This Sunday's sermon is by The Rev. Thomas Bonaventure Devlin, mgc. Father Devlin lives in Las Vegas, NV, and heads up the San Damiano ministries in both Las Vegas and Amarillo, TX. He is a professed brother of the Mercy of God Community.
Easter is perhaps now a distant memory. We need to focus that Easter is that, a Season. We could not experience all that happened that resurrection day in one of our natural days.
Here we are in the second week hence, hearing stories of Jesus’ appearance to those he loved.
Today we hear of Cleopas and presumably Simon, walking along, downcast recalling the things that just happened. Their world caved in, their best friend was just crucified. He promised they would never die and now he has succumbed to death. There is word that his tomb is empty and he is alive.
They meet a stranger on the road to Emmaus, which is approximately 7 miles from Jerusalem.
They speak to him of what happened, as if he did not know! They spoke of their love for him. The stranger admonished them to remember what the prophets of old have said. He then went through all the scriptures recalling what they had foretold from Moses to Joel.
When they had reached Emmaus the stranger indicated that he had to go further on. The two invited him to stay the night. He accepted, and at dinner when he blessed the bread for the meal, they knew he was Jesus, the Lord.
It takes awhile to walk 7 miles. For one of Jesus’ best friends not to recognize him, makes me curious. Did he not look the same? Were there scales on their eyes? They knew that their hearts were on fire as they walked with him, and he seemed to know the scriptures personally.
That is our mission; we are walking to Emmaus, every day. Meeting people who join us for the journey. Do we see our Lord in them? Do we recognize that which is unrecognizable, that the Holy Spirit has a temple in each of us?
I think we know Jesus is in our lives and presents himself in unrecognizable ways. I was just at a retreat in a Carmelite retreat house, where we all acknowledged presences in our lives where we believed it was Jesus among us. This bible story tells us it is the way it is. Jesus is here. He is with us.
Jesus, thank you for walking with us….
Amen
Easter is perhaps now a distant memory. We need to focus that Easter is that, a Season. We could not experience all that happened that resurrection day in one of our natural days.
Here we are in the second week hence, hearing stories of Jesus’ appearance to those he loved.
Today we hear of Cleopas and presumably Simon, walking along, downcast recalling the things that just happened. Their world caved in, their best friend was just crucified. He promised they would never die and now he has succumbed to death. There is word that his tomb is empty and he is alive.
They meet a stranger on the road to Emmaus, which is approximately 7 miles from Jerusalem.
They speak to him of what happened, as if he did not know! They spoke of their love for him. The stranger admonished them to remember what the prophets of old have said. He then went through all the scriptures recalling what they had foretold from Moses to Joel.
When they had reached Emmaus the stranger indicated that he had to go further on. The two invited him to stay the night. He accepted, and at dinner when he blessed the bread for the meal, they knew he was Jesus, the Lord.
It takes awhile to walk 7 miles. For one of Jesus’ best friends not to recognize him, makes me curious. Did he not look the same? Were there scales on their eyes? They knew that their hearts were on fire as they walked with him, and he seemed to know the scriptures personally.
That is our mission; we are walking to Emmaus, every day. Meeting people who join us for the journey. Do we see our Lord in them? Do we recognize that which is unrecognizable, that the Holy Spirit has a temple in each of us?
I think we know Jesus is in our lives and presents himself in unrecognizable ways. I was just at a retreat in a Carmelite retreat house, where we all acknowledged presences in our lives where we believed it was Jesus among us. This bible story tells us it is the way it is. Jesus is here. He is with us.
Jesus, thank you for walking with us….
Amen
