Have you ever stopped to notice where people encountered Jesus?

It’s often in the humble, ordinary moments of life… while people are at work—maybe fishing; while they’re gathered with family and friends—remember the wedding feast of Cana? Even while they’re traveling from one town to another—as in the story of the Good Samaritan. Then there’s the story of the Walk to Emmaus… the resurrected Christ meeting two of his disciples and changing their lives, and ours, forever.

The two men were saddened by the loss of Jesus. Where was God’s purpose in the Crucifixion? As they walked to Emmaus, Jesus appeared in their midst. When they arrived in Emmaus, Jesus took bread, blessed it, and gave it to the disciples. At that moment, they recognized him as their risen Lord. Their spirits were renewed. They returned to Jerusalem filled with a desire to witness the Gospel and the living presence of Christ.

Emmaus is a reminder of the many pathways to God. In the ordinary activity of everyday life, Jesus is always present if we are open to receiving him and sharing him with a world anxious for healing. That ordinary activity of ours could be anything from shopping and running errands to waiting on line or saying the Rosary on Zoom with a parish prayer group.

Finding Christ in the simple journeys of everyday life is especially comforting right now. Who hasn’t experienced isolation in the past year? It’s been so much harder to attend Mass and receive the Sacraments, harder to get together with family and friends. But that doesn’t mean that Jesus has abandoned us. Quite the opposite. What the disciples experienced on the road to Emmaus was the enduring presence of our God, always at hand, especially in the most
difficult moments.

Friend, the words of today’s Gospel are a comfort and a consolation. Receive the gift of our Risen Christ knowing that you are never alone, never without the strength you need to love and serve the Lord… just like the disciples who found Christ on the road to Emmaus.