The Law or Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms: these three terms together indicate the whole of the Old Testament. The Apostles were Jews: they had heard readings from the Law and the Prophets many times in their synagogues and they had frequently used the Psalms in prayer. But before the resurrection of Jesus, they lacked full enlightenment and could scarcely understand the real message of the Scriptures. It required the Risen Jesus to open their minds to the deeper meaning of the Word of God.

Jesus opened their minds. St Luke's affirmation teaches us several things. First of all, the Old Testament readings and prayers that we use in our Liturgy are not "old": they are always new and life-giving, texts revealed to us in order to lead us into a deeper appreciation of the mystery of Christ.

Then, too, only the Risen Jesus with the light of His resurrection, can teach us the truth. Mere human ways of interpreting Scripture will never initiate us into the mystery of new life which the Word of God offers us.