There is a line from the movie Evan Almighty in which God, played by Morgan Freeman, explains to Evan what prayer should mean. He tells him that when people pray f or patience, for example, God doesn’t give them patience but rather the opportunity to be patient. Our problem is in recognizing these opportunities. It is just as true that we should recognize the opportunity to live with Christ in our lives.

 On the very day in which Mary Magdalene, Peter, John and the others found the empty tomb following Jesus’ crucifixion, two followers were returning to their homes in Emmaus. Obviously distraught over the events of the past few days, they were joined by another traveler who explained to them how the events had fulfilled all of the promises of the Scriptures. They did not recognize their fellow traveler as Jesus; only when he broke bread with them were their eyes opened.

 By means of touch and the sharing of a meal, the risen Jesus establishes direct contact with his disciples (CCC 645). But the failure to recognize him immediately teaches us that we must look for him more deeply in others; the homeless man asleep beneath a bridge, the single mom trying to feed her children, the quiet co-worker who goes home alone every night. To live and love as Christ we must recognize the opportunity to see him in others, as well.