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. Lk 24: 30-31
I think that one effect of “stay home & social distancing” is a greater appreciation and yearning for those things that we normally take for granted. There was a commentator on the news who suggested that there might be a better way of describing what we are actually doing. Perhaps better way to describe it would be physical distancing because even though there is a physical space between us, we continue to be socially engaged. A good example of this is our live stream and recorded Masses. There are a good number of people who follow the Mass live and make responses and comments. Our social media has facilitated a network for social engagement whether we are in physical proximity or not.
The story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus in the Gospel this week teaches us that the disciples recognized the Risen Lord in the breaking of the bread. The story reminds us of our identification with the disciples in our spiritual journey, guided by the Word of God and our sharing in the Eucharist. The disciples of Jesus and the early Christians celebrated their fellowship in community. They would recall the works and the saving act of Jesus Christ and would recognize Jesus with them in the breaking of the bread. These were great signs that Jesus was with them.
Perhaps we can reflect on the power of those signs. We are living in a special moment in history. The whole world is affected by the Covid-19 virus. It is highly contagious. In the past few weeks more than 192 thousand people in the world have died. In the United States, more than 50 thousand people have died. The number of diagnosed cases in the United States is over 800 thousand. The number of diagnosed cases in the world is over 2.5 million. There is no cure and no vaccine. The most effective way to prevent the spread is through “stay at home and social distancing.” This is very challenging because in many ways we have to engage and interact with society. Yet we can’t go to work, to school, nor in any significant way be in contact with people. These restrictions will cause difficulty and struggle. We particularly feel the impact of these restrictions on our lives as a parish community. We miss our getting together and most significantly our praying together. Yet somehow through the phone and social media we know that we are together.
I have listened to the homilies prepared by the priests at St. John’s celebrating Mass since late March. They have been well prepared and insightful. I can tell that in their preparation, they had a meaningful encounter with God. I have seen in the responses on Facebook that indicate to me that although there is a certain degree of physical separation there is active engagement with the Mass. So as the disciples on the road to Emmaus recognized Christ in the Word and in the breaking of the bread, we continue to recognize Christ in the two great signs even in these unique an unusual times.
I think that the seriousness and the quality of our participation demonstrates an authentic encounter with the Risen Lord. We are and continue to be a Eucharistic community. We continue to bear witness to the power of the Risen Lord in our community. That witness is seen in the way that we love and care for one another and how we demonstrate our charity and concern for the poor and those who struggle. For example, many people recently have donated to the ongoing efforts of the Monday morning food pantry service. This is a great example of charity.
Let us continue to remember each other in prayer and in particular remember those who are sick or in anyway afflicted by the effects of the Covid -19 virus. Let us also renew our joy in encountering the Risen Lord by his word and in the breaking of bread.
Fr. Larry
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