3rd Sunday of Easter

Gospel – Luke 24:13-35

Walking With the Lord

Home – Heiskell, TN

I have been blessed to have visited the Holy Land 4 times, the latest being February 2023.  And while we visit many of the same sites (Jordan River, Nazareth, Church of Holy Sepulchre, Church of Nativity, Cana, Mount Carmel, etc.), the experience is never the same.  The reason is simple.  We are not the same person; we grow and change.  For myself, that first journey in 2010 was one of wonder and awe, an experience difficult to put into words.  At the time, I thought it was a once in a lifetime experience.  So wrong!   And as the other pilgrimages unfolded, the experience became more and more reflective, more prayerful and meditative.  I can still recall sitting in an out-of-the-way corner in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and quietly working on the homily I would share the following day at Gethsemane.  Such a peaceful moment in such a holy place!

Our life experiences change and so do we!  Needless to say, no matter the Holy Land visit, each day involved a healthy amount of walking – following the Via Dolorosa, walking the Rosary Procession at Nazareth, travelling the narrow streets of the Old City, tracing Jesus’ steps on the Palm Sunday Road and, for the brave, climbing the path up to Mt. Tabor or Mt. Precipice.  Lots of walking!  Lots of achy feet at the end of the day! We never had any trouble getting our ‘steps’ in for the day. And every time, it was a spiritual and a physical journey of faith!

But, considering today’s Gospel, there is one pilgrim walk that continues to resonate with me!  The road to Emmaus!  The scene of today’s Gospel!  I admit that this is one of my favorite passages.  It is so rich in imagery: the disciples taking that 7-mile journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus in sadness and mourning over the death of their teacher!  And when Jesus appears, they don’t recognize Him.  Instead He walks with them and proceeds to teach them all that the Scriptures said about the Messiah.  And when they reach their destination, they convince Him to remain with them.  And it is only in the breaking of the bread that they recognize their Lord and Savior.

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 outside Lynchburg.  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.   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.

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 renewed energy and even today I so miss that walk.

But what I didn’t realize until much later in life was that, whether 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, 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.

It occurs to me that, in today’s Gospel, we are witnessing not merely a walk to Emmaus but a liturgical event, a reminder of the Eucharist.  The disciples hear passages from the Scriptures and are taught their meaning.  They give thanks and pray that the Lord remains with them.  And then it all comes to fulfillment as the bread is prayed over, blessed and given to them to eat!  And it is at that moment that their eyes are opened, and they know they are in the presence of the Lord.  And they return to Jerusalem to spread the Good News.

In a way, we make that journey to Emmaus every time we participate in the celebration of Mass.  We hear the Scriptures; the presider reflects on their meaning – the Liturgy of the Word.  And then Father blesses/consecrates the bread and wine and we receive the Body and Blood of Christ – the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  And then we go out into the world with the command to spread the Good News, by our words and our actions.

Nowadays Ginger and I still take a walk – sometimes down to the mailbox, sometimes up the hill to feed the chickens or further up to visit with Jaime and the boys (that’s the view you have in today’s pic – from Jaime’s front porch, looking down on our home).  Sometimes it’s just a quiet walk around the 16 acres just to be together, to breathe the fresh air and appreciate the life we have and the beauty of creation.  Always, it’s to offer our thanks to the Lord!

So take that walk today, wherever it may lead you!  And remember that He walks beside you!