FROM BROKEN HOPES TO BURNING HEARTS
Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter, Year A Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch Acts of the Apostles 2:14, 22-33; 1 Peter 1:17-21; Luke 24:13–35 The crucifixion and death of Jesus shattered the world of His disciples. They had left everything to follow Him. They believed He was the Messiah who would redeem Israel. But now He had been arrested, humiliated, crucified, and buried. Fear replaced courage. Confusion replaced certainty. Hope gave way to disappointment. At his arrest, they all fled and abandoned Him. After his death, some hid behind locked doors; others, like the two disciples in today’s Gospel, simply walked away. Today’s Gospel reading presents one of the most beautiful resurrection narratives: the journey to Emmaus. Two disciples are leaving Jerusalem, the city of promise, and walking toward Emmaus, a place of retreat and discouragement. Their movement is symbolic: they are walking away from faith, from mission, and from hope. Yet the risen Christ does not abandon them. He draws n...
