YOU ARE NOT ALONE, I AM WALKING WITH YOU

(Meditation on JOHN 24, 13-35)

By Rev. Fr. Innocent Maganya, M. Afr.

I have a question for each one of you today. Have you ever met Jesus in your life? Have you ever encountered him in your life? Just think about the question for few seconds. If Yes, what are the signs that allowed you to recognize his presence? And if your answer is no, what prevents you from recognizing him. These are very serious questions. Maybe you never thought about it. As we meditate on the gospel about the disciples of Emmaus, So I invite you to ask yourselves the same question.

Most of us, I would say, we are like the disciples on the Road to Emmaus, walking and talking about our problems, our difficulties, lamenting about so many things, probably with our faces downcast, discouraged by the life, without any sign of hope at all. This is the experience of the disciples of Emmaus after the Good Friday. It is a story of people who have lost hope completely, they are discouraged. They say: “Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set us free.” A terrible experience! Isn’t it! It is our own story, it is the story of many men and women, young and old, who have lost hope. I invite you to read again the story, and you may find that it talks also about your own experience. The disciples are so discouraged, that nothing can convince them that Jesus is alive. They had followed Jesus all the way up to Jerusalem, now that Jesus is no more, they decide to turn back and return to their village, to their Emmaus, in total despair. Where are you going? Where is your Emmaus now? Where are you going with your faces downcast? Jesus is asking you today! Can you talk about this to someone close to you? This is what the disciples are doing on the road to Emmaus.

Now let us listen carefully, on the journey back to Emmaus, the disciples are not alone. Jesus is there walking by their side, though invisible. He is there in their midst. It is the same with us. On our journey to our Emmaus, we are never alone. In our sufferings, pain and discouragement and hopelessness we are never alone. There is always an invisible companion with us. As we walk and talk, Jesus carefully listens to our stories. But very often, like the disciples of Emmaus, there is a veil on our faces that prevents us from recognizing his presence in our midst. Now I would like to invite you to an article of faith: JESUS is always present. He is Alive. He is always there in the midst of our struggles and joys, even more presence when everything in and around us seems gloomy, dark. Do you believe that Jesus is always present in your lives? Do you? Even in these times of COVID 19! Do you still believe that he is walking with us?

If you do, let me ask you something else: Raise your head. Stop looking down, stand still. You who are weighed down, depressed, discouraged, at this moment, raise high you head. See! Jesus is alive. St Irenaeus says: The Glory of God is man and woman fully alive. Christ has won the victory, he is alive, he is risen. By rising from the dead, Christ has empowered us to fight all kind of negative forces that try to pin us down, to weigh us down. No, not even Covid 19 and its consequences will discourage us. St Paul says to the Philippians: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13). Yes, in our fight and our struggles we are not alone, we are with the Risen Lord, and because of him we are victorious. He is part of our journey. He is part of our story. I hope by now, you are convinced that you are not alone. That Jesus is always present in our midst. But you might ask me: Father I would like to believe that Jesus is here present in my life, but how can I recognize him? What are the signs of his presence? Again we come back to the story of Emmaus. The Gospel gives us two signs:

First of all we recognize or encounter the Risen Christ through the Word of God. When we listen to the word of God, it is God who speaks to us. It is God who meets us in our concrete situations. And if we listen carefully, there is always a special word that God gives us, in a particular and concrete situation, it could be a word of encouragement, a word of consolation, a word of comfort, a word that assures us that we are on the right truck. “Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us? So listening to the word of God, proclaimed and preached in the Church, or listening and sharing the Word in our small Christians communities is a privileged way of meeting Jesus. Listening and sharing the word of God in our families, especially during these times of COVID 19, is a source of strength and consolation. Reading and mediating the word of God, in our families at home can help us recognize the presence of God in our lives. Yes, it is possible to hear that word which gives us hope, courage and sustain us in our daily struggles.

The Second sign is the breaking of the Bread, that is the Eucharist. When we participate in the Eucharist, we meet Jesus in a special way, as he offers himself as food and drink for life. “While he was at table with them he took the bread, and said the blessing, then he broke the bread and handed it to them” And their eyes were opened and they recognized him. But immediately Jesus disappears again. Yes, Jesus has disappeared in front of our eyes of flesh, but it does not mean that he is absent in our lives or the life of the church.

Many of you have been deprived of participating in a Eucharistic celebration. But have been encouraged to develop a “Spiritual Communion.” Probably we have discovered how partaking in the body of Christ is so vital to our spiritual life. The Church invites us in these times to rediscover the prayer of St Alphonsus of Liguori: “My Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. I love you above all things and desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.” Amen

We are not alone on journey. Jesus walks always with us. Let us open our hearts to HIM and invite Him into our house today. Like the disciples of Emmaus we say: “Stay with us Lord” Now and forever Amen.

May God bless each one you.

Rev. Fr. Innocent Maganya, M. Afr.