Being Made Whole

Homily for Wednesday in the Octave of Easter

In today’s first reading, a crippled man begging at the temple gate was probably expecting a few coins or some food from Peter and John. However, Peter gives the man the gift of healing and wholeness in the name of Jesus Christ. We are told that in response to the gift of healing, he jumps, he leaps, he praises God, and he enters the temple. Such are the signs that accompany the messianic age as Isaiah prophesied: “The lame shall leap like a stag.”

The Gospel passage for today speaks about two disciples who are obviously overcome by grief; their hearts have been broken because they had been hoping that Jesus would be the one to redeem Israel. Grief has gripped them from the inside out. Grief has shattered and numbed them. They were so distraught and overwhelmed with grief, so they don’t recognize the stranger who joins them; but the kind stranger stays with them, listens to their story, and brings comfort. He heals their broken hearts. He makes them whole.

Peter and John walked into the life of a crippled man and gave him the gift they had received from Jesus. His shattered body is made whole. Jesus walked into the lives of the disciples on the road to Emmaus and listened, blessed and broke bread with them. As they recognized him, their shattered hearts became hearts of love which were burning within. They were not alone. Jesus joined them on the road and turns their expectations upside down. This mysterious man – Jesus – responds to their request to stay with them by giving them his very self in the Eucharist.

God’s response to our practical needs, our deepest desires, and our spiritual hunger is usually very different from what we would expect; but it is also exactly what we need, more than we deserve, and more than we can imagine. As we receive the Eucharist today, let us dare to ask God to give us what we need most to be whole.