Recognizing Christ

"Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures." Luke 24:27.

Just as Christ was present in all the events of the old times, he is present with us in our trials and troubles, our joys and daily actions. As Carroll Stuhlmueller observes, we become "more conscious of Jesus' otherwise hidden presence" in each moment of our lives through a "a profound experience of God at prayer and the reading of Scripture. . . . With renewed faith, we ought to be able to look hopefully and enthusiastically at life all about us."

This was the disciples' experience on the road away from Jerusalem to Emmaus after they recognized Christ. They returned to Jerusalem with "hearts burning."

In our own lives, we "return" when we recognize Christ as a presence in our lives. And that happens often in an experience of repentance, an experience of saying "I am sorry." That experience is a prelude to returning to Christ's presence who is always with us. The prompting of repentance is guilt, by which each one of us recognizes sacred order, and our need to return to it. When we do we experience the joy of Christ's love for us, which is to recognize Jesus fully.

In that way we become fully human, sons and daughters of our divine Father and brothers and sisters in Christ.