Road to Emmaus

What a glorious time of year this is!!  It is spring time – flowers are peeking their heads through the ground (and today is a bit brisk).  The daylight is longer and even the smell of the air is invigorating.  New life is all around us – inviting us to hopeful.  But even more than the flowers and the bright sunshine, we called to new life because we are Easter people.  We have seen the real hope in our lives, in our very beings.  The readings for today are full of that hope and life.  As we bathe in the light of this weekend and the wonders of Easter, I truly believe the best is yet to be. 

Today’s Gospel is the familiar story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus.  I love the story of meeting on the road to Emmaus.  The idea of meeting Jesus and not having “open eyes” is so telling of our everyday lives.  How often have we met “Jesus” and we just didn’t know it.  There are numerous email stories circulating about such situations and only later when their “eyes are open” do the characters in the story realize they have indeed encountered Jesus. We are bombarded with so many things in our lives; it is so easy to walk with “unopened eyes,” to not see what is the most important around us.  We must learn to recognize when “our hearts burn within us.”  When the Holy Spirit makes its presence known to us through that burn it is essential that we embrace it and jump and praise God  . . . the best is yet to be!

Pat Schifini, OSU