One of the gifts that I do not have in any way,
Shape, or form is a gift of memory.
Some people can talk about movies
Or they could talk about artists,
They could talk about musicians, actors, all day long.
They just pull them out of the air as if it’s easy.
It’s not easy for me.

My memory doesn’t work in that way.
I try really hard with names,
But sometimes just how things actually transpired
In the past get a little fuzzy for me.

It’s a real gift when it comes to Confession.
I forget everything.
That’s a really good thing, right?
But when it comes to movies, I’m just not there.

I’m talking about memory because it would seem
That our friends on the way to Emmaus kind of forgot
About what had been written in Scripture.

Had all the prophets foretold, all the Scriptures had led up
To the foretelling of Jesus being raised from the dead,
They kind of forgot.
It seems they kind of forgot about that.

As we gather together in this Easter Season,
We walked through the Holy Week journey.
We celebrated well the great gift
Of Jesus’ rising from the dead.

We do that every year such that we don’t forget,
Such that we consistently remember the gift
And the beauty of Jesus.

If we were to sum it all up in what we call the “Charisma,”
The great proclamation of who Jesus is,
He was gifted to us by the Father.
He was born of the Virgin Mary.
He lived life.
He ministered for a few years.
He was condemned to death and He was killed.
He descended into Hell.
He rose from the dead.
He ascended into Heaven.

That is important.
That’s the core that we proclaim in our Creed every Sunday.
That’s what we hang on to for dear life
Because that gift of Jesus offers us
Everlasting life in Paradise.

And so, friends, in this Easter Season, let us not forget.
And maybe people who have been away from the story
Or away from the practice or away from the gift
Of the Eucharist that Jesus offered to His followers,
To the companions on the journey,
Maybe we need to be the ones to remind people of that story.

Remember 2000 years ago when God gave us His Son,
And He suffered, died, rose from the dead,
Ascended into Heaven?

Maybe it’s you who have to remind people
Of that powerful, transformative,
And salvific story of who Jesus is and how He gave Himself
For us so that we might have everlasting life.

My memory on what happens with Jesus is very clear.
That I got down.
Maybe we’re called to share that Good News,
That “Charisma,” that story with those
Who have perhaps forgotten.

May we be the bearers of that Good News always.