Monday, April 21 : Saint Augustine

After his resurrection our Lord Jesus met two of his disciples along the way who were talking together about what had happened, and he said to them: “Whatever were you discussing as you walked along to make you so sad?” This Gospel passage carries a great lesson for us, if we understand it correctly. Jesus appeared, showed himself plainly before the disciples, and was not recognized. The Teacher goes with them along the way and is himself the way (Jn 14,6) but they are not yet on the true way. When Jesus meets up with them they have lost this way. When he was still with them before his Passion he had foretold everything to them: his sufferings, death, resurrection on the third day. He had told them everything. But his death had made them lose their memory… “We had hoped,” they say, “that he would redeem Israel.” Really, disciples? You had hoped and now hope no longer? Yet Christ is alive and hope in you is dead? Yes, Christ is alive but the living Christ found the hearts of his disciples dead. He appeared plainly before them and they did not perceive him; he showed himself and remained hidden from them… He walks alongside them and seems to be following them, yet it is he who is guiding them. They see him but do not recognize him for, says the text, “their eyes were prevented from recognizing him”… The Lord’s absence is no absence. Only believe and he whom you do not see is with you.

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team