“In order to see true grace, we are called, even in difficult moments, to see the road ahead with eyes that favor transfiguration and hope.”
The Emmaus Journey
April 8th, 2021
As we begin our Easter season this week, I have two announcements from the Archdiocese that will affect our parish as we begin to slowly move out of this time that has been so overshadowed by the pandemic. As I have said multiple times in the past year, we hope to get back to so many familiar patterns, while fully aware that we will not get back to exactly the way things were.
While some of the information in today's video will undoubtedly be announced at most parishes across the Archdiocese this coming weekend, some of the changes will affect our parish in particular and I wanted a chance to be the one to share this information. I really hope you will find some time between now and Saturday evening to watch the video.
We have come through so much this year and, as always, the road ahead looks as though it’s going to be filled with both brokenness and blessing. I am keenly aware this week that part of our journey if we truly are to become the body of Christ, is to be both blessed and broken so that we can be given fully as an expression of God‘s love in the world.
The story of the travelers on the road to Emmaus reminds us that our Easter journey together pushes us to see the world with resurrected eyes. It nurtures in us the ability to see our wounds and our healing as two sides of the same coin. In the same way that the disciples were originally called to see the presence of the Risen Christ in the most unexpected places, even while reeling from the death of their friend, we find ourselves called even today to stay close to one another in our Easter journey.
In the gospel, Jesus sends his disciples out two by two. This year reading this gospel is the first time I saw this connection: the disciples likewise encounter him two by two (or in even larger groups). The Easter journey, like the road to Emmaus, is one best taken together whether we hope to share our faith with others or encounter it for ourselves. Even from the cross, Jesus puts his mother and his disciples into one another’s hands to journey together. This community bond to one another has always been our surest path to grace and revelation.
The song I’ve chosen is one I recorded back in the late summer. It is a favorite piece of mine, originally recorded by Laura Story, and entitled “Blessings.” Like today’s message, it reminds us that whether we think of brokenness and blessing, woundedness and healing, or challenge and opportunity, these are always intimately connected parts of the same, grace-filled whole.
God Bless,
Fr. Pat
That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
“What are you discussing as you walk along?”
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?”
And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”
They said to him,
“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his Body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, “Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the Eleven and those with them who were saying,
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
“What are you discussing as you walk along?”
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?”
And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”
They said to him,
“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his Body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, “Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the Eleven and those with them who were saying,
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
"Blessings" sung by Fr. Pat Dolan
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