THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER– 22^nd/23^rd  APRIL 2023

Dear Parishioners,

Today is the third Sunday of Easter and we will listen to Luke’s Gospel describing how Jesus walks by the side of the disciples on their way to Emmaus. I’m sure this story is familiar to us, probably the majority of us know this passage. I was thinking, why are we hearing this passage again? Why this passage is in the Bible? What is this passage telling us?

The disciples are walking towards a village. They are sharing their thoughts. As they walk along they express their confusion, they do not understand what has happened. They have not yet reached Emmaus. Neither are they at the beginning of their journey. Is this telling us something?

We are not at the beginning of our lives, we are not at the end neither. We are on the journey. Perhaps like the disciples sometimes we are confused.

Jesus is walking side by side with the disciples. Jesus is not confused, but he is walking along with them, at their pace. He is waiting until they are able to recognise Him. He listens to their story. He explains the Scriptures that are about Himself. Somehow through that listening and sharing, gradually they are able to recognise him. Their reponse is “Did not our hearts burn within us as He explained the Scriptures to us?” Once they realise that Jesus is present with them, they go full of joy and wish to tell to the others that Jesus is alive, that He is present and they recognise Him in the breaking of bread. Their confusion and blindness are removed.

What is this Easter telling me? Perhaps it is not my first Easter, then what is my Easter experience so far?  Have I recognised Him in my “confusion”, in my current situation?

I personally like this Gospel passage. It speaks about God as a companion. He is not far from us. He is not scandalized by how we live or by our failures, but on the contrary, is ready to reach out to us and accepts us. He accompanies us in our not-too-clear situations, because he desires that we recognise Him precisely there, with us. He makes us witnesses of His hope in the realities of our lives.

The disciples were walking the path of confusion but after meeting Him were on the path of Hope and Joy. Does he not want to do the same for us?

The Psalm prays: Show us, Lord, the path of life. We can make this our prayer for this week. Show us, Lord, the path of where we can see you walking by our side.

Have a blessed week,

Anabel Gonzalez, FMVD