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Today's Gospel: Lk 24:13-35

You know, we're not too much different than those disciples. I don't mean just in spiritual matters, but in general. If you had seen your master and teacher killed in the most ignominious way possible, you'd start to doubt yourself; you'd doubt every hope you had. The world's preeminent power, making itself known would surely throw some cold reality in your face. It's hard to blame them. If we don't get inside that, we won't understand the magnitude of what Jesus is offering us.

Looking back with the eyes of faith, the whole scene is a bit chortle-worthy. If this happened today, that disciple is chiding Jesus for not watching the news. "What? Have you been living under a rock these last three days?" Can you hear it? Somebody check "The Message" right here; I bet that's what it says.

And then Jesus starts what has to be the greatest sermon of all time, surely: "And beginning with Moses, and all the prophets..." Are you kidding me? If I get to Heaven, I'm making Jesus tell me what he said, word for word. If we don't all know it already, of course.

What is Jesus offering? He took that cold reality, and laughed right in its face. Life from death. You understand? Death was no less real than it is today. We know how it looked; it looked bad. We don't call Him Savior and God because we're hoping for a few scraps from the table. Jesus makes a new reality. He changes the world we know, and He offers a new one. True religion doesn't help people cope with this world; true religion denies that this "reality" is reality.

Of course, they only saw him in the breaking of the bread, the Eucharist. Remember what Jesus himself said: "Whoever eats of this bread will live forever." We know it looks ordinary. It looked like he was dead, too.

Dare to believe. You and I have nothing to lose. This sick, sad, world will go on without us.
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