Third Sunday of Easter

Two guys are walking away from Jerusalem, totally done. The man they followed was killed. It has been three days. They are going home. And Jesus falls into step beside them, but they do not recognize him. He walks with them for miles, explains the Scriptures, and their hearts burn while he talks - but they still do not realize it is him. It is only when he sits at the table and breaks the bread that they finally see it. That moment is the entire point of the story.

Here is why this matters for you: if your faith life has felt dead or confusing, Jesus might already be walking beside you and you have not recognized him yet. The burning heart - that occasional feeling that something is real even when you cannot fully explain it - is the clue. The burning comes before the recognition. You do not have to have everything figured out to experience Christ. You just have to keep walking and pay attention to the burn.

And notice what the disciples do the moment they recognize him: they set out at once and go back to Jerusalem. They do not wait. They run back to the community. If you have been walking away from the faith, the parish, the youth group, the people who hold the faith with you - today's Gospel says the road back is shorter than you think. Turn around. Go back.