STAY ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS

“Were not our hearts burning within us?” – Lk. 24:32

Every generation of Christians must fight its own demons, struggle with its own sadness. Today, in terms of feelings, we live in that particular sadness between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We are walking on the road to Emmaus. The God, the Church, and the dreams we had as children have died and we are trying to console each other for our crucified dreams.

Yet the old words, the old creeds, the ancient alleluias, still burn holes in us and when we hear the words of Jesus, as we gather for Eucharist, it is still easy enough to sing: “Are not our hearts burning within us?”

We need to remain on the road to Emmaus. The resurrected Christ is there to be met. In his company, we need to spill out our sadness, mourn our disappointments, and stir our old hopes. At some moment, our eyes will open and we will recognize the crucified Lord in the Risen Christ who is actually walking with us now. Our dreams will explode anew, like a flower bursting into bloom after a long winter, and we will fill with a new innocence as Easter Sunday happens again.

Lord Jesus, give us the fortitude and perseverance to continue to walk even when the road is bumpy so that we may encounter you along the way.

Adapted from Ronald Rolheiser, OMI

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