Homily, 3rd Sunday of Easter

Readings: Acts 2:14. 22-33; 1 Pt 1:17-21; Luke 24:13-35

I think that many of you have been on a guided tour at one time or another. Maybe it was in a museum, at some historic site or just a place of natural wonder. Much of the way we experience in these guided tours is dependent on the one directing the tour. A good guide is someone who is engaging, enthused, and knowledgeable about the subject matter. But getting the most out of a tour takes more than just a good guide. The people on the tour must do their part too. Sometimes individuals get stuck in one place fixated on a particular exhibit or simply get distracted by something going on nearby. And yet the guide usually wants to make sure that everybody get the full experience, that they hear everything he or she has to say. So often on these tours you will hear the guide saying over and over, Guys, we are walking! ...We’re moving! 

Today, we just heard a story about one of the most famous “walks” in Scripture, probably second only to the walk up to Calvary. We often call this story The Road to Emmaus. It is a great story that has been used at so many spiritual retreats. Jesus is walking with these two men, but they have no idea it’s him. Why or how this is possible is not really the point of the story.  In one sense, the story is about the well-known ending, the final ‘reveal’. “Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” 

The Emmaus story is deeper than it might seem on the surface. In many ways, it teaches us truths about the spiritual life. First, our spiritual life is a kind of journey, a moving down a path toward a destination. Secondly, on this journey we are not alone --- we have each other, but most importantly, we have Jesus who is making the journey with us (whether we are aware of it or not). And thirdly, Jesus wants to commune with us, teach us, guide us and help us connect the dots of our own individual stories with his. 

In other words, Jesus is like the perfect tour guide, wanting us to get the full experience --- the experience full of joy, meaning, purpose and peace. He knows that our lives will be so much richer if we can see him in our midst, truly recognize him at this table and in these holy texts, recognize him in the joys and sorrows, and most importantly, recognize him in one another.

But we have to keep walking with our guide. Too often we get kind of stagnant, lazy, or weary from the challenges of life. And we pause on our journey. We stop searching. We stop wondering about the mysteries of life. We stop asking the big questions. We stop following. Though, in the background, with a love for us beyond all understanding, God keeps whispering-----I am with you….. I have not abandoned you…. We’re walking... We’re moving!

Most of our journeys come to an end. But our spiritual journeys never end. Every day God invites us to walk with him, journey to Emmaus with him so that he can be with us and open our eyes to see the God in our midst ---see God in every person, in every situation and even in this sacred meal we share. And the journey doesn’t end in Emmaus, just like it did not end for the two disciples. Rather, having encountered Jesus, they couldn’t wait to bring that Good News to others. We should do the same- share our faith and strive to nurture disciples. Are we still walking with Jesus, or have we stopped on the journey --- distracted, tired, or caught up in the trappings of our day-to-day lives? 

Life can be an incredible experience, filled with wonder, joy, and beauty if we have the right guide. So, let’s be people of faith and let Jesus be our guide, allow him to open our eyes to all the wonderful things he wants.