Hello, I’m Franciscan Father Greg Friedman, and this is the "Sunday Soundbite" for the Third Sunday of Easter.  Sharing a meal does more than just nourish our bodies. It helps to forge relationships and create intimacy. And so we take care to make the meals we share with families and friends special, with good food, atmosphere and conversation.

It's no wonder then, that today's Gospel—like some of the other Easter stories—shows the risen Lord and his friends sharing a meal. These accounts remind us of the Church's celebration of the Eucharist—with good reason. Christians down through the ages have come to recognize the risen Christ in their midst, as the Scriptures are proclaimed and the eucharistic meal is shared. What we are celebrating in this Easter Season, the Paschal sacrifice of Christ—his dying and rising—is present to us in each Mass, with its saving power.

Do we take the Sunday Mass for granted? At our eucharistic gatherings this weekend, let's allow this Easter story to recharge our celebration. Imagine the thrill of encountering Jesus in a new way, marveling at the wondrous things he can do in our sight, gratefully accepting the forgiveness we need.

I’m Father Greg Friedman with the "Sunday Soundbite" for St. Anthony Messenger Press, on the Web at FranciscanRadio.org.