When I first read Homer’s Odyssey as a teenager, one scene captured my imagination: Odysseus finally returning home after 20 years, yet no one recognized him. Disguised as a beggar, he speaks with his wife, his son, and even his enemies. He is fully present, yet hidden. Only at the right moment does he reveal himself, and everyone realizes he has been with them all along. I was struck by the mystery that he could be so close to his loved ones, and yet they simply could not identify him.
A similar mystery is at the heart of today’s Gospel. Two disciples walk the road to Emmaus with Jesus, but “their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.” (Luke 24:16) He listens, teaches, and eats with them, yet they remain blind until he breaks the bread. Suddenly their eyes are opened — and at that very moment, he vanishes. His disappearance is not absence. Rather, it is revelation. The Risen Lord is now present in a new way, in the breaking of the bread and in the life of His Church.
Faith is this shift of vision. Instead of searching for a visible Jesus as if he were absent, we learn to recognize him unveiled in hidden ways — in Scripture proclaimed, in the Eucharist, in the sacraments, in the very life of the Church.
And what is true of him is true of us. Just as he disappears into the mission of his Body, we too are meant to be hidden in him. When we live hidden in Christ, we are seen for who we really are.
— Father John Muir ©LPi
General Mass Notes
Welcome
Good afternoon and welcome to St. Joseph,
As we begin our liturgy, we would like to extend a special welcome to everyone visiting our parish for the first time. We also warmly welcome all of you who are here today. We are so grateful and blessed to have you with us. As we settle in and prepare our hearts for Mass, please take a moment to make sure your cell phones are turned off so as not to disturb our prayer.
(Wait a few seconds to allow people to turn off their phones)
Let us now take a moment to prepare for Mass and open our hearts and minds to the message we will hear today. The intentions of this Mass are for all those in our special intention basket and for…
Please stand and greet those beside you.
Mass Intentions
Universal Prayer (Petitions)
A. For the Church, that we may proclaim the new life we know through the risen Lord in such a way that it burns in the hearts of those we touch, let us pray to the Lord.
B. For world leaders, that peace may reign in their hearts, leading them to free the world from the weapons of war and terror, let us pray to the Lord.
C. For children and the vulnerable suffering any form of abuse or neglect, may they be delivered into the compassion of the Lord: we pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord.
D. For those who have lost hope, find life meaningless, or are grieving, that they may respond to Christ’s promise of new life, offered through us with compassion and love, let us pray to the Lord.
E. For those welcomed into the Church on the first evening of the Easter Season, that they may find fellowship and support in this community and be encouraged to share their talents and gifts, let us pray to the Lord.
F. For all the prayers that we hold in the silence of our hearts; for all our intentions spoken and unspoken, and for (read all intentions from 1st page), let us pray to the Lord.
Announcements
The Amor Por Teco foundation will have a sale of new clothes on Sunday, May 3 in the Guadalupe Hall from 8:30am to 5:30pm.
