Hope

Yesterday I went to church alone. My friends were with families and Patrick went camping with his brother. The liturgy was so good I felt sorry they had all missed it.

The Gospel reading was about disciples on the road to Emmaus talking with each other and Jesus walks up and joins them and he explains by interpreting the scriptures that were about his life just why he died and was raised. They still do not recognize him until they share and break bread with him and then he disappears.

They then return to Jerusalem and gave hope to the apostles by telling them how Christ appeared to them and they had come to know him in the breaking of the bread. Every time I receive Eucharist I have a chance to know Jesus. To take the time to reflect on that hope the disciples felt.

Fr. Jack read the Vatican response to the killing of Osama bin Laden. "Osama bin Laden, as we all know, was gravely responsible for promoting hatred and division between peoples, causing the death of countless innocent lives and of exploiting religions to this end. Faced with the death of a man a Christian never rejoices but reflects on the serious responsibility of each and every one of us before God and before man, and hopes and commits himself so that no event be an opportunity for further growth of hatred but for peace."

This response and the Gospel and Fr. Jack's homily have touched my heart in many ways.