(For the audio version of this blog, please visit: https://brothersinchristcmf.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Mass-Blog-for-the-3rd-Sunday-of-Easter-2026.mp3)
King David was guilty of many serious sins, topped off by murder and adultery. One might even read into his psalms a hint of ego, as he seeks constant justification from God. That’s one way to read David.
Another is as an oracle of love.
Many of David’s psalms would ultimately help Jesus through his sufferings before and during crucifixion. They also must have helped David through his own sufferings–the worst of which were fear of death and isolation from God. Ultimately, God gave David a vision of death that would not only NOT end in a grave, but would help transition humanity to a new life with God our Father.
David’s greatest psalms tell truths about us—especially that truth and God are on our side. An egotist believes that too. But with the passage of time and the arrival of Jesus as humanity’s savior, David proved to be one of humanity’s greatest prophets, because his psalms put him on truth’s side—and they continue to have a life all their own.
In Psalm 16, from which we (and St. Peter) read this Sunday (Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11), David says “my heart is glad and my soul rejoices, my body, too, abides in confidence; because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.”
Of course, we now know David was both speaking for Jesus and, through many of his psalms, strengthening Jesus to help get him through his suffering. They would also presage a death that would not only NOT end in a grave but would help transition humanity to a new life with God our Father. That life gives us the spiritual courage we need to see beyond this world’s dark side. If there’s any confusion about the role David continues to play in this life (more prophet than King), Peter makes sure we understand the roots of our Christian faith:
“Since [David] was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption.” (Acts 2:14, 22-33)
This Peter, the rock upon which Christ built His church, knew that his Master saved us not only from the corruption of flesh, but from the rot that once threatened to take hold of King David’s spirit, as well:
“You were ransomed from your futile conduct handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb.” (1 Peter 1:17-21)
If there were any doubt in his disciples’ minds about the historic meaning of what had just happened to Jesus and to them from that cross, the risen Christ explains it to them and us through Sunday’s gospel reading (Luke 24:13-35), mildly chastising us for not understanding the anointing that was foreshadowed as far back as Adam’s fall:
“Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures.
But did he go as far back as Genesis, when our struggle with evil began and when God promised the devil that a foot would continuously come down on his head as he struck at humanity’s heel?
Christ’s favorite disciple John tells us that whoever sins belongs to the devil, but that those who belong to the Son of God have access to the strength needed to destroy the works of the devil.
Unchecked, those works always end in death. But through Jesus, we’ve inherited an artistry of love by which death itself dies and we rise to new life. As John explains, “Whoever does not love remains in death.” (1John 3:14)
The identities of the two disciples Jesus appeared to on the Road to Emmaus aren’t plainly stated in this Sunday’s gospel reading, other than that one was named Cleopas. And only when Jesus breaks bread with them just as he did at their last supper together do these two realize that this stranger is Jesus himself. Too bad he vanishes into thin air before they can say a word to their Master.
David recognized Jesus long before our Savior came into this world. The Apostle John recognized Jesus long after he left it. Maybe that’s why the Holy Spirit of love may be better understood as a vapor remaining among us that must be breathed rather than seen. Like oxygen, as long as you breathe it, you live. And as John continues to teach us long after his own earthly death, whoever loves cannot be held by death. That makes us ALL oracles of Christ.
–Tom Andel
Like King David—and like every human being—we are called to continual conversion: to turn back toward the light even after we have looked into the darkness. The danger is not merely the darkness itself, but the subtle pull to remain there, driven by fear of missing out. True life, however, is not found in what the world offers, but in returning again and again to the light that does not fade.
George, after having just watched the Artemis II astronauts return to earth from their journey around the moon, you made me think of this earth as a spaceship on which we’ve been put to learn re-entry into the light after self-imposed submersion into the darkness of ignorance.
By the way, the Artemis II astronauts sent back some awesome views of our earth from outer space. Seeing their home this way after looking at the lifeless dark side of the moon must have changed them–kind of like David’s isolation inspired him to pray. Their dark vision of the moon was accompanied by 40 minutes of isolation from all human beings except each other. It bonded them and made their next view of the earth infinitely more beautiful while re-establishing communications with the rest of us.
If we’d just look out our front windows with that perspective, we’d realize we don’t have to leave this world to appreciate who and what God put in it with us. Such discovery was the purpose of Christ’s rescue mission, after all.
A common image of a prophet is one who can see into the future with clarity and accuracy.
In a general sense, a prophet is a person who speaks God’s truth to others. The English word prophet comes from the Greek word prophetes, which can mean “one who speaks forth” or “advocate.” Prophets are also called “seers,” because of their spiritual insight or their ability to “see” the future.
Prophets predict and this is often unsettling. Just look at how the Bible and more tangibly how “The Chosen” TV series portrays the religious leaders. They were ardent students of biblical prophecy, yet they didn’t like how Jesus was living out what was prophetically predicted about him.
As Simon and Garfunkel prophetically wrote in the song “The Boxer,” “Still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest”
Disregard can mean simply ignoring someone, but in this age of social media, callous disregard has become a blood sport. It’s tantamount to stoning someone as they did Stephen when he said something the people didn’t like. Reports indicate that harassment for beliefs is becoming common, often leading to “cancellation” or intense online hostility. Truth hurts, but where the gospel variety is concerned, it also heals. I pray this forum can lower the pain threshold. Thanks for being part of it, Thomas.
Thanks again, Tom! I love the
Psalms! Check out Psalm 51 the
Miserere.
Thanks, Tom! Check out Psalm 51.