Scripture:
Reflection:
In these days and weeks that follow Easter the image of “journeying” repeats itself time and again. We follow the disciples on the way to Emmaus. We hear the angel tell the disciples to go to Galilee where they will see the Lord. And soon, on the feast of Pentecost, the disciples will go out from the upper room and travel to the ends of the earth sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
In both readings today, from Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of John, our journey in faith is retold. Paul recounts the journey of the Exodus from Egypt to John the Baptist, who points not to himself but to Jesus whom we are called to follow. And Jesus reminds the apostles that he is the one sent, he is the one who journeys in our midst so that we can find our way to the Father.
What I am drawn to in this Easter season is this sense of constant movement. There is coming and going. There are journeys to be made. The encounter with Jesus compels us to go out and proclaim the Good News. We are sent just as Jesus was sent by the Father. Perhaps the journey is not a literal trip across country. But our journey in faith moves us out of ourselves and into those places where we can proclaim the Good News. We are called to “go” and be disciples to all nations—or just to our families, our friends, our coworkers and neighbors. Our faith does not insulate us or draw us to close in on ourselves. No, our faith is a journey. But it is a journey that we travel not alone but with Jesus as our companion.
Robert Hotz is a consultant with American City Bureau, Inc. and was the Director of The Passion of Christ: The Love That Compels Campaign for Holy Cross Province.