“And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.” (Luke 24:15-16)
In leadership and in community life, we sometimes lose the presence of Jesus walking with us, accompanying us. It is not purposeful. Just like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, we get preoccupied by our own thoughts and concerns. The Easter season offers us a significant opportunity to recognize the Risen Christ walking with us in the midst of our many situations of leadership and in the challenging moments of community life.
The joy of the Resurrection is the joy of hope. It is hope that takes us away from despair or the thought that it is all on us, but it is also hope that moves us from wishful thinking that all will be cared for without our action. We need to act and witness this hope as the two disciples did when then recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread. They went back to the rest of the community and shared their experience of him and the others in the community shared their encounter with the Risen One.
Leadership and community life are opportunities for accompaniment of each other in deepening our encounter with Christ who is our hope. Leaders are called to be bearers of this hope, especially with those who may be walking away in despair. We are called to walk with them, even if they seem to be going in the wrong direction, listen to them, be present to them, and guide them into a deeper encounter with Christ and the community. It is not an easy task, but one that we are not alone in, the Risen Christ is with us.
| Frank Donio, SAC
Executive Director |
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This is an excerpt from the April 2026 Items of Note. Items of Note is a monthly email for CMSM members and partners. If you are not receiving Items of Note once a month via email, please email contact@cmsm.org.
