St. Catherine of Siena

This third Sunday of Easter has us now traveling on the road to Emmaus, just as the two disciples did on the day of the Resurrection. Those two disciples, one named Cleopas, a follower of Jesus, and the other is never named in the biblical texts, thus the anonymity of the text invites us to see ourselves in the story, as a follower of Jesus.Before we begin, a few key points to keep in mind as we make our journey: this event takes place on the day of the Resurrection; two disciples are walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus discussing the recent events of Jesus’ passion and death

One of the multiple good things about ritual is that it becomes a “tradition” in our lives that we not only depend upon, but count on. Throughout human history, ritual has given people hope and established a commonality of pride among peoples. The traditions, whether national, familial, or religious becomes the fabric of our lives. These rituals such as the national Pledge of Allegiance, to familial traditions including but not limited to the opening of Christmas presents (on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day), the menu at a Fourth of July cookout, or the religious traditions of Easter and Christmas instill in us confidence, hope, community, security and more

As we enter into Palm Sunday with the coming of Holy Week and the Easter Season, we should reflect on our Lenten journey that each of us has made over the last five weeks—intended to grow and strengthen our spiritual life as we seek to progress towards Christ.

Take this journey with us- When we left for Boston on Thursday evening, I was filled with anxiety and anticipation, this being my first mission trip. As we arrived at Hillside Community Church, teens got right to work setting up our sleeping quarters and unloading the bus. The way they worked together immediately reminded me of the community that Christ shared with his disciples. In the evenings, we reflected on our days, sharing where we saw God and praying together.