Thursday - May 8, 2025
Dr. Pat Saxon
READING
“When life implodes in loss, it takes with it the future we thought was ours. The future can feel like a bleak, black hole.” Lisa Appelo
WORDS OF HOPE
Why the disciples did not recognize the resurrected Jesus on the road to Emmaus is a salient question to wrestle with, and it can also offer insight into our own difficulty sensing the presence of the risen Christ in our lives today.
To refresh the story: As two of the disciples are journeying from Jerusalem after Holy Week, they are discussing “all these things which have happened”—the traumatic events they have just witnessed (Luke 24: 14). They are joined by a “stranger” who asks what they are talking about as they walk along, but Luke says that “their eyes were kept” from recognizing him as Jesus (16). When they tell him what they are talking about, the gospel indicates their emotional state: “They stood still, looking sad (17).” As they continue, they invite the “stranger” to come and stay with them, since nightfall is near. They only discern Jesus’ identity—their eyes being opened-- as he shares the breaking of the bread with them.
So what kept their eyes from seeing the resurrected Jesus? Certainly, one response might be that Jesus looked different after he was “changed from glory into glory.” However, in most of the artistic depictions of the narrative, Jesus is not imaged as all that different from the disciples—no halo, luminousness, or altered physicality. He is often dressed differently—in white mostly and sometimes with a headcovering/shawl on his shoulders, but many times not even that.
For me, the story speaks subtly but powerfully about the nature of the intense grief and disorientation in which the disciples were living. The recent days of injustice and violence, denial and betrayal. The days of witnessing Jesus’ torture and death by the state. The death of their prophet, leader, companion and brother, the longed-for Messiah, the one in whom all their hopes lived. Now gone.
Like an ocean wave, the intensity of grief knocks us off our feet, bringing us to our knees. It impacts not only our emotions—but our bodies and mind. Our immune system is often compromised. Sleep habits are disturbed. We may eat too much or too little, seek substances to dull the pain, isolate ourselves. Energy is depleted. But equally important are the effects on the brain, a condition now called “grief brain.” Mary Francis O’Conner, one of the chief experts on the subject, asserts that “grief is tied to all sorts of different brain functions we have, from being able to recall memories to taking the perspective of another person, to even things like regulating our heart rate and the experience of pain and suffering.”
Another significant interpretive dimension to the story is the effects of witnessing the torture of a beloved one. Dr. J. Carey Jackson asserts that 30% of people who have experienced violence show symptoms of PTSD. And in remembering violence against themselves as opposed to violence against another, “it is not their own suffering that haunts their nightmares, but the faces of others being tortured that they grieve most and can’t shake.” One possible manifestation of this is Cleopas’ reactive response when “the stranger” asks for a recounting of the events. Are you the only one who doesn’t know what’s happened here, he snaps, as if to deflect having to describe the pain he saw. However, Jesus’ continued presence and holding the story of the disastrous events allows the expression of the disciples’ suffering, helping it move through them.
After an unimaginable and catastrophic loss, the road to Emmaus may be our own road. Our resistances to taking it all in, to “seeing”it—is understandable in human terms and verified by neurological processes. Telling our stories, bearing witness to one another’s grief helps us heal in the long run.
PRAYER
Risen Christ, Hear the anguish of our losses and be our healing balm. Amen.
DEVOTION AUTHOR
Dr. Pat Saxon
Need More Inspiration? Read our Daily Devotions
SCRIPTURE Luke 5:9-11 For he and all who were with him were astounded at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him. WORDS OF HOPE The story of Jesus preaching from Simon’s boat and the immense catch of fish is one that is told often. I find the interesting part that when Jesus called James, John and Simon to be his disciples, they left their nets and boats behind. The idea of catching people is often interpreted as “making converts” in our times. Yet, Jesus followers were not “making” or “catching” anyone. Jesus never forced anyone to follow his way, he merely laid out the plan and people were drawn to it by attraction to his teachings and that of his disciples. The message of Jesus is a gentle yet compelling one. He asks us to give up our nets and “catch people” through the example we live. Our very lives become the beacon that draws others to us. When I was a child, my mother used to often tell me that doing something right was “setting an example”. In fact, she urged me to live my life that way. I often asked her, “an example for who?” Now I know the answer. An example for anyone who finds my life worth following and replicating. Jesus is stating the same message, over and over he gives us the keys to the realm of heaven, and they are not physical keys, but a way to live our lives. By doing so we model heaven on earth and that is more valuable than any net. PRAYER May we follow the example of Jesus and bring about a better world. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman
