Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures

4 APRIL (Lk 24,35-48)

Moses lived for forty years with his people. He performed every miracle, sign and wonder for it. Yet, he ends his life with a bitter observation. Despite the great revelation that God had made of himself in their eyes, they had not understood anything. They had had with the Lord only a superficial relationship.

Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “You have seen all that the Lord did in the land of Egypt before your very eyes to Pharaoh and all his servants and to all his land; the great testings your own eyes have seen, and those great signs and wonders. But not even at the present day has the Lord yet given you a mind to understand, or eyes to see, or ears to hear. ‘I led you for forty years in the desert. Your clothes did not fall from you in tatters nor your sandals from your feet; bread was not your food, nor wine or beer your drink. Thus you should know that I, the Lord, am your God.’ (Dt 29,1-5).

The Psalmist knows how difficult it is to understand the truth of the Law, Precepts and Commands of the Lord, and asks God for the intelligence so that he can enter their truth.

Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law And keep it with all my heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it. Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain. Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways. Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You. Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your ordinances are good. Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me through Your righteousness.(Psalm 119 (118) 33-40).

The Apostle John knows instead of the gift of the Holy Spirit given to believers. The Spirit of the Lord is also intelligence to understand the mystery of Jesus Christ.

We know that no one begotten by God sins; but the one begotten by God he protects, and the evil one cannot touch him. We know that we belong to God, and the whole world is under the power of the evil one. We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment to know the one who is true. And we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (Jn 5,18-20).

Jesus lived for three years with his disciples. He made signs, miracles and wonders. On the mountain he also expressed his glory. Now he is resurrected and shows himself live in their eyes. But they understand little, almost nothing of his mystery. This means that unless the Lord surrounds us with his Holy Spirit, pours him into us without measure, the mystery will always be incomprehensible to both the heart and the mind.

Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them. He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

What today, Jesus does to his disciples, opening the mind to understand the Scriptures, the Church, in every one of her child, according to the particular duties or specific ministries of each, must do it with every man. For this to happen it is necessary that every one of her children is full of the Holy Spirit, is founded and rooted in Him, is one with Him. It is the perfect communion with the Spirit of the Lord that qualifies us to be his givers.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints give the Spirit without measure.