The liturgy of this Third Sunday of Easter brings us many place names: Israel, Judea, Nazareth, Jerusalem, Emmaus. The spread of the Gospel, the spread of the message of Jesus’ Resurrection is linked to particular places, locales, and geographic areas. For many of us, our Christian faith too has been linked to a particular church or locale.
The Easter Season is a prolonged remembering and recalling of the Sacrament of Baptism. Perhaps at this point, we can remember the church of our Baptism, and the one where we had received the Sacrament of Confirmation. For those of you who are married, you can bring to mind the church where you received the Sacrament of Marriage – you walked in as betrothed to each other and walked out as husband and wife. Our faith is linked with a particular area, a geographical home, a place where our roots run deep.
The Gospel of Luke, in a particularly touching narrative, recounts how the Risen Jesus accompanied the two disciples, as they were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Even though they had not recognized the Lord during their journey, they discovered Him in the breaking of the bread, or the Eucharist. Their hearts were burning, as He explained the Holy Scriptures to them. There is also a family aspect to this event: one of the disciples was named Cleopas. Cleopas, according to early Christian tradition is the “brother of Joseph, the legal father of Jesus” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible – New Testament, Scott Hahn ed., pg. 154, 2010). So, in some way, Jesus was showing Himself to a relative. May our family relations, our relatives, bring us closer to the Resurrected Christ, in speech and actions.
As we think of the land, the place, where we had discovered and grown in our faith, I would like to offer to you a brief sketch of a spirituality connected with the church parking lot. Normally, we treat church parking lots as a necessary burden: they need to be sanded and plowed in the winter, periodically resurfaced and repainted, insured, kept clear of debris and unauthorized users. Still, in these times of closed church buildings, and social distancing, it seems that the parking lot has taken on a new role: it has become a place of prayer. So, a couple of things about praying in a church parking lot: first of all, the parking lot is part of consecrated ground. It is part and parcel of a piece of land that has been set apart for liturgy, worship, and service to God. So, as you drive over or walk over to a church parking, please know that you are standing on ground that is blessed and set apart. Perhaps during the day, you are able to take your vehicle to a church parking lot to pray, meditate, offer to God your hopes and fears. As you do so, please remember that Christ in the Blessed Sacrament is very near, and that His presence radiates from the church building. Secondly, because of the medical situation that we find ourselves in, it is important to remember to stay inside your vehicle, as you pray and meditate on church grounds. This is so that we can maintain the appropriate social distancing and be respectful of civil regulations.
The church parking lot has become a place of prayer, but not only that: it has also become a place of sacramental activity. The second reading today speaks of the One whom we “invoke as Father, the one who judges each person impartially according to each one’s deeds” (1 Peter 1:17). Speaking of deeds, we ought to be asking pardon for our misdeeds, our sins. The drive-in confessions that we hold regularly at St. Hedwig’s take place in the parking lot. We long for the day when confessions can be celebrated back in the confessional, but for the moment, we open car windows, hope for good weather, and use this opportunity to be reconciled to God. I have to say that it is very touching and uplifting to see how many penitents approach the sacrament with deep faith and devotion, even in such unusual circumstances. The lineups of cars are also a sign to those driving by of a living faith: the church building may be closed, but the faith is very much open and alive.
The beginnings of the Christian faith were associated with particular place names: Israel, Judea, Nazareth, Jerusalem, Emmaus. Our Christian faith too has a certain provenance, and a history, associated with places. May Our Lady, Mother of God, bring us closer to Her Son Jesus, and extend Her mantle of protection over us, along with St. Joseph the Just.
(Fr. Pawel Ratajczak, OMI, April 26, 2020)