Recognizing Jesus

Dear friends on the journey,

The thread woven through today’s readings is the transformative power of encountering the risen Jesus. The gospel tells the story of two of Jesus’ disciples traveling the road to Emmaus when they’re joined by a “stranger.” Their conversation is all about the unforgettable events that had just taken place in Jerusalem. While they do not recognize Jesus on the road, we know that later their eyes were opened when Jesus broke and blessed the bread.

I’ve always wondered how the disciples did not recognize Jesus. Wouldn’t you immediately distinguish your dear amazing friend Jesus from a stranger?! Upon deeper reflection, their recognition would have been way too easy, and we would not be able to identify with them.

Filled with great heaviness, the disciples contend with their confusion and disappointment. I suspect their grief clouded their ability to see anything and anyone clearly. Couldn’t this be said for us too? It has certainly been my case.

Fear, worry, anxiety and grief can have a powerful chokehold on reality. They become the lens through which we see and experience life and this only perpetuates the problems we face. Finding goodness is almost impossible. We cannot see a way out of the darkness. We feel great despair, not only in the present but for the future, which then opens the door to hopelessness. It becomes a vicious cycle in which we cannot see or feel Jesus’ presence, and we question where God is in the mess of our lives.

But their story does not end there. I think this “stranger” in their midst must have been a good listener, helping them feel safe enough to express their tidal wave of negative emotions. (Well, of course...he was Jesus after all.) We know they eventually come to recognize Jesus. Talking with him had transformed their hearts and minds, turning their grief into hope, courage, and confidence, compelling them to share their encounter with Jesus.

Their story is our story and our invitation to trust that Jesus is right with us the difficult times of our lives. He is always walking with us gently, quietly, and patiently, inviting us to see him, trust him and open our very selves to him. Jesus never abandons us.

Meeting the risen Jesus changes everything. The disciples were moved from sorrow to joy, from doubt to trust and fear to witness. We can be moved too. Each time we go to Mass we encounter Jesus very obviously in scripture and the bread and wine. The real work is to be ready to encounter Jesus between Sundays, in the everyday walk of our lives, to recognize Jesus in the people we meet, in the situations that arise, especially the difficult ones.

Today we are invited to ask ourselves whether we have truly recognized Jesus in our lives. Have I experienced his transforming power? Am I willing to share this good news with others? How can I be more open to Jesus and the hope, faith and trust only he can bring?


Siempre Adelante,


Teresa Runyon
Pastoral Associate 

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