“Repent therefore and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out. Call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. We must obey God rather than men. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”

From Bishop Barron

Relationship with God, FIRST

Loving Others