Were Not Our Hearts Burning Within Us? – Nemy Que, SJ

Luke 24:13-35, 3rd Sunday of Easter Today’s Gospel reading belongs to the Easter stories that abound soon after the resurrection of Jesus. That same day Jesus rose from the dead, two disciples were making their way to a village named Emmaus. They were talking about the events that took place during the past days. Like…

Emmaus and the Church in Distress – Fr Harold Parilla

Luke 24:13-35, 3rd Sunday of Easter It is now the third Sunday of Easter but the atmosphere is strangely quiet. The streets are not as crowded and the malls are closed. It feels like the Holy Week of my childhood except that the churches too are inaccessible. Donagh O’Shea said that the Emmaus story featured…

The Gift of Emmaus – Johnny Go, SJ

Luke 24:13-35, 3rd Sunday of Easter “We had hoped….” We can hear the disappointment in the two disciples’ voices as they spoke to the stranger on the road. “We had hoped…” In other words, they no longer did. What’s striking, however, is that these two had already heard of the empty tomb found not only by the…

How Do We Return To Jerusalem Changed? – Francis Alvarez, SJ

Our Gospel today, Luke 24:13-35, begins with two disciples of Jesus journeying to Emmaus. They must have been dejected. Wasn’t Jesus supposed to redeem Israel? How could one then make sense of his gruesome death on the cross? They might have been distraught. If they had left everything to follow Jesus, what was going to…

Our Emmaus:Walks, Meals and Runs – Pat Nogoy, SJ

Luke 24:13-35, 3rd Sunday of Easter Some walks can be hard and long. Especially for those whose hopes and lives have been shattered to pieces. Robbed of life’s coherence, two disciples can only return and make their way home. Home is a familiar and comfortable place where they can somehow piece some fragments together into…

Keeping Easter Alive – Pedro Walpole, SJ

John 20:19-31 How has the week gone for you? Last Sunday, for a time, we emerged from the Gospel passion narrative, from the suffering in life around us into deep desires and hopes, sharing in the resurrection, the loving mercy of God. Yet the world in the last week has not changed. How am I…

God Hopes in Us – Junjun Borres, SJ

John 20:19-31, Divine Mercy Sunday The Gospel reading today reminds me of an incident that took place some 23 years ago. One morning, I got a call from my sister who used to work at a school about half an hour drive from New Bilibid Prison, where I served as a volunteer chaplain.  She said…

The Anatomy of Healing – Pat Nogoy, SJ

John 20:19-31, Divine Mercy Sunday Today’s readings and Gospel are about peace. Peace is not easy to come by nowadays. I am thinking of families that are suffering from hard misunderstanding, deep feuds, or have, in time, drifted far apart from each other. In my mind are couples who had relied on a relatively stable…

Despite Closed Hearts – Ro Atilano, SJ

John 20:19-31, Divine Mercy Sunday How is your heart doing? Each of us is called by God to have a heart that is always open and available for others, a heart that is magnanimous enough to love God’s people. However, there are times when the door of this heart is closed. And there could be…

The Truth of Easter – Mon Bautista, SJ

Easter Sunday 2020 My dear friends – in the world of art (particularly, in the world of paintings), art experts would tell us that there are a lot of forgeries – a lot of imitations, mere copies of original, priceless masterpieces. Thus, in the international art market today, we can find so many fake masterpieces…

Our Best Prayers – Pat Nogoy, SJ

Easter Sunday 2020 The first Easter morning is the least consoling. It is welcomed with loss—those who woke up early in the morning to anoint their beloved dead with honest tears and deep grief. This loss was made worse by sudden fear—the dead is no longer there, the tomb empty. Loss and fear were compounded…

Bearers of Light and Hope – Nemy Que, SJ

Easter Sunday 2020 __________ The sun shines on everyone! It shines on both the good and the bad, on the rich and the poor, on the happy and the desolate. It shines even on those who try to hide from its light. And it shines most brightly on those who reflect its light. The sun…