3rd Sunday of Easter Homily

So often things of faith go hidden from our senses. As we were told of the disciples on the Road to Emmaus, that “their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.” Here the Lord chooses to go “hidden” in order that He may bring about a true sense of faith within the depths of their hearts. They do not receive a simple answer to their many questions, but have to be strengthened and inspired to grow in their faith.

It was only with the Breaking of the Bread that they came to recognize Him. So too do we come to recognize Him in the Breaking of Bread. What we see with our eyes is mere bread and wine. Nevertheless, what we behold is truly Christ present with us Body, Blood, Soul, and Divnity. Through the lens of faith we are able to see and believe in that great reality.

Day by day we must continue to walk with Him in faith. With all that takes place in this world around us it is easy to lose sight of what is really important. It is easy to get caught up in the busyness of the here and now and forget about Christ. For this reason we must spend time with Him in order that we may truly begin to grow in faith.

The disciples could have received an easy answer to their needs, but instead they were allowed the opportunity to grow in faith. So too God can act within our life as He wishes, but we must be willing to grow in faith. Faith transcends words and feelings because faith is a way of life in which we come to order our life towards Christ. As Saint Augustine states, “Faith is a virtue by which things that are not seen are believed.”

If we are to grow in this virtue of faith we must in the words of Father Benedict Groeschel have “a powerful awareness of our longing for Christ’s presence, accompanied by a trustful surrender to him of our personal needs.” The apostles had such an encounter with Christ on the Road to Emmaus. They came to have faith because they longed for Christ’s presence and surrendered their life unto Him.

Now we must ask ourself what we desire in this life. Is it relationship with Christ or is it something else? If it is Christ whom we long for then we must develop relationship with Him. This means to assist at Holy Mass each Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation, this means to take advantage of the sacrament of confession, this means to entrust ourself to the Blessed Virgin Mary for she always draws us into relationship with her Son, this means that we spend with Sacred Scripture, and that we make time for prayer.

If we were to make a list of our proprieties where would Christ fall? Let us continue to journey with these apostles in our spiritual life in order that we too may come to see Him through the lens of faith. Through this lens may we always be united to Him in spirit and truth.