By Father Omar Guanchez
Have you ever been preoccupied about a situation you cannot change? For instance; I have people concerned about the baptism of their baby, about their Church wedding this summer, about not receiving the Eucharist and we also have people waiting to celebrate a Memorial Mass for their loved one who passed away recently. Do you think they are having mixed feelings at this time? I bet they are. They are probably walking like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, looking downcast and searching for an answer. But they should not stop walking.
I am also thinking about how families are doing right now with all this time on their hands. I guess that many families are having family vacation every day while some people probably want to run and take personal vacation because a family member (or more) is getting on their nerves. Yes, this time might be a blessing for families but it could also be a great challenge. But I want to tell you ‘Families’, do not stop walking together even if the road gets rough at times.
I am thinking about the residents at the nursing home and how they are doing. How they are enduring this imposed loneliness and separation from the rest of society, including their families. I tell you elderly brother and sister, don’t lose heart and keep moving forward one step at a time!
All of us are now inside this huge cruise ship, and everyone is dealing with this in different ways; using the resources we have in our little rooms, and feeling as if this cruise ship is not moving fast enough. We all have, perhaps, the same need to talk to someone and chat about our feelings, expectations, fears and dreams.
Wouldn’t it be interesting if a stranger started walking along with you, gave you a chance to talk about what you are feeling and then explained why things happened as they did and, if possible, tell you the real purpose of all this? At special times like this, we want to see things more clearly. Now, would you invite that stranger to stop along the way for something to eat? Would you offer him quality hospitality like that? Let’s say You choose to share a piece of bread and the stranger takes the bread, says a blessing and hands you a piece. You realize that stranger is Jesus. He smiles and then disappears. He doesn’t say goodbye, he doesn’t get up and leave. It’s as if he is still there, but he can no longer be seen.
At this time comes to mind what Jesus says in Matthew 18:20. “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them," which means that if you are watching this Mass with somebody else, Christ is right there where you are blessing you and patiently waiting -just like you and me- for the day we will come together to worship Him here in His House.
The psalm of this Sunday says, “Lord, you will show us the path of Life.” Jesus will show us the path of life but we need to stay on the right road, and keep moving forward. We cannot stop walking and we must walk together. The disciples on the road to Emmaus were together on the way.
May The Lord bless us (with His presence) -as we journey- on the way.