At the beginning of this year, Pope Francis declared 2024 to be a year of prayer in preparation for the year of Jubilee (2025). The Holy Father explained that the Year of Prayer is dedicated “to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer - prayer in personal life, in the life of the Church, prayer in the world.”

Today’s blog is a reflection written from the point of view of the disciple who was walking with Cleopas on the road to Emmaus. I pray it helps you to enter into the story.

Have you ever gone long distance walking? Most people have at some stage in their lives, and it was something I enjoyed doing, even though it was the primary means of travel anyway. Somehow it helped to clear my head, so I would go when I was worried, stressed, confused, sad. I would walk to all kinds of places, along clearly defined paths and through scrubland, through desert like places where the dust would coat my feet, and along the shore where the gentle waves would cool me after a long day, over rocks, up mountains, through tall grass, – you name it, and it is likely to be territory that I have traversed.

A beautiful resurrection story worth reflecting on during Eastertide is that of Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18). In this reflection, Mel shares what the experience of Jesus calling her by name could have been like. Have a read, and ponder with Jesus how he calls you to respond.

Do you remember what it was like to learn to share? That grudging allowing of someone else to have or use a toy that you wanted? Do you remember how excruciating it felt? Like it was killing you on the inside?