Easter Wednesday

Gospel – Luke 24:13-35

Walking with Jesus

The Two of Us, Sepphora

Chicago Weather Forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday!  Cold!  10 degrees below normal!  Rain and windy on Tuesday, some snow flurries.  Wednesday, continued cold with snow!

Seriously??  This is April!  Springtime!  A chance to take a walk together in the sunshine and warmth!  That was one of the things Ginger and I enjoyed over those difficult months of Covid.  We made it a mission to take a daily walk in the neighborhood.  But winter kind of put an end to that.  And now it looks like our daily strolls are going to be delayed once more until Spring finally shows up! And we can’t wait!  A chance for fresh air, a bit of exercise and the opportunity to just let the stress ooze out of our bodies and minds.!  It reminds me of walks I would take way back in the seminary.

I spent all of my high school life and part of college living and studying at a seminary nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains in rural Virginia.  It was a quiet and secluded life full of homework and prayer.  Stuck away on a narrow country road, you entered the grounds at a low brick entry gate and then a short drive up to the campus of buildings.

We had everything you could ever need: Olympic size swimming pool, basketball courts, track, playing fields, classrooms, beautiful chapel, our own infirmary and rec rooms. But what mattered the most to me was that short road, barely a quarter mile in length from the gate to the main buildings,  I can’t tell you how many times, after a long day of classes, many of us, either alone or with a small group, would walk out to the gate and then back.  No matter the reason for the walk, whether it was stress, upset, homesickness, depression, sadness, the need to blow off steam or anger, or the simple need to just get away – by the time I made it out to the gate and back, those negative emotions were gone.  It was a journey that calmed my soul and eased whatever burdens I had.  It re-energized me to return to seminary life with a renewed energy and even today I so miss that walk.

But what I didn’t realize until much later in life was that, no matter if I was walking alone or with a friend, there was always someone else alongside me (us). Jesus! For us to get through all those tough times, I realize now that Jesus had to have been there with us, gently guiding us back along the right path.  We just didn’t realize it!  We just didn’t see Him there until much later in life. 

So it is today with the disciples on their way to Emmaus.  They are returning to Emmaus, crushed and saddened by Jesus’ death.  And yet Jesus walks with them, talks with them, teaches them.  But it is only later on, after He has left, that they realized it was Him.  Only after they realize their hearts were on fire with His words and in His breaking of the bread, then they slap their foreheads and realize the truth – that Jesus was right there with them.  So it is for all of us. No matter how alone we feel, how isolated we are, we truly are not alone.  Jesus really is right here with us, walking beside us, guiding us, reassuring us, and comforting us.

So take that walk today, even if the weather forecasts crisp cold air and the light carpet of snow, and realize you are not alone.  You never were!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  Sunday – 13 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 10:37-42 The Cost/Rewards of Discipleship Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem I’m holding in my hand a simple piece of paper, barely bigger than an index card.   It’s a mini-golf scorecard and it’s 47 years old.   At the time, the game itself probably cost only about $6.   Certainly a lot less than you would pay today.   So the cost today doesn’t seem like much.   But for me all that time ago, it was a wealth of money.   So it cost me a lot.   But the rewards of the card?   Well, that is priceless.   This was one of the first dates Ginger and I went on.   And who would have guessed how that would turn out?   All the memories we have shared, painful and joyful.   All the times we have shared together and the people who have touched our lives!   Priceless! Cost and reward!   Two vastly different concepts but they play a key role in all of today’s readings.   In the first reading, a rich woman goes out of her way t
Read more
Image
  14 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 11:25-30 The “Little Ones” Open Market, Jerusalem There’s a story about a rather eccentric teacher who was always looking for creative ways to test (torture) his students.   Sometimes it was crazy project and sometimes it was a wacky exam that tested not just their knowledge but also their experience. So one day he hands out a test, typical normal test, Q/A, except this was the last question.   What’s the name of the school janitor?   One of his students looked at the question and thought – I know he’s short, wears glasses and has light brown hair but how in the world would I know his name?   So he left it blank and turned in his paper. When class was over, he went up to the teacher and asked whether that last question would count in the test grade.   Absolutely, said the teacher.   Throughout your whole life, you will find that every person you cross paths with is important, significant.   They deserve you
Read more
Image
  16 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 13:24-30 Be Patient, My Child Tied Up in Knots! Many years ago, I remember one summer when it was time for our daughter Jaime to learn how to ride a bicycle.   So I took off the training wheels, she climbed onto the bike and proceeded to take off.   I followed close behind, holding onto the back bumper, trying to keep the bike upright and trying to make sure she didn’t fall.   It was exhausting for both of us.   I thought I was being a good dad by doing everything I could to keep her from falling.   But it didn’t work.   We were both getting frustrated.   Finally, she had had enough and she banished me to sit on the front porch while she worked it out on her own.   It took time and it took a lot of patience, something neither one of us had much of at the start of the process. I was getting impatient with the process and she was getting impatient with me.   Patience was in short supply.   But in the end, patience w
Read more