Walk with the Lord, Talk with the Lord!
The Easter Event, namely the Resurrection, is so huge and unique that it is impossible to fully grasp it with our human mind. I remember the story told of St Augustine, who was walking on the sea shore trying to understand the mysteries of God. He saw a young boy on the sea shore, who had made a hole in the sand and was running to the ocean to pick up some water in a coconut shell and running back to pour it into that hole. He was constantly running back and forth. Augustine called out to the boy and asked him, what are you doing? The boy replied, I am trying to empty the ocean into the hole I made. What, that is impossible? The boy turned back and told Augustine, do you then think it is possible with your little mind to understand and grasp the mystery of God!!!
There are two approaches that we can take when confronted with the event of the Resurrection, one: ‘oh, it is so difficult to understand and after all its a mystery, so let it be, we will just live our lives as best as possible”. The Second, the Resurrection is a mystery, in the sense, that there are white and grey and black areas. But it is not that we cannot understand something about it. St Paul himself teaches that God provides us an understanding of every mystery when he says, “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery” (Rom 11:25), “With all wisdom and understanding, he has made known to us the mystery of his will” (Eph 1:8-9), also Eph 3:3-4, Col 1:26-27; etc. In Luke 24:25 we read, “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Thus we need to take the second approach, to make every human effort to understand the “mysteries” of God, and when the time is ripe, “he will open our minds to understand”.
We must look at our Christian lives as a “journey” on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). They were two of them (always walk in the company of fellow disciples);
They were talking and discussing about matters related to their faith (Jesus of Nazareth);
On the road, Jesus accompanied them, but they did not recognize him;
He entered into their discussion and began to explain to them about himself;
He accepted their invitation to “stay with us” for the evening;
He revealed his identity by signs (breaking of the bread, Eucharist), then they recognized him;
Their response, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Having had such a great experience, of the Risen Lord, they walk all the way back to share the Good News with their companions.
Thus discipleship becomes an Emmaus Journey:
walking with the Lord,
talking with the Lord,
listening to the Lord,
discovering the Lord through signs and symbols of our faith,
allowing him to open our minds to a deeper understanding,
that our hearts may come to a stronger believing,
that what we understand and believe we will proclaim with our lips,
and do with our hands and feet!
Alleluia!!!
Br. Trevor D Souza OFM
