The Road to Emmaus: Painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC

I painted this image of “The Road to Emmaus” this week for the cover of our parish bulletin. As I enter into the mystery of the Risen Christ, I find myself along the road, marveling at his love for me and our world. 

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Dear Believers in the Risen Christ,

The disciples witnessed Jesus’ presence on the road to Emmaus. They were disappointed after his death since they thought him to be the Messiah. In today’s gospel, Luke 24:13-35, we eavesdrop on a conversation the disciples have with a stranger who turns out to be the Risen Christ.

In these gospels of post-Resurrection, we see the disciples struggling to believe in the Resurrection. We also struggle to believe. We are still reluctant to believe that so many things could be different in the Resurrection. We still grumble about our lives, our situations and our purpose as Christians.

The disciples felt this discouragement when a stranger came along side them. This stranger was Jesus. They began to feel their hearts burning when they realized that he was with them in their weariness and unbelief. He broke bread with them and fed them, both physically and spiritually. He listened to them and sent them on to continue his work. Joy abounded in their hearts. Hope was restored in their recognition of Jesus.

We are called to invite Jesus to be our companion along our own journeys. The potential of new life that comes from our hearts of faith is insurmountable. So often we get stuck in our preoccupations with life, in what we don’t seem to possess, and in the old stories we tell our selves that we are not good enough for God. Instead, the Easter season challenges us to be open to Jesus who accompanies us even in times that seem dark and wearisome. He transforms our lives into sheer joy.

Our journey in life is always a tension between unbelief and belief. We gather together to celebrate the Eucharist so that we can change our inner voices of apathy, discouragement and unworthiness. We need to replace our fear with the voice of Jesus that gives us hope, joy and freedom. This often takes a lifetime. Easter is not a one time experience of Jesus’ presence. For us to transform our inner voices of denial, hopelessness and anger, Jesus must be invited into our daily lives and conversations.

Perhaps you have felt the inner peace that comes from recognizing the Resurrection of Christ Jesus. Perhaps your heart has felt the burning of love, desire and hope in his presence. I hope that you have felt within your heart the message of acceptance and peace that Jesus has for you.

We need this message in our community and in our world. We are restless when things do not go as we plan. Our world can be a very violent and dark place for our children and families. Even in world despair, we are challenged to rest in the person of Jesus. We are called to recognize him in the burning of our desire for his presence. Like the disciples before us, we come to recognize him in the Breaking of the Bread.

Blessings to you all,

Fr. Ron

On the Margins from Mater Dei Radio, Portland, Oregon

(This episode does not have the usual opening and closing from the station)

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The Third Sunday of Easter, April 30, 2017

Bulletin Cover for The Second Sunday of Easter 2017 Photo: Rusty Kern

Complete Bulletin: CLICK HERE

Dear Followers of the Risen Christ,

We all experience fear. Sometimes we even hide from our futures when we are afraid. This is the scene from today’s gospel, John 20:19-31. The disciples remain behind locked doors because they are afraid that they will be killed in the same manner as their friend Jesus. The doors are locked and so are their hearts. The panic-driven disciples are hiding from the truth of Jesus’ resurrection.

Jesus appears to the disciples when they need him the most, in the tightness of fear. His first words behind these locked doors are, “Peace be with you.” Peace is surefooted hope. Peace is offered and remains with them. Even for our lives today, peace is transformative of fear when we all see the face of Jesus.

Thomas was not in the circle of fear. The following week, Thomas is with them and the fear-stricken disciples were once again wringing their hands. Thomas approaches Jesus and touches Jesus’ wounds. Thomas lets go of his own fear and professes to his new family, “My Lord and my God.”

The Easter season gives us hope no matter our own fear. The Easter season shows us that to really believe in Jesus’ resurrection, we also must touch the wounded and redeemed Body of Christ. Where is the Body of Christ today? The Body of Christ is here in our world in those who suffer and those who are afraid. The Body of Christ is in Syria. They Body of Christ is in Chicago in urban violence. The Body of Christ sits at our kitchen tables in the fears and stories of our children. The Body of Christ is people today in need of love, tenderness and peace. We must be willing to reach out beyond our fear and experience the redeeming love and mercy of Jesus in our day.

Today is also known as “Divine Mercy” Sunday. The mercy that Jesus gave Thomas and the disciples happens in our lives as well. Jesus wants the best for us, especially in this Easter season. Today love is incarnate in fear, in doubt and in our worries about tomorrow.

Each year on the Saturday after Easter, The Congregation of Holy Cross ordains our men priests at the University of Notre Dame. This year, two men are now new priests. However, this gospel on Thomas appears every year on The Second Sunday of Easter. So, each new priest preaches on Thomas’ touching of the Body of Christ. This year is Fr. Bob’s 30th anniversary and my 34th anniversary in the priesthood. Let’s pray for all who face doubt and like the disciples, hope that Jesus will reveal compassion and mercy to us all.

The disciples were lost in fear and then found themselves in Jesus’ mercy again. Their mission and purpose were restored with Thomas’ faith. So is ours.

Blessings in this Easter Season,

Fr. Ron

“My Lord and God” Jesus and Thomas, Painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC

I painted this image this morning with only a rag. This passage is one of my favorite gospels. I preached on this text at my First Mass, 34 years ago. I ache to probe the mystery of the wounded Christ. My entire priesthood has been exploring the wounded Body of Christ by listening to and being with people who long for God, those who survive on the margins of society. Tomorrow’s gospel remains our call to stretch out our hands to touch the redeemed suffering of the Body of Christ. Thomas’ proclamation opens my heart, “My Lord and my God”. Tomorrow, I will post the bulletin cover and my column. 

Gospel  JN 20:19-31

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

On the Margins from Mater Dei Radio, Portland, OR

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Second Sunday of Easter, April 23, 2017

Jesus appeared to his disciples who were locked beyond closed doors. Jesus proclaims peace. He mercy is real and living as he invites Thomas to touch his redeemed wombs.

“From the Cross, new Life” Painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC

GospelLK 24:35-48

The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way,
and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread.

While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have.”
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.

He said to them,
“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.”
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them,
“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.”

“Their eyes were opened” Painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC

Gospel LK 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
“What are you discussing as you walk along?”
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?”
And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”
They said to him,
“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his Body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, “Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the Eleven and those with them who were saying,
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

“Whom are you looking for?” Painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC

Gospel JN 20:11-18

Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,
and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
“Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,”
which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.'”
Mary went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he had told her.

“And behold, Jesus…” Painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC

Gospel MT 28:8-15

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed,
and ran to announce the news to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me.”

While they were going, some of the guard went into the city
and told the chief priests all that had happened.
The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel;
then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
telling them, “You are to say,
‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’
And if this gets to the ears of the governor,
we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.
And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.