Third Sunday of Easter
Let’s Take A Walk
And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?”
Talking, walking, sharing, and knowing—these are descriptors of the disciples’ actions as they walk to Emmaus. They are confused and feeling like all their hopes have been dashed. “We had hoped” is a recurring expression. Preoccupied and worried about what will happen next, they do not recognize Jesus walking with them. Their eyes are opened only when he stays with them and cooks for them. They recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread.
When have you had just such an experience? Discovery often occurs on walks—some that involve human companionship and others occur when we spend time walking in nature settings. Discovery, recognition, and knowing often come from the desire to spend time with another and the commitment to be attentive to the other. A walk with another so often brings great clarity to confusion. The words of others make sense of what is troubling and nonsensical.
“Let’s go take a walk” is an invitation to share, to think about, to listen, to recognize new truths, and to realize new blessings. Walks exercise our bodies, our minds and our hearts. In the case of the disciples, the conversation and the revelations not only warmed their hearts; their hearts were burning. They were “on fire” to go out to others and to share. They wanted to talk!
When’s the last time your heart was burning? What was happening? Who was there? And do you want more of those experiences? How would that happen?
Let’s spend time together this Sunday to know the Lord in the table of the Word and in the table of the Eucharist that we share. Will we recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread in our very midst?
And then this coming week, let’s take time to share our own sacred stories of transformation with others as we walk or as we break bread in a shared meal. Let’s be filled with gratitude to all those have handed on the faith to us in families, in our faith communities, and in teaching and modeling.