In the name of
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Back
in Portugal, before I came to the States, I was the pastor of three parishes.
Once when I was receiving people in the office of one of the parishes, a woman
came to request the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick for her mother, who
was gravely ill. I went immediately to their house. When I started the prayers,
the mother was completely unconscious. She was a very old woman, almost a
hundred. After the anointing, she started reacting. However, an amazing thing
happened when I presented the Blessed Sacrament. She opened her eyes! She seemed
to be aware of the real presence of Christ. I gave her communion. After that,
she started saying Alleluia, Alleluia, over and over again. When I left the
house, she was still saying Alleluia! That night, she went to Heaven, her heart
filled with joy. It was one week after Easter. The reception of the Holy
Eucharist was her encounter with the Risen One.
The Gospel reading on the Third
Sunday of Easter presents the episode with the two disciples in Emmaus.
The disciples were despondent. Jesus was not as they had anticipated: “… we were
hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel.” They had had hope but lost it
when Jesus died. Christ’s fate was not according to their preconceptions. The
nightmare of the crucifixion had destroyed their beautiful dream.
Many times, disappointment knocks at
the door of our lives. We feel disappointed when reality is not what we planned.
We need to learn to live with what reality is and not with what we dream about.
Sometimes our plans are like soap bubbles, destined to burst.
Jesus drew near the disappointed
disciples and walked with them. We tend to think that God is far from us in our
defeats. However, it is completely the opposite: Jesus walks with us.
When Jesus walked with the two
disciples, they initially failed to recognize him. The bitterness of
disappointment often blinds us to Jesus’ presence. Jesus explains the Scriptures
to the disciples and gradually helps them understand what happened. He opens
their hearts to the meaning of life. At the end, they say: “Were not our hearts
burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road?”
“Stay with us, for it is nearly
evening; the day is almost over.” The disciples requested their mysterious
companion to remain with them. With him, it was easier to face the darkness of
the approaching night. Jesus gave the impression that he had wanted to continue
his journey. However, the disciples stopped him. Thus, Jesus remained with them.
We, too, need to stop Christ. How do
we detain Jesus? How can we have him stay at our homes? It is through prayer
that we are able to detain this Pilgrim on the Road of Life.
The disciples only understood who
this unknown traveler was when they were at table and he made the familiar
gesture of breaking the bread. Then their eyes were opened. They realized that
Jesus was alive, that he was with them. Suddenly, night became day. Their hearts
burst with joy. They did not finish their dinner. They ran to Jerusalem to
proclaim the good news, most likely repeating Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia …
In the sacrament of the Eucharist,
we really can encounter the Risen One. In the memory of the Passion, Death and
Resurrection of Christ, we find the reason for our hope; we find the companion
who walks with us. Let us ask for the grace to recognize that Jesus is always
present among us.
We, too, need to stop Christ. How do
we detain Jesus? How can we have him stay at our homes? It is through prayer
that we are able to detain this Pilgrim on the Road of Life.
The disciples only understood who
this unknown traveler was when they were at table and he made the familiar
gesture of breaking the bread. Then their eyes were opened. They realized that
Jesus was alive, that he was with them. Suddenly, night became day. Their hearts
burst with joy. They did not finish their dinner. They ran to Jerusalem to
proclaim the good news, most likely repeating Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia …
In the sacrament of the Eucharist,
we really can encounter the Risen One. In the memory of the Passion, Death and
Resurrection of Christ, we find the reason for our hope; we find the companion
who walks with us. Let us ask for the grace to recognize that Jesus is always
present among us.
In the name of
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.