Wednesday in the Octave of Easter

Today's Mass Readings

As this Easter Octave continues, I hope the sentiment in us reflects the sentiment of the Psalm response for today's reading. The psalmist says, “Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.” (Psalm 105:3b). Indeed these days are days of rejoicing. Peter, John and the disciples on the road to Emmaus discover this in their own life. The Acts of the Apostles describes Peter and John going to the Temple to pray. When asked by a beggar for money, they offer healing, because they have no silver or gold. They invoked the Lord’s name and told the crippled beggar to walk! As the Apostles helped the man up, he was cured. Immediately, the beggar ran around giving glory to God. The people around this scene knew that the crippled man was healed. They were filled with joy and wonder.

The Road to Emmaus is a resurrection story loaded with many layers of meaning. As time permits read this story and let the Lord lead you where the story might be speaking to you. These two disciples were heading home. They had given everything to follow this powerful prophet who was now dead and possibly resurrected. Their sorrow blinded them to the fact that Jesus came to be walking with them. Even more incredulous was that the stranger in their midst hadn’t even heard of Jesus. Of course, it was these disciples that had not understood the big picture. As they walked, the stranger broke open the word, explaining every word in the Hebrew Scriptures that alluded to Himself. Wow, a Scripture study led by the “Word”.

The disciples invited the stranger to “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” (Luke 24:29.) At table, the stranger “took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it too them.” (Luke 24:30) Then, their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus. Immediately, they returned to Jerusalem to tell how their hearts were burning and that they became aware of Jesus’ presence in the “breaking of the bread.” (Luke 24:35)

Often, either because we forget or because life is just hard, it is difficult to feel the joy that the presence of God brings. It is hard to recognize that Jesus is always walking as a stranger in our midst. It is not seldom that we feel as downcast as the disciples on the road to Emmaus or perhaps the cripple in the first reading. Sometimes there is very little to celebrate. Death, financial difficulties, broken relationships, illnesses do damage our sense of joy.

Yet the good news is that inspite of everything, Jesus walks with us. If we look back at our lives, perhaps, there are ample times when we know that God saw us through. It is true that sorrows or disappointments block our ability to see the Lord. However, today's readings invite us to recognize Jesus alive in our midst in the breaking of the Bread and the people who see us through. And when we do find Him, when our heart, mind and soul recognize the Lord, we are invited to procliam the Good News. Joy comes not from the absence of difficulties but with the knowlodge of the presence of God. God is always present.

Lord, sometimes we are blind to your presence in our midst. Open our ears so that we better recognize You in the Scriptures. Open our eyes so that we might clearly recognize Your presence in the people around us. Then Lord, help us to recount how our hearts are burning. Lord, let us know the joy of your presence. Let that fire in our hearts burn and spread so that Your works may be known throughout all the nations. Amen. Alleluia.

-Michael Montgomery & Fr. Satish Joseph