Prayers of the People: Taking This Road ~ 3rd Sunday of Easter '26 Yr A

For Sunday, April 19, 2026, Readings: Acts 2:14a, 36-41, Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17; 1 Peter 1:17-23, Luke 24:13-35

                 Illustration by Jorge Cocco

 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

   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 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, and/or touch him, her, or 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; to remember the significant, the difficult, and the quiet moments that echo within forever. It is with that understanding that we enter this segment of Luke’s Gospel about two little-known disciples of Jesus.
      Here we meet 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. Imagine yourself in that moment…what would you think of their story in that moment?    
     The Disciples had that one-more moment ~ never enough, to be sure ~ and they certainly made the most of it as here we are, more than 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 again the story of the Road to Emmaus [eh-may-us], in our hearts, and through our own memory of loss. As they walk, let us experience their confusion, their shock, their sadness. And then, hear and remember the words Jesus tells them and us.
     Let this story stay with us so that we remember and know Christ in the breaking of the bread and each time receive the sacred Bread at the celebration of the Eucharist. 
AND, let us remember, or begin, to say a few brief words of prayer before our ordinary meals, aloud or silently, to give thanks and ask a blessing for the food we eat, whether it be a complete meal, a simple piece of bread, or a simple snack, whether alone or with another, as a remembrance of the presence of Jesus in the midst of our everyday life. More than a memory, Christ is always living within us, and we are purified when we are obedient to the truth he has taught us.
     As we travel the road of the life we are given wherever it takes us, when we call upon His name we know we are embraced by His love. Even when we don’t call, we are embraced from within by His love that calls to us in many and various ways. When we are living and giving as vessels of His love in our daily thoughts and actions, we are strengthened. Of course we will often fall short and fail in many ways, yet this Road always runs parallel to the hills and valleys of the path we too often choose. It’s time, again, to seek a move to the constantly available fork in that path that will lead us Home to Him, no matter how many u-turns we make.

 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Living Jesus, guide us out of the blindness of the “normal 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.

                                                    O Christ Risen

         RESPONSE:                We call Your Name in Faith and Hope

~ Living Jesus, 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

                                                       O Christ Risen

                                                       We call Your Name in Faith and Hope  

~ Living Jesus, incline Your ear to us all and especially those who are lost in serious illness, emotional upheaval, and hopelessness, and all who give them healing care. We now pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O Christ Risen

                                                       We call Your Name in Faith and Hope           

~ Living Jesus, we give You thanksgiving for the lives of all who have departed this life, as precious in Your sight, and now raised into the splendor of Your eternal courts. We pray especially for…add your own petitions

                                                       O Christ Risen

                                                       We call Your Name in Faith and Hope  

~ Living Jesus, we pause in this moment to offer You our personal heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials…add your own petitions

                                                       O Christ Risen

                                                       We call Your Name in Faith and Hope                     

~ Living Jesus, 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, now and always. We pray especially for… add your own petitions.

                                                       O Christ Risen
                                                       We call Your Name in Faith and Hope

                                                                                                   

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. Enliven 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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