For Sunday,
April 26, 2020, Readings: Acts
2:14a, 36-41, Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17; 1 Peter 1:17-23, Luke 24:13-35
Peter said to them, "Repent
and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins
may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit..." [Acts 2:38]
I
love the LORD, because he has heard the voice of my supplication, because he
has inclined his ear to me whenever I called upon him...Precious in the sight
of the LORD is the death of his servants...O LORD I am your servant...I will
offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call upon the Name of the LORD. [Psalm
116: 1, 13, 14a, 15]
Now
that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth...You have
been born anew...of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of
God. [1
Peter 1:22a, 23]
Now
on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven
miles from Jerusalem and talking with each other about all these things that
had happened....When he was at table with them he took bread, blessed and broke
it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him;
and he vanished from their sight...Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been
made known to them in the breaking of the bread. [Luke 24:13-14, 30-31, 35]
"If only..." is a frequent refrain for all of us who
wish we had done things differently, or this pandemic had not happened, or the
weather was ___ [fill in the blank]. Mostly, though, I think most of us have yearned, with some
desperation at times, for that if only I could see, talk to, or touch
them one more time moment, especially now in these days of separation
and anxiety. As for the death of one loved deeply, I can say from my own acute
experiences that yes, much time does soften the punch and shock of loss, and it
is then the memories become ever more important with the hope and desire to
believe that they are still present with us. It is with that understanding
that we enter this segment of Luke’s Gospel about two little-known disciples of
Jesus.
We read about two regular guys walking down the road talking about the strange events of the prior few days. This other guy shows up and seems unaware of these events and their importance. They, surprised he didn’t know, explain it and then invite him home to dinner. Suddenly the stranger is hosting the meal and even more suddenly, as he blesses and breaks the bread, he vanishes. In an instant their eyes were opened as never before and when they realized who He was, they rushed to tell the others what they experienced.
We read about two regular guys walking down the road talking about the strange events of the prior few days. This other guy shows up and seems unaware of these events and their importance. They, surprised he didn’t know, explain it and then invite him home to dinner. Suddenly the stranger is hosting the meal and even more suddenly, as he blesses and breaks the bread, he vanishes. In an instant their eyes were opened as never before and when they realized who He was, they rushed to tell the others what they experienced.
The
Disciples had that one-more moment - never enough, to be sure
- and they certainly made the most of it as here we are over two thousand years
later still hearing their experiences with Jesus, still hearing the words He
spoke. And then, we move into our “today” mode. This account of Jesus, as so
many others, fades quickly and becomes too distant, other-worldly, merely
familiar, and then gone from memory, until it comes around again in the cycle
of readings in Eastertide.
This day and time is perfect to hear the story of the Road to Emmaus again, in our hearts, through our own memory of loss. Feel their confusion, their shock, their sadness. And then, hear and remember the words Jesus tells them, and us.
This day and time is perfect to hear the story of the Road to Emmaus again, in our hearts, through our own memory of loss. Feel their confusion, their shock, their sadness. And then, hear and remember the words Jesus tells them, and us.
It may be some time before we again receive the
sacred Bread at the celebration of the Eucharist, yet especially during these
days of quarantine, any time you tear a piece of bread that is blessed at a
meal, whether you are alone or with another, remember and know Christ in
the breaking of the bread. More than a memory, Christ IS LIVING within
us. As we travel the road of this life, wherever it takes us, when we call upon
His name we know we are in His love. When we are His love in our actions,
purified by obedience to His Truth, this Road will lead us Home.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE,
PRAY
Leader: ~
Living Christ, guide us out of the blindness of the “normal” and routine to discover
the everyday newness of Creation around us. Open our hearts to Your Constant
Presence, open our eyes to see Your Way to Eternal Life, and open our souls to
accept and live into Your gift of Salvation.
Jesus, Lord
and Messiah
RESPONSE:
We call upon Your Name
~ Living Christ, grant
us the determination, the voice, and the words to redirect the energy of those
in Global, National, and Local political power, to actions that benefit all humanity
and the planet above unreasonable profit. We pray especially
for: add your own petitions
Jesus,
Lord and Messiah
We
call upon Your Name
~ Living Christ, incline
Your ear to us all and especially those who are lost in serious illness,
emotional upheaval, and hopelessness, and all who give them care and
healing. We now pray for those in need…
Jesus,
Lord and Messiah
We
call upon Your Name
~ Living Christ, we give
You thanksgiving for all the faithful who have departed this life, as precious
in Your sight and raised into the splendor of Your eternal courts. We pray
especially for…
Jesus,
Lord and Messiah
We
call upon Your Name
~ Living Christ, we pause in this moment to offer You our personal
heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials…
Jesus,
Lord and Messiah
We
call upon Your Name
~ Living Christ, pour Your special grace and vitality
upon those anointed to lead us in Your Church as they enrich our souls, so to hold
fast in faith, during this time of trial. We pray especially
for: Michael,
our Presiding Bishop; Kevin our Bishop; David, our Rector; Lloyd, our Rector
Emeritus; Emily and Peter, our Associate Priests.
Jesus,
Lord and Messiah
We
call upon Your Name
The Celebrant adds: Risen
Lord Jesus, our constant Companion on the Road, You ransomed us from
the futile ways of sin, and we are born anew through Your Resurrection. Reinvigorate
our dedication to purify ourselves by obedience to Your Truth, to live in and act
through genuine love for others and ourselves, and to set our faith and hope on
God. We ask through You, the Living Enduring Word; and the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier
of our Souls; who together with our Impartial Creator, reign as One God,
always, forever, eternally. Amen.
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