April 2, 2024 ~ Tuesday in Easter Week
Luke 24:13-14, 30-31, 35
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.
"If only..." is a
frequent refrain for all of us who wish we had done things differently, or the
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.
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 to Emmaus 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.
Let us remember from this
day, that at any time and any place when we tear a piece of bread, especially
when it has been blessed by spoken words or silent intention, whether we are
alone or with another, to know Christ in the breaking of the bread. More
than a memory, Christ is a living presence 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 stay consciously in His
love and our thoughts and actions are guided by His Truth, this Road
will lead us Home.
Risen Lord Jesus, our constant Companion on the Road to Everlasting Life, Your brutal death saves us all from the futile ways of sin, and we are born anew through Your Resurrection.
Reinvigorate our dedication to walk through this life clean in heart and humble in soul by following Your Truth, to
live in and act through genuine love for others and ourselves, and to set our
faith and hope in 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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