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April 6, 2021"And it happened that, while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them". Lk 24:15
Have you ever felt disappointed like the disciples in our gospel reading whose hopes and dreams were lost? I have had that kind of experience. Twenty years ago, I lived in San Antonio, Texas, when my world came crashing down around me. I lost the person I loved in the blink of an eye when our unborn baby died. My family lived 1,800 miles away, so I had no one to rely on for help dealing with this tremendous loss.
As a result of the pain and confusion, I had difficulty meeting my obligations at work. I drowned my sorrows by going to a local sports bar, and I became a gym-rat to avoid dealing with pain. Then my friend Arnold invited me on an A.C.T.S. retreat, a three-day respite with the Lord. I initially declined the invitation, saying do I look like I need to go on a retreat? He said, yeah, you do. Despite my irritation, he persisted in his attempts to change my mind until finally, he wore me down. It was during the retreat weekend that I began to have a personal relationship with Christ. It was unlike anything I had experienced before. Through the testimony, kindness, and love of the team members, a group of strangers, I was able to begin to see through the clouds of pain, doubt, and confusion that Jesus was calling me to live my baptismal identity.
Through the love of this newfound family, I began to live my faith once again and gradually found the peace and joy of Christ through attending daily Mass, adoration, and regular prayer life. Christ's love raised me from the dead and gave me new life in the reality of his plan for me to become a friar in the Order of Preachers. What began as a tiny ember became a living flame because of strangers' love and compassion walking alongside me, sharing their faith in the living Christ. May all of us have to courage to do the same so that the family of Christ may grow abundantly, and all may experience the gift of new life.
