The Road to Emmaus
Beloved National Family,
As all good Franciscan gatherings should begin, the National Formation Workshop May 12-15 in Belleville Illinois began in prayer, breaking open the Scriptures and sharing the Good News with one another.
Led by our beloved Friar Richard Trezza OFM, the Scripture passage selected was the Easter Gospel of Jesus with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35, http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/luke/luke24.htm). Biblical scholars will tell us that most of the Easter narratives in the Gospels feature an empty tomb and/or a non-recognition of the Risen Lord. Here we have the latter, where on the road to Emmaus, these two disciples of Jesus, who have journeyed with the Lord, seen His works and wonders, yet now after His death and resurrection do not recognize Him, even though He clearly recognizes them and journeys with them despite their lack of recognition or understanding.
I think as Secular Franciscans we might journey with this Gospel for all of Easter. Now no human explanation can fully “exhaust” any Gospel passage, as the divine will always exceed the human, but permit me to share the following with you.
I love this story! It is a perfect story for our lay spirituality. Clearly, these disciples are not of the Eleven. They are not the predecessors of our Bishops. They are “ordinary” followers of our Lord, as I hope are all of us. Now there has always been much speculation as to who was the other disciple with Cleopas. I am going to side with those Biblical scholars who have argued that this other disciple was none other than Mary, the wife of Cleopas, previously mentioned in the Gospels, even seen so recently at the very foot of our Lord’s Cross (John 19:25).
I would like to know about this Mary, but in the Hebrew writings and early Christian writings, women do not receive many speaking parts, nor much name recognition. On the other hand, Luke’s Gospel, where we find this story, gives women a considerable ministry of presence and consolation, a ministry of hope and service, as Mary was certainly offering at the foot of the Cross with the Blessed Mother and Mary Magdalen.
To me it makes perfect sense that Mary and Cleopas would be returning to their home in Emmaus, “conversing about all the things that had occurred” (Luke 24:15) as would any husband and wife. When our Lord appears with them, Cleopas as the man does most of the talking, but when this lonely Traveler appears to be “going on farther” (verse 28), “they urged him, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over’” (verse 29). It sounds like an invitation to stay at one’s home, and with whom would Cleopas be living if not with his wife? So, both husband and wife, Cleopas and Mary, invite Jesus to dine in their home as a member of the family. And almost certainly, it is Mary who prepares the meal and bakes the bread that Jesus will bless, break and give them so that they will finally recognize him. It was her baked bread!
And that’s the challenge that I wish to leave with all of us this Easter Season: Where do we seek and meet the risen Lord? Who will help us recognize Christ in our midst when we are too busy or too blind and foolish to see Christ ourselves? After all, we should not be seeking the historical Jesus of Nazareth seen in His day; rather, we should seek the Risen Savior still healing, still consoling in His Mystical Body, Holy Mother Church today.
Do we seek this Risen Savior by reading the Holy Scriptures? Do we find Him waiting, even when we don’t recognize or understand Him, in the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion? Yes, He’s there, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, whenever the Sacred Bread is broken in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Do we run to Him? Do we beg Him to stay with us? Do we see Him in our brothers and sisters gathered in His name?
Let us pray especially in this Holy Easter Season of Hope that we may never lose sight of our Risen Lord, still journeying with us even when we don’t see him, still with us in all the Sacraments, still with us whenever two or three of us gather in Fraternity in His name.
Christ is risen! Christ is truly risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!
May all the Love, Peace and Joy of this Holy Easter Season be yours!
Reflection Questions
- How should all good Secular Franciscan Gatherings begin? Why?
- According to this article, who might be the other disciple with Cleopas?
- If so, why might the two have been going to Emmaus?
- And where would they invite their fellow traveler to dine with them?
- And who would have prepared and baked the bread that Jesus blessed and broke and gave them?
- Where do we seek and meet the risen Lord?
- Who will help us recognize Christ in our midst when we are too busy or too blind and foolish to see Christ ourselves?
This is an excerpt from a series of articles by the late Deacon Tom Bello, OFS, former Minister of the National Secular Franciscan Order – USA. “Many of these essays were originally published in TAU-USA, our national newsletter,” said Jan Parker, OFS, current National Minister. “They are excellent for reflection and ongoing formation.” Jan helped Tom publish these essays in book form. It is called For All The Saints: St. Francis’s Five-Point Plan for Salvation and is available from Tau Publishing. These excerpts will appear several times a week on the Secular Franciscans website.
