Sunday, April 23, 2023
READINGS: ACTS 2:14, 22-33; PS 16:1-2, 5, 7-11; 1 PT 1:17-21; LK 24:13-35
Today’s readings focus on a theme of “sojourning.” We see our lives as if we are on a sojourn or journey toward the ultimate destination of heaven.
Our Gospel passage today describes the sojourn of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. The two are dejected and despondent after Jesus’ death. They knew Jesus personally. They had heard the Gospel message directly from His lips. They heard the testimony of the women who discovered the empty tomb of our Lord and saw a vision of angels announcing He was alive. They had been informed by other disciples who went to the tomb that all was exactly as the women reported.
How much more obvious could the Good News be?
And yet, at times, the reaction of the two disciples describes our own spiritual journey, doesn’t it? We have the fullness of the Catholic faith, the power of the sacraments, and the support of our parish family. Yet, we often lose our way. We fail to see all the gifts we have been given. We lack trust in the perfect goodness and almighty power of God.
But notice what happens to the two men when their eyes are opened once again, and they recognize Jesus in the Eucharist — the “breaking of the bread.” They are transformed! Their hearts are set on fire with love for the Lord and their faith. They recall that their hearts began “burning within” as the Lord was explaining the Scriptures to them. When we find we have lost our way, we can go to the same sources as the two disciples on the road to Emmaus — the Scriptures and the Eucharist.
In this Easter season, resolve to feast deeply on these two sources of grace. They are the fuel that will propel us on our journey towards heaven.