"We were hoping." These have got to be among the saddest words we speak. You'll remember the conversation where we hear these gospel words. Two disciples are on the road Easter night. They are dejected when Jesus meets up with them, though they don't recognize him. They say, "Don't you know what's been going on these past few days." They then fill Jesus in and say, "We were hoping..."
We were hoping this terrible invasion would have ended by now.
We were hoping they'd patch up the marriage and avoid divorce
We were hoping she'd hold this pregnancy.
We were hoping he'd beat cancer.
We were hoping the young man would grow out of it.
We were hoping she'd reconcile and find her way home.
We were hoping he'd beat the addiction.
We were hoping she'd get the job.
We were hoping...
The shadows cast by the trees are deep; it is getting late in the day. Notice the path has stones (little stumbling blocks?) and that it takes a turn off to the left into shadow, into the unknown, "You never know what's just around the corner."
And often in the hoping we feel bereft, abandoned, alone. Here the gospel message, in the midst of the disciples conversing about the worst — their dearest friend betrayed, arrested, imprisoned, tortured and crucified — he's walking with them — right beside them.
As the Soviet Union began to crumble, Father Alexander Men was murdered on his way to catch the train that would take him to his parish church for Sunday liturgy. The night before he had met with a group of people and said:
"Through his love for humanity Christ stayed with us in this dirty, bloodstained and sinful earth, just to be beside us."
