Today the disciples encounter Jesus on the way to Emmaus. They are sad and perhaps at the point of despair because their expectations about Jesus were not met. They thought Jesus was going to solve their political and temporal problems and He did not. Worst of all, His death was extremely shameful and ugly. When Jesus appears to them, He allows them to explain their misery and disappointment. They have no idea who they are talking to, but since He is such a good listener they are able to “faire la vérité.” Sometimes the step forward in our walk with Christ feels like a step backwards. When we admit our bitterness or resentment when life has not gone as we think it should while we’ve held tenaciously to our understanding of what we should believe, it can feel like we are taking a step backwards. It is in those moments that Jesus makes Himself known in a renewed openness to the Scriptures and in the breaking of the bread, the Eucharist. The point of the incarnation was not to make us even more dependant on our senses and feelings, but to finally free our mind to contemplate, in faith, the one who never changes.
Tuesday in the Octave of Easter
Quotes:
“Acts 2:41 (ACCS Ac): Firstfruits. Bede: On the fiftieth day of Passover, when the law was given, Moses indeed ordered the festival of firstfruits to be introduced. Now, however, with the coming of the Holy Spirit, it is not sheaves of grain but the firstfruits of souls that are consecrated to the Lord.”
“Noteworthy in v 38 are the four elements of Peter’s answer to the question posed by his listeners: They are to (1) reform their lives, (2) be baptized, (3) have their sins forgiven, and (4) receive the Holy Spirit. Peter’s answer thus differs from the answer given by the Baptist in Luke 3:10, 12, 14, when he was asked what they were to do. Here one has a glimpse of Luke’s understanding of Christian baptism. Two of the elements call for personal cooperation, and two reveal the effects of Christian conversion.”
Monday in the Octave of Easter
One of the striking features of the stories surrounding the resurrection of Jesus is the confusing emotional state. Joy and fear are frequently mixed. Jesus instructs them to “not be afraid,” and also “not to hold on to me.” Of course there is something very normal about having these very human emotions in response to something so incredible as the resurrection. Jesus wants the resurrection to become the source of something much more profound than an emotion however. Fear shows that this event has surpassed the disciples ability to understand. Joy shows that their hearts are full as they drink in the presence of the resurrected Christ. As rich and powerful as this experience is for the minds and hearts of the disciples, the risen Lord wants their spirits to be nourished by the reality of the resurrection.