Life-Changing Encounter - Weekday Homily Video

We are still in the Easter Octave—the eight days that extend the celebration of Easter Sunday. The Octave starts on Easter Day itself and ends on Divine Mercy Sunday. The six days between Easter and Divine Mercy, from Monday to Saturday, all have the title “Easter” attached to them. So, we celebrate Easter Monday all the way to Easter Saturday.

The Road to Emmaus

On this “Easter Wednesday,” we reflect on the story of a life-changing encounter that two disciples had on their journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus. They were leaving Jerusalem because the week before, a man they loved, trusted, followed, believed in, and had their hopes in, was arrested and brutally murdered like a common thief. Their world, their hopes, and their faith were shattered because of what had happened the week before. They had painful memories; it confused them, and they took a walk away from where it had all happened to a different place to continue processing it. A good plan they had heard and come to believe in had gone terribly wrong!

It was while they were on this journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus—a journey of confusion, doubt, brokenness, and hopelessness—that they had an encounter with a stranger who changed their lives. He told them that everything the prophets spoke about Jesus was true and had come to fulfillment. The stranger interpreted anew everything they had heard about Jesus, and he helped them understand who Jesus was, and how what had happened to Him the week before was a fulfillment of sacred Scripture. The stranger set their hearts on fire again and renewed their hope and faith in a man and a mission they had given up on.

Our Own Journey of Faith

The story of the two disciples’ journey to Emmaus is reflective of our own Christian life stories. We are a people that have followed Jesus for quite a while now. We have heard him speak to us through Scripture, we have heard him speak to us through the life of other people, we have learned quite a bit from him.

However, there are circumstances that happen every now and then in our life that make us forget who Jesus is and what he can accomplish. There are circumstances we often encounter that leave us in confusion, in doubt, in hopelessness, and with our faith broken. We have all been in circumstances that appeared gloomy and when we felt helpless. This could be the collapse of a relationship or being let down by a trusted friend; it might be a career failure, the loss of a job, or an illness that won’t go away. It could be circumstances in your family, your workplace, or your community that won’t simply change as you desire them to. Like the two disciples of old, you might feel downcast and confused.

Waiting on the Lord

From the story of the two disciples, we learn never to give up or walk away from situations too quickly. The difference between these two disciples and the disciple Thomas is that Thomas waited in Jerusalem for proof that Jesus was alive, while the two disciples quit too soon and left town. How soon do we quit when a good plan seems not to be working as fast as we expected it to?

The Gospel of Luke asks us: Are you struggling with confusion and doubt about a particular situation? Is your faith broken because of any situation? Do you feel like quitting because of a particular situation? What is the situation about? How much have you opened your mind and heart to allow the Lord to be part of what is going on in your life?

The Lord reminds us, whatever situation we are dealing with, to give it some time, trust in God, wait on him, believe that light will shine, and truth will prevail. When we cannot make sense of a lot of things in our life, we are invited to lean on Christ and let him interpret the situation of our life for us. Whatever it is we are dealing with, we are encouraged to search the Scriptures for answers, invite Christ into our households through prayer, and intentionally encounter him in the breaking of the bread through attending Mass. It is through these exercises that light can be found, seeds of new life can be planted, and our hope and faith can be renewed.

• Today’s Readings

• Father Fred's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. Please view the video on our Facebook page. (You don't need a Facebook account to view.) 

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