The Road to Emmaus

As I sit in the Emmaus Retreat Centre in North Dublin I cannot help but think of the road to Emmaus passage in the Bible as this story is central to the vision of the place. 

After the Resurrection Jesus appeared to two of his disciples as they were walking along a road. I am sure that this day was like any other for the two, there was nothing special about their walk when they set out. A lot had happened in the few days prior to their walk. The guy they had walked beside and journeyed with, Jesus, had been crucified, died and was buried. And it did not end there. When the women went to anoint the body of Jesus in the tomb He was gone. And they were given the message that He had Risen. The disciples were only starting to realise who Jesus really was when He was taken from them. With all that had happened the two had a lot to digest. And they were trying to do this as they walked together. Then suddenly this man starts to walk with them, disturbing their conversation. As the man walked with the two they did not recognise that this was not just some random man but was in fact Jesus, their friend and teacher. It was not until Jesus sat at table with them and broke bread that the disciples recognised him. 

How many times in our lives have we failed to recognise Jesus there with us? Life can be hectic at times and we are so busy that we can be totally blind to His presence. Maybe everything in life seems to be going wrong and we cannot see Him even though we are trying our best, praying, asking Him to help. The harder we try to recognise the presence of Jesus the less chance we have of seeing Him. The truth is that Jesus walks with us every step of every day, He is always there. In the good times and in the bad. Jesus will not appear to us like some magical being or in a flash of light. He will not look down from the sky and talk to us. No, Jesus is there with us in the people we meet and the beauty that surround us. When we need His help Jesus will work through the kindness of others. When challenges come our way and He does not appear to be helping this is because He trusts that we can handle it, that we got this.

Every minute of every day Jesus is with us. We need to stop seeking Him out and just be present. By being present in the moment, in the now, we will see His presence. Pray normally as prayer in conversation with Jesus. Let Jesus walk with you on your road.