Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Today's Mass Readings

Have you ever wondered how the Good News of the Risen Christ might have spread around the world if modern news media were available? That might sound like useless speculation, but there might be some lessons to be learned. Today’s “breaking news” means we have instant access to whatever is happening. But it’s through the lens and interpretation of the reporters on the scene. It’s the reporter who makes the decision as to what should be captured for the nightly news and who should be interviewed.

Remember, there is a difference between “news events,” which simply trigger our passing curiosity, and those developments which touch us deeply and even change our lives. In the time of Jesus, the news traveled at walking speed between villages which allowed a certain awesome maturation to take place. By its very nature, the Good News of the Risen Lord is meant to be passed by personal testimony, not a news report. The excited testimony of the two travelers who recognized the Risen Lord in the breaking of the bread had an energy and conviction sustained and received by the power of the Holy Spirit. We’re dealing with a marvelous mystery. The gift of faith in Jesus united to the Father is so powerful that it changes the destiny of the world and all its inhabitants. And yet it is so precious that it can only be communicated with personal reverence. It requires a heart-to-heart message touched by the Spirit of God.

Reflection by Fr. Daniel Petsche, OSB