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If we believe in God, we have to believe that God is more powerful than we.
-Rev. John Phalen
Easter: Season of Hope
Rev. John Phalen, CSC, PresidentHoly Cross Family Ministries
The glorious Easter Season can be recognized only when we put away our own personal expectations for how the Savior should redeem us. The road to Emmaus demonstrates how this is so.
Two disciples are walking away from Jerusalem disappointed that all their hopes regarding the Savior have not been fulfilled. “We had hoped that he would be the one to liberate Israel!” They are crushed that the one they called Messiah and Lord died in ignominy on the cross. They were convinced that their hopes for salvation were dashed as well when they learned of his suffering and death.
But the Lord came walking to Emmaus too since that is where the two were headed. His way is to accompany us unobtrusively. And he began to explain the scriptures to them. I imagine him covering the exodus and the liberation led by Moses, and then the prophets and the suffering servant. It began to become clear to them that God’s ways are not our ways; that the Savior had to die for them to become free.
Aren’t we the same way? Don’t we process all that’s happened and conclude that there is one way for the Savior to influence us – our way? We want our God to bring healing to us or to our associates who are ill, to force that person who has offended us to apologize, to insist that others carry their weight and share some of the burden we bear, and agree with us, etc., etc. The guest acts as if he will go on farther. They invite him to stay with them, their hearts are burning so. Do we invite the risen lord into our hearts regularly in Rosary Prayer?
Maybe the Lord is telling us to stop defining how to be God. God already knows how to be God, and it isn’t our way! Salvation has already been achieved. All that remains is for us to stop defining how things must go for God and for others, to open our eyes to see the Scriptures and how they are fulfilled in Jesus Christ risen from the dead, and to recognize him in the breaking of the bread!
Let us stay close to Mary our Mother. She will always lead us to her Son. And he will explain to us ever so clearly how salvation was to be achieved in God’s good time.
Happy Easter! Alleluia!