An eye opener

Sitting here, sheltering at home, and thinking about Wednesday’s readings, I’ll admit to you; I have favorites.   And when it comes to favorite Gospel accounts, the story of the disciples’ encounter with Jesus on the Road to Emmaus certainly sits in the top three on my list (Luke 24:13-35).  I even chose this passage as the theme for this blog!

It’s the classic story that begs the questions; how do we come to know Jesus, and how does Jesus lure us in?

Have you ever stared at a statue of Jesus or a crucifix or even a picture and hoped that He would miraculously appear and tell you that you’re on the right path, or even that you’re not, but He forgives you anyway?  I have, and I still do at times.  The fact is Jesus appears to us in mysterious ways all the time!

He appears to us subtly, in and through other people.  He can choose to appear in others through a smile, or a kind word or action.  One  Thanksgiving Day about ten years ago, my mother’s neighbors cooked her a full holiday dinner when I had to work and couldn’t be there with her.  Jesus was certainly there.  When those same neighbors planted pretty flowers in the flowerbox outside her window, and then took the time to maintain them, it was an act of pure charity, in the example of Jesus.  During this time of isolation for most of us, He is appearing more and more frequently in the people who are performing both random acts of loving service, and especially in the doctors, nurses, caregivers and ‘essential’ persons who are fighting hard every day to end this pandemic.  Let’s not forget the priests and other spirit-driven messengers of God.

He doesn’t appear only in other people; we see Him outside of us in all creation, in the silence of a forest or the majestic beauty of the sky, when dawn breaks or when the sun sets.

While it is a great feeling to see Jesus at work in others, His most mysterious and miraculous Presence is in the Holy Eucharist.  Oh, how I miss my Lord in the Eucharist!  Every time I receive Him in Holy Communion, “my heart is burning within me” with love for Him!  When Jesus appears inside of us, there is an immediate comfort, a sensation of love, a feeling of exuberant joy, from which we can finally become one of those through whom others recognize Him.

Just because we can’t see Him doesn’t mean that He isn’t there.  There are the moments when we feel like we can’t recognize Jesus, when He “disappears from our sight.”  We’re a lot like the disciples on the road to Emmaus: “They stopped, looking downcast.”  It probably means that our eyes are closed, for some mysterious reason; most likely blinded by even the least venal sins or out of despair or anxiety.  And when we can’t see, that’s when we turn to hearing.  When we can’t hear, we turn to feeling.  When none of our senses work, we often turn to loving.  That’s when we will always find Him, waiting for the right moment to open our eyes and reveal Himself to us.  He always helps us, coaxing and encouraging, until finally we wake up and see Him, and know that everything is okay. There are many ways to recognize the ones we love most.  Let our eyes be opened and recognize Jesus!