Skip to main content

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.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Thoughts On The Harrison Butker Commencement Speech

Update: I read the whole thing. I’m sorry, but what a weirdo. I thought you [Tom Darrow, of Denver, CO] made a trenchant case for why lockdowns are bad, and I definitely appreciated it. But a graduation speech is *not* the place for that. Secondly, this is an august event. It always is. I would never address the President of the United States in this manner. Never. Even the previous president, though he deserves it, if anyone does. Thirdly, the affirmations of Catholic identity should be more general. He has no authority to propound with specificity on all matters of great consequence. It has all the hallmarks of a culture war broadside, and again, a layman shouldn’t speak like this. The respect and reverence due the clergy is *always due,* even if they are weak, and outright wrong. We just don’t brush them aside like corrupt Mafia dons, to make a point. Fourthly, I don’t know where anyone gets the idea that the TLM is how God demands to be worshipped. The Church doesn’t teach that. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dear Alyse

 Today, you’re 35. Or at least you would be, in this place. You probably know this, but we’re OK. Not great, but OK. We know you wouldn’t want us moping around and weeping all the time. We try not to. Actually, I guess part of the problem is that you didn’t know how much we loved you. And that you didn’t know how to love yourself. I hope you have gotten to Love by now. Not a place, but fills everything in every way. I’m not Him, but he probably said, “Dear daughter/sister, you have been terribly hard on yourself. Rest now, and be at peace.” Anyway, teaching is going well, and I tell the kids all about you. They all say you are pretty. I usually can keep the boys from saying something gross for a few seconds. Mom and I are going to the game tonight. And like 6 more times, before I go back to South Carolina. I have seen Nicky twice, but I myself haven’t seen your younger kids. Bob took pictures of the day we said goodbye, and we did a family picture at the Abbey. I literally almost a...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Friend I Once Had, And The Dogmatic Principle

 I once had a friend, a dear friend, who helped me with personal care needs in college. Reformed Presbyterian to the core. When I was a Reformed Presbyterian, I visited their church many times. We were close. I still consider his siblings my friends. (And siblings in the Lord.) Nevertheless, when I began to consider the claims of the Catholic Church to be the Church Christ founded, he took me out to breakfast. He implied--but never quite stated--that we would not be brothers, if I sought full communion with the Catholic Church. That came true; a couple years later, I called him on his birthday, as I'd done every year for close to ten of them. He didn't recognize my number, and it was the most strained, awkward phone call I have ever had. We haven't spoken since. We were close enough that I attended the rehearsal dinner for his wedding. His wife's uncle is a Catholic priest. I remember reading a blog post of theirs, that early in their relationship, she told him of the p...
Post a Comment
Read more