![]() ![]() Most of the time, we talk about the Eucharist as Jesus being in the bread, Jesus being in the wine, but they said the breaking of the bread. They say, "Look what happened! We were walking along the way, and Jesus joined us, and we knew it!" In the breaking of the bread - that's how they knew it was Jesus - the breaking of the bread. Now, in today's Gospel, they come back to Jerusalem, where the rest of the disciples are still afraid, they're hiding this is Easter Sunday night. They say, "Join us for supper," and so he does. They're about to end their walk and as they come to the end, Jesus (this person) looks like he's going to go away. Then this person begins to instruct them in the Scriptures. This person doesn't seem to know anything about it and they say, "Don't you know about Jesus?" They begin talking about what had happened in Jerusalem two days or three days before. As they were walking along, somebody comes and walks with them. You may remember this story because it's quite well-known. You have to get the context - two disciples had been walking away from Jerusalem toward a town called Emmaus. In today's Gospel - we'll start there - I think probably the most important words were right near the beginning. When we listen to Scriptures, I think we find what it means to follow Jesus. Now if we listen to the Scriptures today, but not just today, I think it's important during the Easter season to remember the last couple of Sundays: Easter Sunday and last Sunday. That's what it means to follow Jesus, to begin to accept the values and to live according to his way. ![]() It means we have to be very serious about trying to listen to God's word - when Jesus speaks to us - watch how we act so we follow his example. When you say, "I want to follow Jesus," you mean, "I want to follow his teachings, I want to live according to his way, his values." That means something very important for all of us. That's what you're saying, "I want to follow Jesus." That means you have to live in a certain way because Jesus taught us values that were very special to him - very important in making us the best people we can be. I want to be his disciple just like those first disciples who dropped everything and followed Jesus." You're saying, "I want to follow Jesus Christ. But that's not it, is it? When you say, "I want to be confirmed," you're really saying yes, not to a ceremony, but to Jesus. When you say, "Yes, I want to be confirmed," think about it: What are you saying yes to? You might think, Well, it's a ceremony, and we'll go through a ritual - the ceremony - and it'll be all over in 45 minutes or so. I'm sure sometimes people wonder, why do I do that? Because, after all, they have prepared over a period of time and they're dressed up in their confirmation robes and everybody's here to celebrate with them, and so why would I ask the question, "Do you want to be confirmed?" Well, the reason I do - and this is important for the candidates especially, but for all of us because we can remember our own confirmation and what it means. ![]()
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