Dispose Yourself to Encounter Him

Rev. Marcel E. Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter, Year A

May 4, 2014

Beloved in Christ, let’s not forget that we are still in the season of Easter. Easter is the special season and period that we celebrate the triumphant resurrection of our Lord. Yes, indeed, the Just One, the Son of Mary, the beloved Son of God, our Brother, Jesus Christ, crucified on Good Friday has risen. He has risen to die no more. 

During his earthly ministry, Jesus was quite busy. After his resurrection, he was equally busy visiting and showing himself to his companions. First, he appeared and showed himself to Mary Magdalene at the Tomb; he appeared to his disciples in the Upper Room; he appeared to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberius; and in today’s Gospel, he appeared to Cleopas and another disciple as they were on their way to Emmaus. Now, through these appearances, Jesus demonstrates that he is indeed risen and therefore is no longer bound by space in Nazareth or elsewhere to reach and be reached by all people. He can now be experienced, encountered and celebrated by all and sundry at anytime and anywhere.  

The Jewish people saw themselves as the most privileged race, the only chosen race, the only people of God. Salvation they thought belonged exclusively to them. Those who did not belong to the Jewish race, even the Samaritans who shared a common geographical boundary with them were regarded as strangers. But in this apparition and encounter at Emmaus, Jesus became a stranger. He turned himself into a stranger to teach all his disciples (this includes us), that in the new dispensation, in the new scheme of things, in the practice of our faith, there should be no more strangers. He became a stranger to teach us that henceforth, moving forward, no one is a stranger anymore. The person who looks different from us, who speaks a different language is no more a stranger but a sister or brother in the faith, who we can possibly share love and relationship with. If we have been seeing those who look different from us as strangers, today’s Gospel taken from Luke 24:13-35 invites us to begin to see them as companions on our way to heaven. When we reach out to them, we reach out to God, and this attract some blessings from the King of Glory. 

The story of Emmaus teaches us that Jesus is risen. Therefore, each of us is called to a continuous relationship with him. This relationship is based upon love for him and for God’s people. It is based on an honest desire to seek change, to grow and to become better each day. Our target is to change and be changed. Our target is to make a concerted effort to walk closer to Jesus. Our target is to seek out our salvation with fear and trembling. Just because God has offered us salvation, just because Jesus has died for us, just because God has given us the path of resurrection does not mean we will always walk in it. The decision to walk in that path is entirely ours to make. The decision to walk in the light of Christ is ours. That we are baptized, confirmed and receive the Eucharist does not mean we will definitely make heaven. The key to the gate of heaven has been given to us, we need to stand up and grab it. The phone of salvation has been rung. The phone of salvation will ring, but the question is this, are we ready to answer it?

We are a new creature because of Easter. As new creatures, we must be ready at all times to perfect our character and personality.  Don’t ever tell yourself, “This is the way I am; it’s my personality.” If that personality is bad, change it. If that attitude is bad, change it, fix it. Stop claiming that personality that is negative. That’s not who you are. That’s not the man and the woman that Jesus died for. His suffering and death cannot be in vain. Embrace the change. We are Easter people. We are new people. Therefore, we cannot be the old and the new at the same time. We must stop being bipolar Christians. As a new creature, act newly, act better, act differently, act Christlike, act godly, act virtuously. We are resurrection people. We are not dead. We are alive. So, let’s act like those who are living and alive. At the resurrection, the Risen Lord was dazzlingly different. Let’s become a new wine, let the old go; a new wine for a new wineskin and vice versa. It’s time to grow up folks. One common sign of those who have actually encountered Jesus is change. No one encounters the Lord and still remains the same. We need a new normal. It’s time to create a new normal. It’s time to change. It’s time to grow up! If you have really experienced Jesus, you will act differently, talk differently. Folks will even say to you: “You no longer act like before, you've changed.” And if they tell you that, say to them, “Yes, I have changed. I have encountered the Man Jesus. I have a new life and a new attitude. I’m no longer that person you used to know. My life has changed.” 

The two disciples of Jesus were on their way to Emmaus when they encountered the Risen Lord. They did not encounter him while gossiping. They did not encounter him while complaining about what ought to be. They did not encounter him talking down on others and assassinating someone’s character. The Gospel said they were “conversing about all the things that had occurred,” that is, the arrest of Jesus, his suffering, crucifixion, death and his possible resurrection, when Jesus appeared like a stranger and joined in the conversation. Suppose they were not talking about spiritual and scriptural things? Suppose they were not talking about edifying things? Could they still have encountered Jesus? Would Jesus had joined them? And even if he still joined them, would their hearts been burning as he explained the scripture to them? Would they had recognized him at the breaking of the bread? I don’t think so! They encountered the Risen Lord because they disposed themselves to receive him. Their hearts were ready. What was in their heart was godly. They were engaged in Scriptural discussions, not gossip or busybody talk. Without making our hearts ready, we may never encounter the Risen Lord.