General Pettygree Goes to Emmaus
"Padre O'Hara, I am sincerely grateful for the beautiful and hopeful Easter Service over which you presided today. Would that everyone could have heard your remarks about the resurrection of Jesus, his love for all of us and that life does not end for us at death."
"Thank you General Pettygree. Yes, at death, we do not pass into oblivion or non-existence. As one proof of the validity of his messages, his teachings and promises have spread around the world for two millennia and continue doing so to this day. Only truth can last that long."
"Quite so."
"We could partly say, Sir, that the spreading of this good news began about sixty stadia (7 miles) from Jerusalem on the road to Emmaus. There on the day of the resurrection of Jesus, two of his disciples were discussing his trial and execution. They were stricken by his humiliating treatment, the apparent ending of his mission and the utter collapse of hope when a stranger joined them in the evening asking...."
"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?" ... "The Lord has truly been raised.... and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread."
Amazing and wonderful! Believe that Jesus:
Loves you more than you can imagine or understand.
Wants you to know Him more. So...
Reduce distractions, screen time, avoidance and old negative beliefs to do so. Reexamine with an open mind. E.G. In the sciences of astronomy and paleontology, many former convincing beliefs have changed with new facts and thinking.
Will whisper/inspire you via your new silence, study, Church attendance and through others.
No one needs to be perfect. No one is.
Will show you evidence if you ask. Ask, even if you don't believe or don't want to believe.
Say, Lord, I don't know if you exist, but I truly want to know if you do. Please show me.
Will forgive anything if you repent. Anything.
Wants you in Heaven for eternity.
IT IS TIME
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Scripture verses are from the 2006 edition of Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers, and proclaimers of the Word. Luke 24:13-35.
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