We are On the Road to Emmaus

Camino de Emaús by Lelio Orsi

A Familiar Reading
Today's Gospel reading from Luke 24:13- 35 portrays the encounter between two disciples and, unbeknownst to them, Jesus, the risen Lord, as they walk on the road to Emmaus. This is one of those Easter time readings that we are all so familiar with that we may take its meaning for granted.

Liturgy of the Word
If we reflect on the passage carefully, we will discover that the story is more than two sad disciples encountering the resurrected Christ. It is also depicts imagery of the Holy Mass. Jesus, still not revealed to them, chastises the disciples for being discouraged: "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!" (Luke 24:26). He then gives a recollection on salvation history by "beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." (Luke 24:27).  In other words, he breaks open the Liturgy of the Word, which makes up the first part of the Mass. "The Liturgy of the Word includes 'the writings of the prophets,' that is, the Old Testament, and 'the memoirs of the apostles' (their letters and the Gospels). After the homily, which is an exhortation to accept this Word as what it truly is, the Word of God, and to put it into practice, come the intercessions for all men."(CCC 1349).

Liturgy of the Eucharist
After concluding His homily, Christ then stays with the two disciples, whose hearts are now burning. "When He was at table with them, He took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him" (Luke 24: 29-31). This is clearly a depiction of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  "Is this not the same movement as the Paschal meal of the risen Jesus with his disciples? Walking with them he explained the Scriptures to them; sitting with them at table 'he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.'' (CCC 1347)

Participation in the Mass
In 2008 while praying the Regina Coeli, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged us to encounter Christ in the Word and in the Eucharist through our participation in Mass:

Today too we can enter into dialogue with Jesus, listening to His Word. Today too He breaks the bread for us and gives Himself as our bread. And thus the encounter with the risen Christ, which is also possible today, gives us a more profound and authentic faith, tempered so to say by the fire of the events of Easter. A robust faith because it is nourished not by human ideas by the Word of God and His real presence in the Eucharist.

We are On the Road to Emmaus
St. Josemaria saw in this Gospel reading a demonstration that we are all on the road to Emmaus. When we partake of Our Lord in the Mass, we are sent out to proclaim the Gospel with our lives.

And Jesus stays. Our eyes are opened, as were those of Cleopas and his companion, when Christ breaks the bread; and, though He vanishes once more from sight, we too will find strength to start out once more -- though night is falling -- to tell the others about Him, because so much joy cannot be kept in one heart alone. The road to Emmaus--our God has filled this name with sweetness. Now the entire world has become an Emmaus, for the Lord has opened up all the divine paths of the earth (St. J. Escriva, Friends of God, 313f).

The Eucharist: The Sacrament of Love

The Incredulity of St. Thomas, Caravaggio

My Lord, My God
Today's Gospel relates the scene when St. Thomas doubts that Christ has truly risen from the dead (John 20:24-29). There are two primary passages I'd like to focus on. The first is John 20:28 when Thomas has placed his hands into the wounds of Christ and exclaims, "My Lord and my God!" According to the The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament commentary (Kindle Locations 12210-12211), this is the "climactic confession of faith in John's Gospel." The Catechism explains that "in the encounter with the risen Jesus, this title becomes adoration: 'My Lord and my God!' It thus takes on a connotation of love and affection that remains proper to the Christian tradition: 'It is the Lord!'" (CCC, 448). For this reason, these words are often used by Catholics as an ejaculatory prayer or aspiration "especially as an act of faith in the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Eucharist." (Navarre Bible Commentary). I have several friends who silently proclaim these words upon the consecration during the Mass.

Those Who Have Not Seen
Jesus responds to Thomas by saying, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:29). Christ is talking about us! He is acknowledging our faith in true presence in the Eucharist and in His message revealed through divine revelation. Furthermore, Christ's statement "refers to us, provided we live in accordance with the faith, for only he truly believes who practices what the believes" (In Evangelia Homiliae, 26, 9). In other words we have to walk the walk. Sacred Scripture, "carries with it sufficient guarantees of credibility" and when we accept that teaching, each of us "offers the full submission of his intellect and will to God who reveals, willingly assenting to the revelation given" (Dei Verbum, 5).

Summer Vacation, No Vacation from God

My brother Tony and I fishing with Dad circa 1972

Tomorrow marks the end of school for many Dallas area schools. This is the time of the year when most of us begin planning a summer vacation. This planning may involve booking flights and hotels or simply mapping out the most scenic route to take on the road trip. In all the planning done for summer vacation, do we take time to plan our "God time" into the mix?

One of the responsiblities we have as the spiritual leaders of our families is to raise our children properly in the faith. This also means we need to insure that our summer plans include our spiritual lives. Taking a vacation does not mean taking a vacation from God or Church.

It's easy to fall into the mindset of self-indulgent comfort, kicking back, doing "nothing." We should heed the advice of St. Josemaria who wrote in The Furrow #514 that rest was not intended by God to mean simple idleness, but instead to be a time to recharge so that we could return to our work with a renewed vigor.

