121. Easter Wednesday

Meditations no. 167 (unofficial computer-aided translation)

The discouragement of the disciples on the way to Emmaus.

That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. Perhaps these two disciples had been among the seventy-two whom Jesus Christ had sent out to preach and who had later returned to him filled with joy.

They had become disheartened after what had happened on the afternoon of Good Friday. The years spent with our Lord had been so wonderful. They had trusted in his word and left their homes and their families in order to embark upon an adventure. Now the Master was dead and buried, and his closest disciples were fear-stricken and helpless. That great adventure had turned to dust; their dreams lay in tatters. Why go on in such a pitiful and hopeless situation? The best thing would be for them to return to their town and families. As our Father writes, they have almost lost all hope. They are beginning to feel that life has no meaning for them.

We have to be on guard against the temptation of discouragement, which could also make its way into our souls. Our Founder warns us: God may give us the necessary light to help us know how we are faring at certain moments; but at other times, we may be convinced that we are doing badly, or even getting worse. Often, this is not so. We are wrong: our Lord is simply rewarding our perseverance by giving us more light and greater love. We then begin to see the small things, the defects that weigh us down, as if they were very big things, and they cause us greater sorrow. Be thankful for that light, and struggle without losing your peace.

Moreover, our Father asks: How many saints are there on this earth? Not one! We are all capable of committing the worst atrocities imaginable. You’ve heard me say again and again that holiness consists of struggling, realizing we have defects and trying to overcome them. We’ll be like that till we die: on our way to holiness. Otherwise, who could possibly put up with us? We wouldn’t be saints at all; we’d be totally unbearable. Holiness consists of having defects and fighting against them, but we’ll still have them when we die.

To help his disciples, the Lord first wins their trust.

In order to win back those two disciples, who may well have spent a long time in his company, our Lord went out personally to look for them and prevent them from being lost. St Luke tells us: While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. However, they did not recognize him; they thought he was just another traveller.

Our Father comments: I can well imagine the scene just as dusk is falling. A gentle breeze was blowing. All around were fields where the new wheat was already growing tall, and venerable olive trees, their branches shimmering in the soft glowing light.

Jesus joins them as they go along their way. Lord, how great you are, in everything! But you move me even more when you come down to our level to follow us, and seek us in the hustle and bustle of each day. Lord, grant us a childlike spirit, pure eyes and a clear head, so that we may recognize you when you come without any outward sign of your glory.

Our Lord could have shown himself resplendent in his majesty. But he did not wish to win them over by force. He preferred to act normally, discreetly. They were walking along at a normal pace, like so many other travellers on that road. And there, without any fuss, Jesus appeared to them, and walked with them, his conversation helping to alleviate their tiredness.

Then he set about winning their trust. What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk? In a simple, straightforward way they told him what had happened, and little by little they poured out their woes. It is even possible to detect the exact moment when the poison that was slowly killing them came out: We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel… it is now the third day since this happened. . ,

Once they had laid bare the cause of their sadness and the root of their discouragement, our Lord could help them. Now that they had unburdened their hearts, Jesus began to show them the meaning of what had happened: and he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

The journey ends when they reach the village. The two disciples who, without realizing it, have been deeply stirred by the words and the love shown by God made Man, are sorry to see him leaving. For Jesus made as if to go on further. This Lord of ours never forces himself on us. He wants us to turn to him freely, when we begin to grasp the purity of his Love which he has placed in our souls. We have to hold him back - as the two disciples did - and beg him: Stay with us; it is towards evening, and it is far on in the day; night is coming on.

That’s just like us. Always short on daring, perhaps because we are insincere, or because we feel embarrassed. Deep down, what we are really thinking is: Stay with us, because our souls are shrouded in darkness and you alone are the light. You alone can satisfy this longing that consumes us. For we know full well that among all things fair and honourable the best is to possess God for ever.

And Jesus stays. Our eyes are opened, as were those of Cleophas and his companion, when Christ breaks the bread; and though he vanishes once more from sight, we too will find strength to start out once more - though night is falling - to tell the others about him, because so much joy cannot be kept in one heart alone.

The importance of the fraternal chat.

We won’t have any problems if we practise the sincerity that is asked of us in the Work, and if we go simply and trustingly to the brother or sister of ours who has God’s grace to listen to us and to help us. We must try to be saints by waging war against ourselves, our Father points out. If anything goes wrong, you can be cured in the fraternal conversation with the Director and in Confession … Speak out and be sincere. In the affairs of your soul you must behave in the same way as you would with those of your body. When we go to the doctor, we are told: take everything off. We must do the same with our soul, leaving it open, naked and stripped bare. To do otherwise would mean that we don’t really want to become saints.

The fraternal chat is no whim; we need it. Our Father has told us so and our own personal experience has proved it. The two disciples at Emmaus were in danger of losing their way. However, they opened up their hearts to our Lord, and he gave them back their hope and joy. As soon as they had shed their burden, they recovered their supernatural confidence in their way, and they recognized Christ. Their hearts burned with desires of holiness.

That simple, sincere, trusting, fraternal talk with the person appointed by the Work to listen to us, guarantees our perseverance. We need not be afraid even if, at times, things become difficult. That confusion in your spirit, the temptation that envelops you, is like a blindfold over the eyes of your soul.

You are in the dark. Don’t insist on walking by yourself, for by yourself you will fall down. Go to your Director… who will make you hear once again those words of Raphael the archangel to Tobias: Forti animo esto, in proximo est ut a Deo cureris. Take comfort: before long God will heal you. Be obedient and the scales will fall from your eyes and God will fill you with grace and peace.

Let us not forget that our Lady is the channel of divine grace … the aqueduct, through which all the graces of heaven come from God our Lord to us on earth. We can receive nothing without her.