The Road to Emmaus

Brothers and Sisters,

This is my very first blog.  It is my attempt to respond to a changing world of vast technology and try to use every means possible to assist others in growing in their relationship with Jesus Christ, the values of the gospel and the traditions of our Catholic Faith.

Yesterdays gospel (Luke 24:13-35) I was struck by the phrase, "Were not our hearts burning when He spoke to us on the way?"  I realized that often we come to celebrate the Mass and we become distracted and fail to really hear the very word of God spoken to us.  Perhaps because we have heard the passage before or because it's not "about us," we sort of block it out and fail to really allow God's word to burn in our hearts.

What is it that prevented the disciples from recognizing Christ as He walked on the road to Emmaus with them?  They were racked with anxiety and grief over the death of Jesus and they were afraid what happened to Him would inevitable happen to those who were His followers.  This is what kept them locked away in the Upper Room and it's what prevented them from being able to recognize Christ walking with them.

So often fear can be the greatest obstacle to our freedom.  Moreover, we can become so absorbed with the various "issues" in our life that we can become myopic and narcissistic.  We fail to allow the Truth to set us free.

How many times does our self image get in the way of being able to remember that we are a child of God, created in His likeness and image?  How many times do the challenges of every day life cause us to become so overburdened with things that we cannot even recognize a brother or sister in need.

"Early in the morning of the first day of the week" the day of Jesus' resurrection, the story of the Road to Emmaus takes place.  Jesus is revealing Himself to his disciples so that they might know the truth.  He wants to take away their fear and release them from their anxiety and grief.  He begins to help them recall of the passage in scripture that refer to Him.  Finally when they are at table He takes the bread, says the blessings, breaks it and gives it to them...."and their eyes were opened."

Every week we come to Mass to celebrate the great gift of the Eucharist Jesus left us as a memorial until He returns in glory.  Every week He speaks to us His words of truth and life.  Do our hearts burn within us?  Do the words of Jesus motivate us to look beyond ourselves and put His words into practice by serving God and our neighbor?

In the Breaking of the Bread, when the flesh and blood of Jesus, soul and divinity of our Savior are given to us, are we able to recognize Him?  Is this just a wafer, a bit of wine or do we recall that the Savior of the world humbled Himself to become food for us so that He could come into us, be united with us, and have the ability to transform us from the inside out?

This is the reality we celebrate and reverence.  In that very moment when we consume the Body and Blood of Christ, we are (and should recognize) we are consumed by Christ to live a life reflective of Him.  We should be able to look in the mirror and see the reflection of Christ, knowing He is in us.  We should be able to look at a brother or sister, relative or friend, enemy or stranger and see the very heart of Jesus.  Recognition of the Lord is essential for dismissing all fear, anxiety and other worries from our life in order to live in freedom.

My prayer for us is that we are able to recognize Christ a little more each day, in ourselves and in others, when we hear Him speak to us, receive Him in us and seek to imitate Him each day of our lives.  Then, when our life in this world is ended and we stand before the throne of God, we can hear the voice of the Father welcome us into His Kingdom saying, "Oh yes, I recognize my Son in you!"