After breaking bread:
Their eyes opened and recognized Him

		Living the Scriptures  with St. Paul University  Catholic Center  Carolyn Averill

Here we have the two disciples, troubled by the death of Jesus, who met and invited a stranger to break bread with them. Only after breaking bread do they recognize Christ and do the Biblical equivalent of slapping themselves on the forehead.

Now, what I want to know is how these disciples didn't recognize Jesus! You'd think He would've been a pretty noticeable guy.

Third Sunday of Easter (April 10, 2005) Acts 2:14, 22-33 Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11 1 Pt 1:17-21 Lk 24:13-35

But that's just it - we, the modern-day disciples, confused by the very real worries of daily life, are unable to see Christ, even though He's right here. So what's stopping us from opening our eyes, seeing Christ, and saying good-bye to doubt?

Trust in God. Or rather, the lack of trust! We often hear this phrase and it seems deceptively straightforward, but what does it really mean?

Let's go back to those disciples. They trusted neither Christ's own promise of resurrection nor the stories of the women who had just visited the empty tomb.

Only after they see Him at the end do they realize that despite their doubt, their "hearts burned within" them as He spoke to them!

Focus on that last part for a second - their hearts were telling them the truth, but they didn't listen! How often do we feel our hearts leading us somewhere, but ignore it because it isn't rational or because we just don't believe it? It's that very rationalization - that doubt - that causes us to be blind to the promises Christ offers.

God uses the desires of our hearts - in fact, He placed them within us - to call us to the places that will make us the most happy. We can develop trust through a combination of awareness in identifying our deep desires and the courage to act upon those "gut instincts" that we've identified.

These instincts guide us, even if we cannot logically make sense of our choice. If we first listen and then take action, we are embodying trust in God.

Then our lives will not be built upon an irrational, passive dependence upon God, but rather upon carefully discerned action that stems from a burning call deep within our hearts.

Simple? Hardly. So what are we to do when life throws us another curveball?

Here's where I slap myself on the forehead.

The answer is clear! Christ gave it to the disciples and it resolved their doubt, just as he offers us that same answer: the Eucharist. When Christ "took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them," the disciples finally recognized Him.

	Reflection questions • Where are the "blind spots" in my life - the places where I still cannot clearly see Christ? • Do I spend more time in a day worrying about problems or taking them to God in prayer? • What desires are within my heart? How can I acknowledge them and act upon them for the glory of God?

It was Christ in the Eucharist that released the disciples from their doubt and we're lucky enough to have that same opportunity. Combined with prayer and reflection, Christ gives us the courage to act upon our deepest desires.

The preparation for and reception of the Eucharist strengthens us even more. Through all of this, Christ can and will free us from doubt and enable us to live fully, with hearts on fire.

Carolyn Averill is a University of Wisconsin-Madison junior majoring in history and European studies. She serves St. Paul's as an undergraduate peer minister.

St. Paul's Web site is www.stpaulscc.org

Faith Alive!

In a Nutshell Healthy family life calls for the virtue of patience, starting with patience for each other's faults and quirks. Each family is unique, but each needs to become a place where faith, hope and love take root. Particularly helpful in this are the virtues of gratitude, generosity, hospitality and forgiveness. Families are human communities in which God is present, calling family members to love. Catholic News Service 3211 Fourth St NE Washington DC 20017 202.541.3250 cns@catholicnews.com	Food for Thought   Every family has to contend sometimes with situations that tax their energy and strength. These aren't always sad situations or situations that leave family members angry or contentious. They may be situations involving a big decision to be made about a job, a child's education or a major purchase. I'm talking about all those situations that can't be escaped, but that leave family members feeling fatigued or besieged. Because such situations are so common in family life, I'd like to nominate resilience as a virtue for families of the third millennium. It's hard to define "resilience," but you know it when you see it. Resilient people rise to the occasion. Not that they relish every major challenge, but they're able to look forward with hope. They weather things and maintain a measure of confidence. Resilience reflects an ability to recover quickly from taxing situations. So it is a sign of underlying health and strength. full story   Virtues That Transform Families By Dan Luby Catholic News Service They were a family, he thought -- married all of four days and getting ready for their first meal in their new apartment. He grinned as mouth-watering smells of dinner wafted into the living room. "Smells great, honey!" he shouted happily. full story  How Parents Give Children Compassion and Hope By Father David K. O'Rourke, OP Catholic News Service In the world of work a competitive mind-set often dominates. When this mind-set is brought home from work, it takes a toll on the family. A certain definition of "success" may be a great virtue in business. But it is not a family virtue. Happy, healthy families need different strengths or virtues. Here I want to talk about two of the most important of those virtues: compassion and hope. full story  Why Patience Matters at Home By Sheila Garcia Catholic News Service A recent study looked at married couples who said they were severely unhappy in their relationships, yet stayed together. Unexpectedly, five years later, two-thirds of these same couples described themselves as happy. Some said they had just "put one foot in front of the other" until the problems subsided. Family life is all about putting one foot in front of the other day after day. It's about putting up with a spouse's thoughtlessness, a child's tantrums and a teenager's moodiness. It's about patience. full story
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