A famous story: The Road to Emmaus

After the harsh and difficult events of the Lord’s Crucifixion and then the rumor His resurrection, you, the reader, can surmise the quality of emotion and struggle that is taking place in the hearts of these disciples.

And then a stranger appears.

Initially, the disciples don’t recognize Him as Jesus Christ, the very catalyst of all these past events. But as they continually share in conversation and even vulnerability with this stranger, He allows them to see the truth of His presence with them. And a key point here is the timing: He reveals Himself during the act of breaking bread with them, in act of congeniality and reception.

Isn’t this very much like God in the times He approaches us in our everyday lives? Christ initiates contact when we are open to sharing and reciprocity, and then we are given deeper wisdom and understanding. The messages and person of Jesus often resonates through this initial reciprocity, this first encounter. And as we recognize it more, the more it burns in our hearts, and we even seek for more relationship, more encountering in the gift of the Eucharist, in the liturgy, and certainly in our family and friendships as well. God only needs to be granted access to us by our own volition and invitation. The more we allow Him to enter the scene of our psyche, even if He initially enters as a stranger, the more He allows us to see everything as a gift brought forth in surprising ways.

Rev. John Ehrich, STL, was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Phoenix in 2000. He earned his M.A. from St. Meinrad Seminary in 1998 and his MDiv in 2000. After five years of parish ministry, he studied at the Accademia Alfonsiana in Rome where he earned his Licentiate in Sacred Theology (Moral Theology) in 2007. Fr. Ehrich currently serves at St. Thomas More in Glendale.

The Son of God bears the wounds of the cross for all of eternity. How severe and powerful this idea of evil can be seen, in the scars of our savior for all of time.

Nevertheless, Jesus’ disposition to the disciples is not victimhood but instead revealed when He says the words “peace be with you.” In other words, “Yes, this severity truly happened, but this is mercy.”

The same mercy is available to each of us. Divine Mercy is freedom that is perfectly given and in pursuit of peace. Can we accept that mercy internally, in fullness and deep awareness of our own fragility and then turn to our neighbor and mirror that mercy to others? By His wounds, Christ says, “yes.” Peace be with you.

Rev. John Ehrich, STL, was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Phoenix in 2000. He earned his M.A. from St. Meinrad Seminary in 1998 and his MDiv in 2000. After five years of parish ministry, he studied at the Accademia Alfonsiana in Rome where he earned his Licentiate in Sacred Theology (Moral Theology) in 2007. Fr. Ehrich currently serves at St. Thomas More in Glendale.

This may be one of the strangest Easter celebrations in our recent memory.

So many are unable to come to the church in person on one of the most celebrated days of the year. It’s important to remember that God did not cause this pandemic nor has he abandoned us. He may be in the midst of it and He still has as much strength and power as ever.

We can see the Resurrection event from the perspective of disciples who were confronted with a very baffling encounter. They did not understand it, but they believed. They experienced Him was as reincarnated with their senses and testified to the truth of that experience without knowing rationally or having a fully articulated grasp of the “how” or “why” of the situation.

Though we are confronted with the difficulty of not having access to the sacraments during this pandemic, we still have access to the graces of God. This grace that we seek is still experiential and only requires us to trust in this belief. It can still permeate our lives in our social distancing and daily quarantined activity. Above all rational explanation is the abiding nature of God and the question of whether we decide to believe ourselves. Let us be more aware than ever of our reliance on His graces during this time.

Rev. John Ehrich, STL, was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Phoenix in 2000. He earned his M.A. from St. Meinrad Seminary in 1998 and his MDiv in 2000. After five years of parish ministry, he studied at the Accademia Alfonsiana in Rome where he earned his Licentiate in Sacred Theology (Moral Theology) in 2007. Fr. Ehrich currently serves at St. Thomas More in Glendale.