SCRIPTURE Acts 26.15b-18a “ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light…’ ” WORDS OF HOPE Today’s Scripture reading is about the life-changing encounter the Apostle Paul experiences on the road to Damascus during which the voice of the Risen Christ commissions him to a ministry that will define the rest of his life. Jesus is direct, succinct, and leaves no doubt as to the direction Paul will be taking. Several references are made about what Paul has seen and will see, because, in fact, as this declaration is made, Paul cannot see at all. He has been blinded by the sudden flash of light that is the presence of Christ in the rolling clouds before him. Paul has been traveling, probably by horseback, with a company of Roman soldiers, on his journey of persecution. His targets: Anyone who proclaims the teachings of Jesus and follows him in their words and lives. Works of art throughout the centuries have intensified the dramatic event depicting Paul thrown from his horse and on his knees, stunned by the light of glory. The voice tells him he will be a witness of what he has seen and will see of Jesus, opening the eyes of others in the process. But, Paul is blinded, unable to see Jesus at all, and in his recollection, has never seen Jesus in the past either. We can only try to imagine his confusion or ever putting ourselves in his bewildering situation. But, like Paul, how many times have we turned a blind eye to the presence of Jesus in our lives? How many times have we failed to see the face of Christ in the hurting, bewildered, or desperate among us? Paul had been blind countless times to courage of the Christ in those he had mercilessly persecuted, silenced, and imprisoned. Aren’t many of us in the same situation today? What will it take to knock us off our horses? Paul became the most influential of all the Apostles following this life-altering encounter, so the story leaves us with hope. We have the opportunity daily to become more active in proclaiming the words or living the life of Jesus every time we acknowledge the needs of the least fortunate among us or stand up for the humanity of the most persecuted. You know who they are. We can see them as our sisters and brothers through the eyes of Jesus, and with the guidance of Jesus, bring light back to their darkness. PRAYER God of Mercy, in a world gone dark, help us to travel the way of Jesus this day, that we may see his face in the ones you love most, the vulnerable, the despised, and the forgotten. May others see his face in us. By the Light of Christ, AMEN DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE Isaiah 41:10 Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. WORDS OF HOPE When I picked my word of the year at Cathedral of Hope for 2025 I was very excited to see it was “Restore”! Double Knee surgery was my New Year commitment! After putting it off for three years, I finally agreed to surgery and scheduled it for January! I needed to be restored. The warranty on the old knees had expired several years ago. It is amazing the amount of dependence on others that double knee surgery leaves you! I had an Upgraid team who texted daily. My doctor was amazing and has the best record for avoiding infections! Nurses were outstanding and so caring and encouraging. PT was great at home and outpatient. My Prayer groups are the best! And Barb was an amazing nurse at home and took on the job of helping me bathe and putting on my socks and had an incredible spreadsheet for my pill schedule to be sure we kept pain at bay as much as possible and she kept the ice bags on my knees and every other chore that had to be done for our household! Our Irving Circle brought food & helped get me up all the stairs and into the house when I arrived home from the hospital! And prayed nonstop for my recovery. God was present in all these amazing people who were responsible for getting me through the process of double knee surgery! All of us needed God's help for this process! It is a strange feeling to be totally out of control of your household! I had no idea what was in my fridge! I was only in the bedroom and living room propped up in my recliner with ice on both knees! It is now three months later I can hardly remember the pain, but am sure pleased at the progress. I can walk well and only need help getting in and out of vans and other unusual places! I have been able to give tours at the house at the Dallas Arboretum and have volunteered as a photographer at the Veritex golf tournament! Some days I overdo and still need an extra nap and a mild pain pill. I am not completely healed, but so much better than my old knees were! And improvement continues where every day was worse with the old knees! God gave Barb lots of patience to make it through having to do everything for me without strangling me! Or maybe she was just too tired! It took all our friends and their prayers and kind helpfulness to get us through this time. Once again, I am aware what a precious gift friendship is. PRAYER God of all good gifts, I praise you for the miracle of modern medicine that allows new knees to extend quality of life! And I praise you for amazing friends who provide food and prayers and helping hands to help through difficult times! And I thank you for always being there through all the difficult times! DEVOTION AUTHOR Jan Nunn CoH Volunteer
SCRIPTURE Isaiah 6:1-4 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. WORDS OF HOPE When we enter the scene of Isaiah 6:1-4, we are presented with imagery that is both awe-inspiring and overwhelming. The prophet Isaiah recounts a powerful vision of God’s majesty and holiness. He describes seeing the Lord seated on a high and exalted throne, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Surrounding God are seraphim, calling out to one another in worship, proclaiming, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory." Their voices cause the temple's doorposts to shake, and the entire temple fills with smoke. This is widely regarded as Isaiah’s call, or perhaps rededication, to prophetic ministry. Standing in the temple of and in the very presence of God, Isaiah rightly is struck by his inadequacy and unworthiness in the presence of a God whose holiness has been repeated with the words “Holy, Holy, Holy” by the seraphs. However, what starts this almost psychedelic panorama of powerful imagery and majesty is a rather mundane historical reference to when this vision takes place for Isaiah. It begins with the words: In the year that King Uzziah died. For those keeping track, that would have been around 740 BCE. King Uzziah had ruled the kingdom of Judah for over 50 years, bringing prosperity, stability, and military strength to the nation. For those who read this prophet’s story, they knew that his death likely signaled a time of uncertainty, anxiety, and political change. What the people of God needed in such an uncertain time was a stability point. Isaiah prophesying such a dizzying and magnificent vision provided a contrast between an earthy king passing and the eternal reign of God. Even as good leaders (and bad leaders) vacate their seats of empire, Isaiah and the rest of us are given a vision of God still on the throne – high and exalted – reaffirming that God’s sovereignty transcends human rulers. This is reassuring and comforting knowledge especially in these days: While kingdoms rise and fall, God’s rule is unshakable. Isaiah’s account of this vision stands as a powerful call to ministry—not only for him, but for us as well. We are explicitly and urgently called to partner with God in rising up against empire. In support and defense of our marginalized siblings, we sing to God in God’s Temple: Here am I! Send me! PRAYER Let us pray a paraphrase of a prayer by theologian J. Clinton McCann, Jr. Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, Just as you majestically revealed yourself to Isaiah to ready him for your message, ready our hearts too—so we may hear your voice clearly and step into our purpose with passion and resolve. Let your glory break into the world, wild and unstoppable like smoke and flame. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who gave everything to fulfill your will and make us holy. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Thomas Riggs
