April 6, 2008

"Seek me. I am all around you. When you call, I hear you. Though you do not always understand my answers --nevertheless I love and care for you." ---Isaiah 55:6,8

We have a song in our hymnal called "Companions on the Journey." One of the opening lines says "breaking bread and sharing life." The couple in Luke's Emmaus story did not recognize Jesus with them as they were walking home. The Jesus they knew had been crucified and buried. They felt that was the end of their hopes. But when Jesus shared bread with them, they recognized Him and hurried back to Jerusalem and to the community.

Life is a journey; and as we share Eucharist with each other, we can also share our lives. Each of us has a story; a mixture of good and bad experiences, that forms who we are. The word "companion" comes from two Latin words, "cum" meaning "with" and "panis" meaning "bread." As we share the Bread, we become the Body of Christ and companions to each other.

Another lesson from this gospel is to remember that Jesus walks with us whether or not we recognize He is with us. When we're going through a difficult time, we wonder where God is in all of it. In the spiritual life, there are times of consolation when we feel God's presence and also times of desolation when we do not. Many of the saints wrote about these same experiences, even Mother Teresa in our time.

Jesus knew following him would be difficult at times, so He gave us His example of sharing bread with each other, to be companions to each other and to remember He said that He "would be with us always, even to the end of the age." (Mt 28:20b)