Daily Emmaus

Nearly moved to tears tonight at Mass...not sure what exactly hit me so strongly...I think the preparation song had something to do with it (and the Gospel being the story of Emmaus):

Who are you who walk in sorrow
Down Emmaus’ barren road,
Hearts distraught and hope defeated,
Bent beneath grief’s crushing load?
Nameless mourners, we will join you,
We who also mourn our dead;
We have stood by graves unyielding,
Eaten death’s bare, bitter bread.

Who is this who joins our journey,
Walking with us stride by stride?
Unknown Stranger, can You fathom
Depths of grief for one who died?
Then the wonder! When we told You
How our dreams to dust have turned,
Then You opened wide the Scriptures
Till our hearts within us burned.

Who are You? Our hearts are opened
In the breaking of the bread—
Christ the victim, now the victor
Living, risen from the dead!
Great companion on our journey,
Still surprise us with Your grace!
Make each day a new Emmaus;
On our hearts Your image trace!

Who are we who travel with You
On our way through life to death?
Women, men, the young, the aging,
Wakened by the Spirit’s breath!
At the font You claim and name us,
Born of water and the Word;
At the table still You feed us,
Host us as our risen Lord!

So beautiful. So powerful.

Sitting in Mass today (and afterwards while attending a presentation on the Archdiocesan "To Teach Who Christ Is" campaign), I realized that I am so blessed to worship with such a vibrant faith community that worships within a beautiful church building, has an angelic choir, and has dynamic priests. (And I feel that I've been blessed along the way growing up with such similar combos of worship dynamics in my Catholic parishes at different points in my life too.)

I pray to take the words of this hymn with me this week, keeping them ever present in my heart and on the tip of my tongue. Thank you, Lord, for speaking to me through song tonight.