SCRIPTURE Psalm 65:5 Awesome things will you show us in your righteousness, O God of our salvation. WORDS OF HOPE Are you ready to experience something awesome? Today is May Day, a time when we look around us and celebrate the springtime of God’s Creation. Whether we rest our trembling soul in God's embrace, or we walk with confidence in God's path; in all things and in all times of life, we can experience new and wonderful revelations of divine care and love. They are like jewels along our path. All that we must do is maintain awareness of God's presence in our every step. Don't be distracted by the noise and confusion of the world around you. Focus your attention on God who will lead you forward and free you from fear of the uncertainty of the unknown. That's the root of the word "salvation" as used in this verse. God is the One who frees you to live your full potential as a human directed by divine love. God frees you to live and see awesome things every day of your life! What awesome things are you inspired to do today? Often, we think about matters of social justice as inequality of opportunity, education and income among various groups or races of people. Hence, we set out to change the structure of society to better fit its needs. Although emphasis can be on change of policies toward better practices, as Christians we should seek to become involved in God's concept of justice which has its foundation in the existence of harmony among all humans. The word "harmony" is derived from the concept of things "fitting together, joining in good order". God's desire is that human society will participate in a "seamless process" of receiving: giving and caring for: sharing so that everyone experiences the full blessings of God's magnificence. As we give a cup of cold water to those weakened by thirst, we should "fit" their other hand into our loving hands of help. We should join not only our self but also our resources in harmony with their needs to bring them peace and relief. Harmony is more than "just getting along with others". That's cheap harmony... cheap social justice. We Christians are called to practice divine-style harmony/justice which results when we interact with all others and share ourselves in peace, love, humility and the full blessings of God. In doing this, we can each truly be one of God’s awesome things! PRAYER Lord God, quiet my mind and sharpen my attention to your Spirit's presence in my life. It is my desire to live this day in closer relationship with you and to express your love in each of my interactions with other people. Be it ever so. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE 1 John 2.7-11 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard…Whoever says they are in the light and hates their sister or brother are still in darkness. Whoever loves their siblings abides in the light, and in them there is no cause for stumbling. But those who hate their brothers and sisters are in the darkness and walk in the darkness, and do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded their eyes. WORDS OF HOPE Why so much hate? That is not an uncommon question in our turbulent world. In a recent discussion with an old friend, in his frustration over the current political and ideological differences that plague our country, he concluded that “It’s time for a divorce!” He went on to say that in lieu of a bloody civil war, the most logical solution for our country is to divide into Red States and Blue States, with independent systems of government, but with interstate trade agreements. In his estimation, the ability to love one another is beyond the realm of reality. My friend is a highly intelligent and well-informed individual, but he is not a person of faith. The writer of 1 John lived in oppressive, tyrannical, and dangerous times beyond our scope of understanding, but through it all he was a person of faith. In the letter to his readers, he doesn’t have to immediately state the text of the “old commandment that you had from the beginning.” By the time of the writing of this very late New Testament epistle, they had it engraved on their hearts from their earliest memories of being members of their faith community. It takes John three- and one-half chapters to finally write down the words, “Love One Another.” This was Jesus’ most difficult teaching to many of his generation and maybe even more difficult to ours. Those three words are infinitely simple to say but unquestionable challenging to practice. The commandment leaves no options. There were no exceptions as to who the recipient of love was to be in John’s community. Though not as inclusive as “Love your neighbor” which included not only the immediate community of believers but the whole world, the words then and now command us to love people who we cannot possibly like. Where does that leave our present community of followers of Jesus Christ? I can never like a person who practices injustices and preaches hatred, but I must love that person as one who has been blinded by the darkness. Jesus’ light was already shining then and is in no danger of flickering out now, especially when we take his words, his commandment, seriously. He didn’t say to love only those who return your love. That is not a relevant issue to a Messiah who loved the ones who condemned him and nailed him to a cross. His love was unconditional and so should ours be. It is the only way for the people of the Light. PRAYER Loving Parent of All of Us, before we react to, revile, or reject any of your children, our sisters and our brothers, teach us to look on them through your eyes and think of them through your heart and mind. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St Francis and St. Clare