Third Sunday of Easter • Year A
one of the first lessons of the Gospel passage is that no matter where we are on the journey Jesus meets us there. While those two disciples “were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them.” He heard their concerns and disappointments and then opened their eyes to the Truth, to the transforming message of the Resurrection. So too Jesus meets each of us, draws near us daily on the way, where we are in life. He listens to our joys, our concerns, our hurts. He gives us his very self, if we but let him, which leads to a second lesson from our Gospel story.
Second Sunday of Lent • Year C
It’s also good to remember that God doesn’t need prayer. We do. That’s not to say that God doesn’t want to hear from us, that Christ doesn’t want an intimate relationship with each one of us, but praying is to our benefit, opening us up to God and to God present in our sisters and brothers. As a result, prayer helps us not to become self-righteous, self-centered, or stingy, preoccupied “with earthly things,” as St. Paul puts it in his Letter to the Philippians in our 2nd Reading. Through praying, we create the fertile ground in our hearts, from which forgiveness and generosity spring forth. Seen in that light alone, it’s essential, isn’t it?
Palm Sunday • Year B
Jesus the Christ understands; he knows what it is to be human. You might remember that the Gospel a few Sundays ago noted that Jesus “did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.” That’s why he lovingly, mercifully sticks with us for the long haul. That’s what helps us make our way through the contrasts, the ups and downs of life, highlighted so starkly on this Palm Sunday. It really can feel like a roller coaster sometimes, can’t it? But Jesus proves that the ride is infinitely worthwhile!