The Seven Mile Walk

~~~Third Sunday of Easter ~~~

~~Acts of the Apostles 2:14, 22-33~~~Psalm 16~~

~~1 Peter 1:17-21~~~Luke 24:13-35~~

The Lonesome Walk to Emmaus. The Longest Seven Mile Walk.

Lord, you will show us the path of life.

To some of my friends a seven mile walk would not be that far,
but  am not sure I would be able to complete such a distance.

This story is not about the distance...it is not about the two who were walking;
it is about Jesus seeking them out after his resurrection.
Throughout the public ministry of Jesus people were constantly
seeking him and following him about the country side.

But since his Resurrection we see him seeking those who loved him...
those who tried in their own way to believe.
They may have wanted to believe that he would be raised from the dead,
but when he was laid in the tomb it all seemed to be so final.
Even when they discover the empty tomb it is still so hard to believe.

So Jesus comes to them. He comes to them,
not because he has something to prove, but because he loves them.
His love then was not any greater then his love is today for you and for me.

He comes to us in the same intimate way
every time we attend Mass and receive his precious body and blood.

He seeks us out...he wants to walk with us...he wants to reveal his love to us.

Are we paying attention?
Are we missing his presence?
Do we believe enough?

It took more than the seven mile walk
before the two could recognize who had joined them.

Perhaps they were looking down at the ground.
Jesus was by their side...he was walking with them.
Did they ever actually look at his face?

They walked all the way home
before his actions of breaking the bread opened their eyes.

They were back in their own little world, in the privacy of their home.

Jesus says, 'oh, by the way, it's me....Jesus'
and he breaks the bread.
They see his hands holding the bread.
They hear him speak the familiar words of blessing
and then they knew.

Now they had renewed energy...
the seven miles back was the walk of exhilaration.

They could not contain their joy.

Jesus had walked with them, he had found them,
he had blessed them...he had filled them with his joy.

He is walking beside you.
Peace.