The San Damiano Crucifix
Should we talk about Christ Crucified as we enter the Easter Season? Absolutely! Without Christ dying on the Cross, we would still be locked in our sins. Without Christ’s Crucifixion, there would be no Resurrection!
Why the San Damiano Crucifix? Well, why not? The same Crucifix that spoke to Saint Francis can still speak to his followers if only we will look and listen.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before Him He endured the Cross, despising its shame and has taken His seat at the right of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NAB rev).
Was the San Damiano Crucifix painted with these words in mind? Let us start as we should always start by “keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,” as the writer to the Hebrews wisely advises, because this Crucified Jesus has His eyes open and fixed on us, not angrily or with pain, but rather curiously watching to see what we will do with the graces His death has purchased for us. He is aware of all that is going on, and He is enduring this Cross, “despising its shame” all for “the joy that lay before Him.”
This is not a Crucifixion of the Dead, but a Crucifixion of the Living. The Crucified Christ on this Crucifix bleeds, but is not dead; bleeds, but is not dead. Jesus lives. Yes, He has been “lifted up,” “hypsoun” in Greek, which the scholars tell us can be both “lifted up” for the Crucifixion and “lifted up” for the Ascension AND we see both depicted as Jesus ascends into heaven at the top of the Cross to take “His seat at the right of the throne of God.” “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself” (John 12:32 NAB rev).
Thus, this Crucifixion teaches the Incarnation. Jesus bleeds: Jesus is truly human. Jesus lives; Jesus cannot be killed; Jesus ascends into Heaven to sit at the right hand of God: Jesus is truly God.
Further, this is no Crucifixion of a Solitary Christ: no, Jesus hangs in solidarity with many. Have you ever seen Christ Crucified “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses”? This Crucifixion shows us Community, Fraternity. Jesus is literally surrounded on His Cross by witnesses: at His feet, by His sides, at his outstretched arms and above His head.
Scholars tell us that the San Damiano Crucifix contains 33 figures, including the Hand of God at the very top and even a small rooster at the Lord’s left shin. It’s not necessary to examine all the figures because the same scholars cannot agree on the identity of all of them, but some have been identified standing by the Cross.
We must give pride of place to His Mother Mary and His Apostle John to Christ’s right where the lance has pierced His side, and to His left, Mary of Magdala, Mary the wife of Clopas and the Centurion.
None of these figures looks particularly sad. Again, this is a Christ living; a Christ Who has defeated death. His arms stretch over the empty black tomb, and his blood gives life to all “the crowd of witnesses” around Him. Indeed, these figures, human and angelic, seem to be marveling over and discussing about the great Mystery of Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection.
Perhaps this is where we should be in this Easter Season: focused on this great Mystery and its influence on our lives. Do we keep our eyes fixed only on Christ or are we easily distracted? Christ can never die, but do we kill Christ in our own hearts when we sin mortally? How can we draw closer to Christ this Easter Season as we meditate upon and pray to the same Christ on the same Crucifix that spoke to our Spiritual Father St. Francis?
Let us pray for one another in words similar to those St. Francis prayed:
Our Father, all-powerful and all-loving, cast Your light into the darkness of all our hearts. Grant to all of us right faith, firm hope, and perfect charity with unfailing gentleness and generosity, and above all, with profound humility, wisdom and perception, so that we may accomplish what is truly Your Holy Will. Amen.
Reflection Questions
- Why might it be appropriate to talk about the San Damiano Crucifix even during the Easter Season?
- Why might the San Damiano Crucifix in particular still speak to Secular Franciscans?
- In meditating upon such a “busy” Crucifix with so many figures, where is the best place to start?
- Is the San Damiano Crucifix more a Crucifixion of the Dead or of the Living? Why?
- In what ways does this Crucifix show us Fraternity? In fact, how many figures do scholars say are actually part of this Crucifixion?
- Specifically, who are the two large figures talking on Christ’s right side? Who are the three large figures talking on Christ’s left side?
- About what topics does the article speculate that these larger figures might be talking?
This is an excerpt from a series of articles by the late Deacon Tom Bello, OFS, former Minister of the National Secular Franciscan Order – USA. “Many of these essays were originally published in TAU-USA, our national newsletter,” said Jan Parker, OFS, current National Minister. “They are excellent for reflection and ongoing formation.” Jan helped Tom publish these essays in book form. It is called For All The Saints: St. Francis’s Five-Point Plan for Salvation and is available from Tau Publishing. These excerpts will appear several times a week on the Secular Franciscans website.