Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for - Sunday, April 19, 2026

In today’s Gospel, we hear the familiar story of the two disciples who are dejectedly walking away from Jerusalem toward Emmaus. They are distracted by their sadness over the death of Jesus and their confusion regarding the possibility that he had risen from the dead. Like those two disciples, we are often distracted and pulled away from what really matters, from what is truly important.

Worries and distractions pull us apart, but Jesus holds us together. The Latin word that means the exact opposite of separation is re-ligare, meaning “to be re-attached.” This is the root of the English word “religion.” Religion re-attaches us to Jesus and to one another. St. Paul tells us that “in Christ Jesus all things hold together.” That is a great way to think about Jesus. His cross, His love, His grace, and His mercy hold us together and keep us close to Him.

This can only happen if we give Jesus our time and attention just as the two disciples did on the road to Emmaus. When the distractions of life threaten to pull us apart, we need to re-attach ourselves to Jesus, by spending time with him in daily prayer, and weekly worship. Today’s gospel reading is a timely reminder to us to take time each day to re-attach ourselves to what truly matters and to stop being worried and distracted by so many things.

Like the disciples, we can see Jesus clearly and be re-attached to Him through His Word and in the breaking of the bread. But then, after we are re-attached to what matters, we must go and serve our neighbor in need, to go and show God’s love and mercy and grace and kindness to everyone we encounter. By bringing Religion to the world, by bringing the love of Jesus to all those around us, we re-attach people to what really matters.

When we are truly open to receiving Jesus, we are no longer distracted by our sadness or confusion. We are no longer “too busy” to carry out His mission. We are no longer so distracted by doing things for God that we fail to be still in both thoughts and activity so that we can listen to His Word and believe it. That is when our hearts will burn with desire for Him.

Fr. Mike