WEDNESDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER

Stay with us.

The two disciples on the road to Emmaus were dejected and confused. So when a stranger drew near to them, they were eager to talk about the painful events of the previous two days. Yet when he opened up the Scriptures to them, they were so intrigued that they weren’t ready to let him go. “Stay with us,” they asked (Luke 24:29).

Stay with us. Those three words changed everything for these disciples. When their fellow traveler broke the bread, they recognized him as Jesus, risen from the dead. He had been walking by their side all along!

We know the risen Christ is always with us. Through our baptism, he lives in us. At Mass, he is there in the breaking of the bread. And yet this prayer, “Stay with me,” can be life changing for us as well because it reflects the true desires of our hearts and invites Jesus to respond.

When we ask Jesus to stay with us, it shows our deep longing for him. We don’t want him to leave our side—ever—because, as he did for the disciples, he opens our eyes to spiritual realities we would otherwise miss. He is always ready to fill our hunger for him.

When we make that plea, it’s also an acknowledgment of how much we need Jesus. We need him to stay with us so that he can give us his grace, wisdom, and guidance. We need him to stay with us so that we can hear his voice and do his will. And when we bring our needs to Jesus, he responds by giving us even more than we have asked for.

Finally, this prayer shows we want more—more of Jesus’ love, mercy, and light in our lives. It reflects an awareness of God’s abundance and generosity. No matter what we have received from him yesterday, there is always more that he wants to give us today.

St. Padre Pio wrote a beautiful prayer that echoes these two disciples’ words. The prayer ends like this: “Stay with me, Lord, for it is you alone I look for, your love, your grace, your will, your heart, your Spirit, because I love you and ask no other reward but to love you more and more.” Today, may we make that prayer our own.

“Lord, I love you with all my heart. Stay with me.”

Acts 3:1-10
Psalm 105:1-4, 6-9
Luke 24:13-35

WORD AMONG US