“In the first journey, the Lord is walking beside them, but they do not recognize him; in the second one they do not see him anymore, but they feel him near them. In the first they are discouraged and hopeless; in the second they run to bring the good news of the encounter with the Risen Jesus to the others.”
He says sometimes we are like the disciples on the first part of the journey: we allow ourselves to be discouraged by life’s disappointments and proceed sadly. It is important, the Holy Father says, “to stop orbiting around one’s self; [focusing on] the disappointments of the past, the unrealised ideals, the many bad things that have happened in our life. Very often we tend to keep going around and around…” (in our minds…and get nowhere because of it).
And in those moments we need to leave those disappointments and “go forward looking at the greatest and truest reality of life: Jesus lives, Jesus loves me…This is the turning point”, the Holy Father says to go from thoughts about I to the reality of my God.
A little bit of self-reflectiveness can be helpful. But when we recognize that we are ideating about the same problem, the same hurt, the same sour argument, the same insult, or whatever, we need to go to Jesus—to lift our thoughts, hearts and souls to God.
The two disciples of Emmaus first open their hearts to Jesus by listening to him explain the Scriptures. This should be a habit and way of life for Christians. When you are feeling lost, disappointed, discouraged, or confused OPEN THE BIBLE. Read a Gospel story or from the Wisdom Books: Wisdom, Proverbs, or Psalms. You might think that the Bible has nothing to say to you, read it anyway. And keep reading until you hear God speaking, with you, in your trials, urging you to open your heart more deeply to Him, allowing Him to set your heart on fire.
In the times of discouragement, be aware that the voice telling you, you don’t need the Bible, you need a drink, a pill, a Netflix binge, a shopping spree, a quart of icecream and a nap, that’s not Jesus. That’s the one that wants to turn your soul away from Jesus. That One doesn’t want you to seek the Wisdom of God, but wants you to rely only on yourself, and wants you to medicate your sorrows with worldly vices.
Easter helps us grow in the conviction that the Lord offers us another way, of nearness to us throughout all of life, a nearness where the Lord is always longing to speak with us and break bread with us, and set our hearts alite with divine fire, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.
For the shepherds of our souls, that they may have the strength to govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd.
For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ.
For our own community, that it may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ, and that the newly initiated hold fast to the faith they have received.
For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness through the Christian faith.
That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.
O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the desires of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our lord.
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