Daily Reflection for Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Peace and blessing, Friends and Parishioners,
We encourage you to reflect on Wednesday’s readings at this link:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041520.cfm
If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First reading: Acts of the Apostles 3: 1-10
Responsorial: Psalm 105: 1-9
Gospel: Luke 24: 13-35
Our reflection on Wednesday's reading:
“… but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him… while he was with them.”
Our eyes, what a marvelous gift God has given us, to be able to see the beauty of a sunset or majestic mountains, to see the enlivened face of a loved one or the miracle of a newborn child. But there is so much we do not see or recognize in our daily experience.
Most often we see what we are looking for. Not long after Anna and I were married, she questioned me about how I continued to step over items on our stairs that were supposed to be taken upstairs. My initial response was,”What stuff?’ Certainly I saw them at some level, enough to avoid them and not stumble. But I did not stop to become aware of why they were there or even what they were. (I can almost hear the groan of some wives out there, and I earned it!)
What do we miss when we are not looking for the presence of Christ in our daily lives? What do we need to wake us up to awareness of God and his will in our living? Perhaps this current crisis of the world pandemic presents us with an opportunity to stop and take in the need for awareness of how God is present and calling us to pay attention.
As followers of Jesus, what will we look for? If it’s reasons to be afraid, there are plenty of those. If we surrender to fear, we may miss the reassuring and guiding presence of the Lord. But if we look for Him, we may just have the eyes to see the One who calms the storm and calls us to be disciples in faith to those around us.
There is a wonderful story told about the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 6: 8-23). Elijah has incurred the wrath of a king and enemy of Israel. The king sent an army to surround and vanquish Elijah and his attendants. Early in the morning one of the attendants comes out of his tent and sees that they are surrounded by the enemy army. In distress, he calls to Elijah who has a different vision. Yes, he sees the enemy, but he also sees, surrounding the enemy, an army of angels and fiery chariots, an army of God. His faith gave him a different vision. And while we might imagine that this holy army destroyed the enemy, instead, led by his faith, Elijah creates an unexpected peace and resolution to the story. He had eyes to see the presence of God and to trust in it.
Let us not focus so much on ourselves, but let us look to see beyond to those in need. We can reach out by a phone call, through prayer, to family members in need of encouragement. We can reach out to friends, perhaps those we know to be alone at this difficult time. We have been called to be disciples, to share blessed assurance in the face of fear and tragedy.
Prayer:
Lord, open our eyes that we may see your presence in all that surrounds us. Open our hearts that we may dare to love with a courage born of faith. Amen
Peace to all,
Ed Mitchell