{"id":29106,"date":"2026-08-28T03:50:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T03:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lectiodivina.com.au\/?p=29106"},"modified":"2026-09-03T03:53:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T03:53:08","slug":"were-on-that-road-now-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lectiodivina.com.au\/?p=29106","title":{"rendered":"We\u2019re on that road now!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I was at Mass the other day and the Priest started by wishing everyone a happy Easter.  That seemed like a good, safe start.  He then asked whether we had all been given a cactus to sit on, and a lemon to suck on? This caused some parishioners to shift in their pews, and I was one of them. I wondered if he would notice if I left, but the fact that he was looking at me answered my question.  Mmm … it was awkward. I guess we must have looked like a pretty sour and dull bunch of parishioners.  Next, he said “How are you being God\u2019s mystery of love to each other?<\/em>\u201d It was a good question.  It cut to the core.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had been one of those two travellers at Emmaus who witnessed Christ at the breaking of the bread, my life would have irreversibly changed.  My heart would have been on fire too and, in the moments following that event, I would be \u201cGod\u2019s mystery of love<\/em>\u201d to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet \u2026 something\u2019s wrong with this scene.  Don\u2019t I already see Christ in the breaking of the bread each time I attend Mass?  As Augustine said.,\u201cSee what you believe, believe what you see, become who you are, the body of Christ<\/em>.\u201d  I am invited into that moment, the eternal moment.  In the sacrifice of the Mass, we are present with Jesus at Calvary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like those on the road to Emmaus, I see Christ before my eyes, and I\u2019m invited to change, just as the bread and the wine is changed into his body and blood at Mass.  I\u2019m invited into a future where I can co-operate with God, and others, to co-create his kingdom. That sounds exciting!  In the words of St Teresa of Avila, Christ has no body now but ours; no hands, no feet, but ours.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I don\u2019t have to go back in time and think of what it would have been like on the road to Emmaus.  We\u2019re all on that road now, and God is present to, with, and in us.  I don\u2019t have to imagine what it would be like to see the face of Christ.  Rather, I\u2019m called to be present, to walk with God, to be, and yet to change, to be transformed by God and to be his \u201cmystery of love<\/em>\u201d to others.  I\u2019ll give it to that Priest; he gave a good homily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

by Eric Lahey<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was at Mass the other day and the Priest started by wishing everyone a happy Easter.  That seemed like a good, safe start.  He then asked whether we had all been given a cactus to sit on, and a lemon to suck on? This caused some parishioners to shift in their pews, and I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":29108,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsletter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t