Reflection for Third Sunday of Easter Year A 2023

 In the Gospel of today’s liturgy we see two disciples talking about the things of God, Jesus draws near to help them make sense of their experience. He ask them questions that clarify their reactions, their desires , and their fee about  Jesus’ life and death. When they shared their experience with Jesus , he began to suggest an interpretation he to them. They recognized him in  the breaking of the bread but as they reflected  on their conversation, they realized that they could have recognized him through the movement of their hearts. They said:” were not our hearts burning within us as he talked to us on the road?”.

Many modern philosophers and theologians have come to see that the crisis of our world today can be traced to the underdevelopment of our feelings, our emotions, and our desire. Since the Middle Ages, we have concentrated on the development of our intellect. This  has led to a great expansion of knowledge and technology and brought about great changes in our world, even in our own lifetime.

           The only way out of this modern crisis is through the disciplined development of our emotional lives . Jesus taught us that love is the foundation of the Christian life. Love is not an idea but an emotion. Saint Augustine observed that our hearts are made for God and they are restless until they rest in God. Restlessness can be a sign that we are not in harmony with God’s designs for us and for our universe.

            Of course, we must correctly assess the conditions of the world and accordingly use our minds. But what motivates action is our affective – emotional- life. Feeling , is that in us which enables us to grasp the worth of things. God and evil, beauty and ugliness, significance and value of all kinds are recognized by feeling , not by thought.

           It is our feeling, therefore, which motivates us to act. The Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of love in this world, will motivate actions that intend what God intends, a real community of love among all people. If our fears are subordinated to love, then we can more easily be in tune with God’s design for our universe.

          Let us, then, be on the lookout for those feelings, our ” hearts burning within us,” that tells us we are listening to God’s voice. Feelings of restlessness may indicate that we are not in harmony with God’s will for us. May we ask Jesus in the Holy Eucharist that our hearts be in tune with the heart of God.

 May God bless you all .

Fr.Dominic 

Your  Father  in Christ.