April 7, 2010
Wednesday in the Octave of Easter
When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. But Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us." He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. Acts 3:3-5
But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning (within us) while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?" Luke 24:29-32
Piety
Jesus, through the commemoration of the most holy Eucharist, you have devised a blessed way to stay with us no matter what we do or where we turn. Please help us to stay with you in good times and in bad times. Amen.
Study
Jesus realized that when we finally recognize him for his true identity that we would always want him to stay with us. Like the curious disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus could fulfill our every desire and make our hearts yearn for him every day if he could come up with a sign that would be a constant reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice for all of us.
Stay with us.
The cross is a symbolic reminder of his suffering to overcome death. Yet Jesus needed to leave us something more, something like a living sign of his presence everyday. Something that would literally take up its dwelling place within our minds, our hearts and our very souls.
Stay with us.
Recognizing the power of the presence of each other in our lives is one step toward realizing the power of the presence of the Lord in our lives. Did you ever go to dinner or head to a local bar to hang out with friends after work? Thinking that you could stay there for a short time, maybe you tell your wife and family to expect you home at 8 p.m. allowing you two hours to spend with your friends.
Stay with us.
Think about all the times that the minutes and hours slipped away until the staff came around to announce that it was almost closing time. Yet, you had so enjoyed the presence of this friend in your life that you did not want the encounter to end. Even though you had to be awake for work the next day, you stayed until you were ready to leave. When you did leave, you left happy for the time spent together and sad that the time had to end.
Action
To me, spending quality time with a family member of long-lost friend is like what happened on the road to Emmaus. Jesus set out to hang with his good buddies. After the shared experience, none of them wanted the encounter to end.
Every relationship has to move on to its next stage. The days of Easter allow us to reflect on the current state of our relationship with Jesus. What stage is your relationship moving into now that we have celebrated the resurrection?
During this holy Easter season, spend some time with a friend or family member from whom you have been separated recently. Enjoy that time together and savor every second until your heart hangs on every sound of every word spoken.
