Mass of First Holy Communion, July 18, July 25, August 15
Reaction. Recognition. Reconnection.
Part 1. REACTION.
[_01_] CROWD. FACIAL RECOGNITION. “WALK”
Let's
say you are standing in a crowd and
reacting to everyone who is walking by … perhaps also searching for someone in
the crowd.
I read this … that it turns out that
we’re good at recognizing people from their body language, stance and other
physical cues that we can observe long before we see their faces (smile, eyes,
nose, hairstyle..)
The research, published the journal Psychological Science, looked at
just how we rely on body language for identification. What they found was that
we’re actually just as good at recognizing people from faces as we are from
other cues. “Accuracy in identifying the person without the face was identical
to that in identifying the whole person,” the researchers write.
I remember an experience from many years ago
when we my family and I went to Yankee Stadium – where there was a very big
crowd of people and we were meeting my uncle.
We had to wait and wait for a long time for
him to arrive. And, there was a large crowd. I was “reacting to” everyone in
the crowd.. I was very young and did not really know what to look for.
On the other hand, my father – who knew his
brother quite well- recognized – from very far away – because they knew each
other so well, he did not need to see his face … he could recognize him by
other characteristics…such as by how he walked.
And, _____ and _____ …. And to all of
our First Communion Children – to all of us – God does not recognize by just
one characteristic …but also by our total person and personality.
He loves you as you are … and give us
not just words … not just a smile..but in the Sacrament of Holy Communion, we
receive the whole person, Body of Christ…
Part 2. Recognition.
In this Gospel passage,there is a reaction
and a recognition problem.
Maybe the disciples on the Road to Emmaus should
have had facial recognition software?
What happened in this episode?
The disciples of this Gospel passage
have had a most unusual day or series of days, most unsettling and disturbing
because their Savior and Lord – Jesus – suddenly appeared to them, though they
did not know it was Jesus. They did not recognize him…though he come up to them very close and personal.
RECOGNITION – Teacher
GOD’S VOICE – RECOGNITION
(e.g., teacher)
I would like to suggest that listening
to God and listening to what God wants is similar to listening to our teachers
in school.
I make this comparison because
sometimes we look at our teachers and we say … Oh, the teacher is smarter than
I am …or bigger than I am…or more advanced than I am …simply because the teacher has the answer….
And, as you know sometimes, the
teacher tells you if you are “correct”or “incorrect”.
But, what a good teacher wants to do
for you – for you __NAME___ … for you __NAME___…is not just to give you answers
but also to help you to ask questions and to keep asking questions and keep
talking and seeking knowledge for the rest of your life.
[_03_] And,
in this Gospel passage we read of 2 disciples to whom a mysterious “unknown” 3rd
traveler appears to them on the road.
And, the 2 disciples are very
attentive to this stranger, but they do not recognize him by his FACE or by his
WALK. But they do later recognize him by
his VOICE, by what he says.
So, these 2 travelers heard a question,
“What are you talking about?”
It is a reminder to us that God is –
Jesus is – reaching out to us even when we do not explicitly acknowledge His
presence. It is a reminder to us that Jesu wants to know what we are talking
about what we are thinking about.
Nevertheless, the 2 disciples welcome
this 3rd person, talk with him and share the events of the day with
him. Yet, this person does connect with
them – this unidentified person – this stranger shares with them their sorrow,
their grief at the death of Jesus and then this 3rd traveler starts
to explain the scriptures and prophecies to them.
[][][][]]
Part 3. Reconnection
A few years ago, I happened to see
someone I grew up with in high grade school and school. I had not seen him in
many years. At this social event, he was standing right next to 2 of my friends
...first I saw him from about 12 feet away. He was on the other side of the
kitchen. I did not recognize him.
Then I walked right up to him …I still
did not recognize him. Because I still
looked confused… I actually needed someone to introduce me to him, to tell me
his name….
I was really surprised!
VOICE - RECOGNITITION
What was also interesting to me …in that
example.. as soon as my old friend started talking… then I recognized him…… I
recognized his voice actually more than I recognized his appearance.
RECOGNITION – when we are in
dispute. Listen !
Talk
/ Listen. This is also a reminder to us that when we feel that we are
separated from someone, or upset with someone…or judging someone only by
appearance, one of the hardest things to to do..but most important things to do
is to talk… to them…to really listen to them. By talking – by really listening
– we come to know the whole person, and we can see and understand something we
did not see at a distance.
In this episode on the Road to Emmaus, the disciples recognize Jesus’ voice…. And remember his voice… it takes a while…but this is an important part of our own prayer and connection to God, to hear his voice, to hear him speaking to us each day. [_fin_]
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