This weekend’s Gospel is the ever beautiful encounter between Jesus and two of his disciples walking to Emmaus. Before Jesus accompanied them on their journey, their spirits had become heavy and downtrodden. The two were discussing how disappointed and disillusioned they were after Jesus was crucified. They were downcast, the Gospel tells us. They told Jesus, whom they did not recognize, “we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel.” Notice the past tense, “they were hoping.” Jesus then listens and they still don’t recognize Him until the point He has a meal with them and He breaks bread. Let’s listen again to Luke’s words from the gospel: “And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him. . .” Clearly, we too have that same Eucharist every single time we receive the Body of Christ. It should open our eyes as well to see how much love Jesus has by feeding us for life with his very Body and Blood. This past Holy Thursday we kept our church open immediately after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper until 11:00 pm for private prayer and adoration. Last year we had approximately 300 or so come through our church. This year, the Ladies Guild assisted in handing out water and greeting all the guests who came to pray on Holy Thursday. This year they had a counter and the final count was 524 people! Unquestionably The Holy Spirit is working overtime bringing new youths, young adults, and fallen-away catholics home. Shane Schaetzel, writing in Catholic Online News, reports that adult conversions this year here in the U.S. have reached record numbers not seen in more than 20 years. One diocese after another confirms that statistic: In Detroit, more than 1,400 came into the Church–the highest number in two decades. National Catholic Register staff reporter Matthew McDonald summarized some of the most notable increases in various dioceses in the US including St. Petersburg, FL (with an 84% increase), Austin, TX (53%), Harrisburg, PA (77%), Altoona-Johnstown, PA (84%), Pueblo, CO (105%), and Norwich, CT (with a 112% spike). One of the highest numbers of catholics coming into the Catholic faith resides in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles where some 8,500 new Catholics were welcomed into the faith this past Easter. The Holy Spirit shows no signs of stopping! Recall our Lord’s words to St. Peter at the very beginnings of the birth of the church, He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. . .” —Fr. Roach
