Photo by Sammy Chandio on Unsplash
The Risen Jesus tells the disciples to go back to Galilee: “They will see me there.” Galilee is where it all began for the disciples, it was the place where they met Jesus, and he entered into their lives.
Today, the Risen Lord tells each of us: “Go back to Galilee – go back to that time when you realized that I was present in your life.”
During this time of isolation, the Risen Jesus is inviting us to enter into the Galilee of our hearts and lives.
Saint Eugene frequently did this, and he called it recollection. He wanted all those who followed his way of discipleship to do the same, as he wrote in his Rule of 1818:
The whole life of the members of our Society ought to be a life of continual recollection (Art. 1).
To attain this, they will first of all make every effort to walk always in the presence of God, and frequently try to utter short but fervent spontaneous prayers. (Art.2,)
Eugene and Jesus shared a deep bond of friendship – and a friend always wants to be in the presence of a loved one. His days are filled with moments of recollection – of short bursts of prayer and expressions of love.
During this Easter spent in isolation, this is what Eugene invites us to do in a special way during these difficult days.
Isn’t it odd that we need to be reminded at times of how to refresh our relationships, how to keep them foremost in our thoughts and hearts? Life can get so busy, so distracting that we forget that which is most dear to us. And even as I write these words the thought arises that God, that our Beloved never forgets us, not even for the briefest of moments stops loving us, never turns his eyes of love away from us to tend to another who is in need. The mind is quite unable to fathom it.
How easily we forget and become blasé. What Eugene recommends to us is the most natural way in the world to be with those we love; it is how we are with our spouses, our children, our cherished friends… Jesus is our constant companion.
I give myself a shake. It is Easter and Christ is Risen. The cross though is still with us and it might be so easy to give into anxiety and fear; to live these out in anger towards ourselves and others around us. These can be such difficult times for us. We cope by doing as Eugene has suggested: consciously entering the presence of God even as we “do” what we have been called to do.
I laugh silently at what I have written here. The “being” which will give birth and life to the “doing”. That is what Eugene is talking about and reminding us how to live.
I think of how we say we are an Easter people. Recollecting how this began and walking in the presence of God, uttering expressions of love is how we will live as Easter people.