Welcome Stranger

 The Road to Emmaus story led me to think about encounters.  Luke 24: 13-35  The couple on the road had to be open to the stranger that joined them and their interesting conversation.  Did you ever think of that?  If they shut up and looked at the stranger who joined up with them with askance, that would be a shame.  They never would have encountered Jesus.  You never know what event or what person will open you up to a divine revelation.  

But Jesus is BIG!

My grandchildren and I made a diorama on the story of the Road to Emmaus.  Here is the picture.  The two people traveling are together.  Jesus is alone on the right. The girls understood and liked the story but they objected to two things.  The first was that Jesus was smaller than the other two figures.  They couldn't get over the fact that Jesus wasn't the biggest man in the story.  The other issue was that Jesus just disappeared after breaking of the bread.  "How rude!"

Yes, It is True

 Yesterday's Easter homily told the story of the couple walking to Emmaus.  The homilist said we are the people walking that road, too.  Today, I am still thinking of this.  

How many times has a stranger brought me closer to Christ?

We must be open to the stranger so that we can continue to meet Christ.  The story of Emmaus offers us a direction and remember that the couple was heading to Emmaus but after meeting Jesus they turned around and went back to Jerusalem. We have to be open to changes, too.

And we must continue to read the Bible and receive the Eucharist so that our hearts will burn and hearts will be opened.  Then we too will proclaim, "It is true, the Lord has risen!  Truly He has risen!"