"Oh, how foolish you are," Jesus said to them. Then he interpreted for them all of the Scriptural passages that spoke of his mission. In order to understand the events in our lives we should always turn first to the Scriptures. The Scriptures must be interpreted by the Lord himself. That means each disciple needs to be in touch with the Holy Spirit who is the Risen Lord's gift to his Church.
When the disciples reach their destination, they press the Lord to stay with them. When he broke the bread and shared it with them, their eyes were opened and they recognized him. In Eucharistic fellowship these disciples became witnesses of the Resurrection. This passage reminds us that our personal faith is nourished in a community of faith. All of us, from the Pope to the newest baptized, need our place in the community of the church. None of us subsists in the faith alone. All of us need to be nourished at the table of the Word and the table of the Eucharist.
Speaking of the table of the Word and the table of the Eucharist, sometimes we need to remember where we are and what we are doing in church. It was not just our twice a year visitors who seemed out of place recently. Since we worship the Lord as a community, we need to show respect for the community with whom we worship. We do that by getting up early enough to get to church on time. Emergencies happen, but it is simple courtesy to arrive before Mass begins.
Do not park in front of the church! It is a designated no parking area. The area must be kept open for emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire trucks. On top of that, the tickets are expensive! Don’t blame the police for doing their job.
The celebrant should be the last one in and the first one out. Find a seat! Standing in the back of church or in the aisles is unacceptable. Blocking aisles and exits is a hazard and it is a sign of disrespect to the community and to the Lord. Can you imagine going to someone’s home for a meal and refusing to sit down with the hosts and the other guests? Put your phone or electronic device on vibrate! If you must take an important call, kindly exit the body of the church to do so.
We come to church to worship God. Worshipers deserve an atmosphere of prayerful quiet so they can pray in church. Visiting with friends and neighbors is a very good thing. However, it should take place before or after, never during Mass, and in the vestibule or outside of church.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.” Children belong in church with their parents. Don’t feel trapped in the cry room. Bring the children to the front rows where they can see what is going on. In the back of church all they can see are other people’s back sides. Boring! If they make a commotion, keep calm and carry the child to the cry room. Do not let your children run around in the vestibule. People going in and out of the doors are not looking for children. The children can be a hazard for seniors and persons with difficulty walking.
At Emmaus the disciples begged the Lord to stay with them. These days the Lord is begging his disciples to stay with him, at least until the Mass is over. Mass is not over until the priest and servers leave. If you don’t enjoy the Lord’s company here, how can you expect to enjoy him in heaven?
