Conception Abbey

During this Easter season most of the first readings for daily Mass and the Sunday Mass are from the Acts of the Apostles. St. Luke, the writer of Acts, describes how the salvation promised to Israel in the Old Testament and accomplished by Jesus has now under the guidance of the Holy Spirit extended to the Gentiles. In this book Luke provides a broad survey of the church’s development from the resurrection of Jesus to Paul’s first Roman imprisonment, the point at which the book ends.

On this 3rd Sunday of Easter, May 8, 2011, we hear in the Gospel the story of the two disciples of Jesus on the road to Emmaus. Jesus suddenly walks with them but they do not recognize him. After the resurrection we see this again and again. Jesus suddenly appears in a room or to some of the disciples, but they do not at first recognize him. He is different. He now has a risen, glorified body. And so that happens again today in the Gospel event. Jesus is with the two disciples but they do not recognize him.

What does this tell us? Somehow we need these readings to remind us that the risen Lord is also with us. We are not alone on our journey. So often we do feel alone. We encounter difficulties in trying to live a good Christian life. It’s not always easy to be good disciples and followers of Jesus. We sometimes feel abandoned. At times in our life we are so committed to following Christ, but somehow, like the disciples in today’s Gospel, we have been disappointed. It is then that we need to realize that the Risen Lord continues to be with us.

In today’s Gospel Jesus manifests himself to his disciples in two ways. First in the scriptures in the Word of God. He explains to these two disciples how the scriptures foretold all these things about the Messiah and how these scriptures were fulfilled in Jesus himself. But this was not alone enough to help them recognize him. So he also manifests himself in the breaking of bread, this was an act of love, of fellowship. Whether we break bread with others here in the Eucharist or at table in our homes, it should be an act of love and friendship. And so the disciples recognized him in this act.

Jesus manifests himself to us today also, especially in these two ways – in the scriptures, in the Word of God and, in a very special way, in the Eucharist, in the breaking of bread and sharing his body and blood in the Eucharist.

Are we open to recognize him? I think if we recognize and realize our need for Jesus in our lives, we are more likely to also recognize his presence, whether that is in his Word, in the Eucharist or in our brothers and sisters.

Continue to have a happy and blessed Easter Season. Christ is risen, alleluia.

Note well: Des Moines oblates – I will be in Des Moines next Sunday, May 15, for the oblate meeting at St. John Basilica. Hope to see you there for vespers, pot luck dinner and our meeting.