The Gospel is from St. Luke 24:13-35. The two disciples from Emmaus are to be found, along their journey, talking to "Jesus in person, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him" (Lk 24:16). Why did the Lord not tell the disciples straight away who He was? Indeed, in the dialogue that the liturgy presents to us today, it almost seems that Jesus did all He could to avoid revealing His true identity. At the end of the journey, "He made to go on" (Lk 24:28). Jesus didn’t want to play games with His disciples, but He sought to educate their hearts, and also ours, so that we won’t be " slow’!"  The Risen Lord uses so much gentleness with us! He doesn’t oblige us to "believe" but He offers us the instruments that enable us to judge based on the infallible measure of our own hearts.

Grace and Peace in our Risen Lord!   Today is the eighth and final day of the Octave of Easter.  On this grace-filled day we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday.  The Lord Jesus told Saint Faustina “On that day (the 8th day of Easter each year) all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet.  My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.”  At this time of the corona virus pandemic gripping the whole world, and the costs to human lives and the economy are rising, who would not want to experience the super abundance of this Divine gift of mercy that God wants to pour forth upon us?

My dear Brothers and Sisters in the Risen Lord: Needless to say, Brothers and Sisters, these are devastatingly difficult times in which we live, the rising human and economic costs of COVID 19 virus throughout the world. We are getting used to words like lockdown, social distancing, shelter in place, quarantine, curfew, etc. The reality we are in today presents us with new challenges on how to live a lively faith, in solidarity of heart and mind with all the people in the world. We are concretely living the other aspect of being Church, that of communion of saints sans being physically gathered. The Holy Spirit makes it possible for we are members of the corporate Body of the Risen Christ.

Today we begin Palm Sunday listening to the story of Jesus being welcomed into Jerusalem with great joy and exultation! "Hosanna!" they cried out. "Hosanna in the Highest!" Jesus was treated as He should have been treated. People were excited to see Him and there was much excitement. But this excitement quickly turned to shock and horror as we enter more deeply into today's readings.