Third Sunday of Easter

Scripture often speaks of life as a journey or a sojourn, as Peter does in the second reading today.  For Christians, our journey is one of faith and trust in God and we hope to end the journey by making it to heaven as God desires. And, obviously, we do not make the journey alone.  People are with us, although some leave us abruptly, while others wander away gradually.

The last week of April contains two important anniversaries for me.  On April 26, 1971, my younger brother died when he was 7.  And almost exactly forty years later, my father died on April 28, 2011.  Our faith tells me that I will see them again, provided I remain faithful to my journey, and there have been times over the years when I have felt their presence with me quite strongly.  I believer they are still with me, but it is different now.

The first disciples were blessed to have been with Jesus during his preaching and ministry.  And after the Resurrection, they were privileged to have seen him again.  But it was different.  Jesus wasn’t always with them the way he was before his death.  He would appear suddenly, even through locked doors, and then he would vanish from their sight.  It was indeed Jesus, but they didn’t always recognize him. 

In today’s gospel, we hear of new ways that Jesus is present to two of his followers, Cleopas and his companion.  It’s a beautiful story for all of us who put our faith in the Risen Lord, for he can be present to us in the same three ways.

First, Cleopas and his companion invited Jesus to stay with them.  They offered hospitality to a stranger who would be continuing his journey in the dark.  They knew he must have been hungry and thirsty, so, being charitable, they asked him to join them with the simple words, “Stay with us.”  The parable of the last judgment in Matthew 25 teaches us that whenever help is given to someone in need, Jesus is present.  As a good story teller, Luke doesn't just tell us, he shows us the same teaching.  We need to remember that whenever charity, kindness, and acceptance are offered to another, the Holy Spirit is at work, and Jesus is present.

Second, this stranger had spoken to the two disciples about the Scriptures and how they applied to Jesus.  He showed them how everything that had happened in Jerusalem was part of God’s plan.  And as he did so, the hearts of the two who listened were on fire.  The disappointment, self-pity, and despair that had enveloped them were lifted from them.   They were set free by the words and understanding they heard from their unknown friend.  Jesus will do the same for us.  When we read the Scriptures in a prayerful, believing way, Jesus, who is the Word of God, will speak to our hearts.  Reading and praying over God’s word is one of the best ways to draw closer to the Lord.  Again, the Holy Spirit is at work and Jesus is present.

Third, when the three sat down at the table, Luke tells us that Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, and their eyes were opened and they recognized him “in the breaking of the bread.”  That is an expression the early church used for the Eucharist or Mass.  When we gather together and pray and ponder Scripture and, then at the altar, pray and bless and break bread and receive it, Jesus is present in the most mysterious of ways.  For, as at the Last Supper, so at every Mass, the Lord takes what we offer and in return, gives us, not bread and wine, but his Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. 

Encountering Jesus in these three ways requires faith. We need to believe that the Holy Spirit is at work, especially when we gather as a praying community.  We need to trust that Jesus desires to be with us and receives our love when we care for those in need.  We also have to take time to read the Scriptures so that Jesus can manifest himself to us and speak to us.  And finally, we ought to desire to receive the Lord in the Eucharist as often as we can, for he is the Bread of Life.  We cannot stray far when we stay close to the Eucharist.

The Easter Season is a good time to ask God for an increase in the three gifts that remain: faith, hope, and love.  When we act in faith, hope, and love, Jesus will be with us in amazing and surprising ways.  And with the Lord as a companion, our way will be joyful, even when we are suffering.  We may not always feel his presence the same way -  it may be different -  but he will never leave us.  And all the Lord asks is that we place our trust in him.