So what do we do? For starters we need to make sure that our vacation is family oriented, that it adds to the family, not take away. This means choosing wholesome destinations that will not place your family in near occasion of sin. For example, this would mean being prudent about taking your family to certain European beaches or to Las Vegas.

This does not mean that every family vacation has to be a pilgrimage to a holy place, but it does mean building in prayer and worship into the vacation. You could start the trip with a prayer for travelers. While you are in route, you could pray the Rosary or the Divine Mercy Chaplet. It certainly means building in time for Sunday mass. I recommend using Mass Times to find the nearest Catholic Church and their mass times. They also have an app for that. This can be an opportunity to visit some fabulous churches. Using this site, Stacey and I have stumbled across some wonderful churches both old and new.

The greatest combat against this culture of death and decay, which we live in, is to have a vibrant healthy Christian family. We are all called to be holy in our ordinary lives, not just Sundays. We can set a long lasting example for our children by how we live our lives, including how we spend our vacation.

Catholic Toolbox: Spiritual Warfare

Fall of Rebel Angels, Pieter Bruegel

Spiritual Leaders

Joe Catholics we have a God given duty to protect our families – physically, financially, emotionally and spiritually. Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not we are at war. Not the war on terrorism, but an Ancient War in which “our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits” [Eph 6:12].

We are part of the Church Militant and as the spiritual leaders of our families, we are at the frontline of this battle. What can we do to arm ourselves against the devil and his minions?

Marching Orders

We need to return to spiritual fundamentals: prayer, sacraments and a life of virtue. Get straight and get right with God! You can be holier. Fight as to win. This is the big one. We are in dire combat with the forces of evil. Love is the answer.

Nurture your relationship with Him. Learn your faith. “Studying the faith is studying Jesus Christ.” Education is not enough. Most of us know more than enough to be canonized saints, but none of the saints were canonized for what they knew, but for what they did. It's not enough to know the faith, you have to live the faith. (NOTE: This is paraphrased from notes taken at a Father Corapi conference years ago.)

What is our purpose? To love, know and serve God with all our heart, mind and soul. 

SWAT: Spiritual Weapons and Tactics:

• Pray to your Guardian Angel for protection and help. 
• Pray the Rosary – “the greatest weapon;” “prayer of the Gospel. When you pray the rosary, you pray the Gospel, the Good News, the Word made Flesh, who is Jesus” 
• Receive the Sacraments frequently 
• Frequent Communion (i.e., daily mass) 
• More frequent Reconciliation 
• Use the Sacramentals: holy medals, scapulars, rosaries, prayer cards, blessed salt
• Holy Water 
• Brown Scapular – like “dog tags” it identifies us as children of Mary, the Mother of God; we reflect on prayer and penance; you may grasp it to overcome the temptation 
• Unite all your pain and suffering with Jesus. Offer it up!

Tuesday Tech Talk: Catholic Mass Times

If you travel quite a bit or find yourself away from your local parish, the Catholic Directory's Mass Times application is a must. The app is FREE!

Using your "current location" or typing in a zip code, this app will find a list of nearby parishes along with their mass times and confession schedules.  This is a wonderful tool for helping you fulfill your obligation to attend mass on Sunday (or the Saturday vigil), which is one of the precepts of the Church.

This app is NOT associated with MassTimes.org, which has its own app, but it is not nearly as good as this one.  The website is still a great site to go to if you are at home or have wifi in your hotel.

FAQ of the Faith: Pre-Mass Fast

Every once in a while I'll look up from praying before (or even during) Communion and I see someone chewing gum.  I'm not talking about kids; I'm talking about adults, even Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist!

According to Canon 919, the Church generally expects people to fast from all food and drink (except water) one hour prior to receiving communion.

Now, I am not saying that we should commission a posse of "liturgical police," but  I believe we have an obligation to gently and pastorally correct our fellow Catholics.  I suspect that most of them simply do not know better because someone did not care enough to let them know.

I like what St. Josemaria said about correcting our fellow Christians:

It happens, however, that some people (who are good, or should we rather say 'goodish') pay lip service to the beautiful ideal of spreading our faith, but in practice they make do with a superficial and careless professional output. They seem scatterbrained. If we happen to come across such Christians, we should do our best to help them, affectionately but uncompromisingly, having recourse where necessary to the gospel remedy of fraternal correction: 'Brethren, if a man is found guilty of some fault, you who are spiritually minded ought to show a spirit of gentleness in correcting him. Have an eye upon thyself, lest thou too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens and so you will be fulfilling the law of Christ.' If besides the fact that they claim to be Catholics there are other factors involved, because, for instance, those at fault are older, or have more experience or responsibility, then there is all the more reason to talk to them. We should try to get them to react, helping them take their work more seriously, trying to guide them, like a good parent does or a teacher, but without humiliating them. (Friends of God, #69)