3rd Sunday Easter 2026 A

We begin today in the Acts of the Apostles, at Pentecost.

Peter stands before the crowds—no longer hesitant, no longer afraid—and he proclaims the truth about Jesus Christ. He ties together the words of the prophets, the psalms of King David, and the events they have just witnessed. And through the power of the Holy Spirit, something remarkable happens.

Understanding breaks through.

Hearts are moved.

And thousands come to believe and are baptized that very day.

This is not just a moment of preaching—it is a moment of transformation. The same Peter who once denied Christ now boldly proclaims Him. The same people who were confused are now filled with conviction.

And that transformation continues in our second reading.

In the First Letter of Peter, he writes to what he calls the “sojourners of the dispersion”—those scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. In other words, ordinary believers living in a complicated and changing world.

And what does he tell them?

He tells them to live with reverence.
To live with purpose.
To live as people who know the truth of the Resurrection.

That message is not just for them—it is for us.

Because we, too, live in a world filled with noise, distraction, and constant change. A world that often pulls us away from God rather than toward Him.

And so the question becomes:
How do we stay rooted in Christ?

That brings us to the Gospel—and to one of the most powerful moments in all of Scripture.

The road to Emmaus.

Two disciples are walking away from Jerusalem. Not toward hope—but away from it. They have heard about the Resurrection, but they do not yet understand it. Their hearts are heavy. They are confused. They are disappointed.

And as they walk, they talk. They debate. They try to make sense of everything that has happened.

And then—Jesus comes alongside them.

But they do not recognize Him.

He listens to them. He asks questions. He allows them to explain their confusion, their disappointment, their fear.

And then He begins to teach.

Starting with Moses and all the prophets, He interprets for them everything that refers to Him in the Scriptures.

And later, they will say:

“Were not our hearts burning within us while He spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”

My friends, that line—
that image of hearts burning—
that is what a real relationship with Jesus Christ feels like.

But notice something important:

Their hearts did not burn when they were debating.
Their hearts did not burn when they were confused.
Their hearts burned when Jesus opened the Scriptures to them.

And that matters for us.

Because if we want to know Jesus Christ—not just know about Him, but truly know Him—we cannot do it without Scripture.

The Old Testament and the New Testament are not separate stories. They are one continuous story—one plan of salvation—carefully woven together by God.

And if we only hear Scripture once a week…
if we never take time to read it, to study it, to reflect on it…

then we are like someone who walks into a conversation halfway through.

We hear the words…
but we miss the meaning.

We recognize the name of Jesus…
but we do not fully understand who He is.

And so our relationship with Him stays distant.

Casual.

At arm’s length.

Like someone we’ve met… but don’t really know.

That is exactly where the disciples were on the road to Emmaus.

They knew of Jesus.
They had followed Him.
But in that moment—they did not truly see Him.

Not until He opened the Scriptures.

Not until the breaking of the bread.

And then everything changed.

Their eyes were opened.

Their hearts were on fire.

And they finally recognized Him—not as a prophet… but as the risen Messiah.

And here is the key:

Jesus had been with them the entire time.

Walking beside them.
Listening to them.
Guiding them.

Even when they did not recognize Him.

And the same is true for us.

Jesus is with us.

Right now.

Not just in extraordinary moments—but in the ordinary moments of our lives.

The question is not whether He is present.

The question is whether we recognize Him.

Because many people come here every Sunday…
they hear the readings…
they receive the Eucharist…

but they do not fully understand what is happening.

They do not fully believe that they are receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

And we have to ask—why?

How could someone recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread…
if they do not recognize Him in the Word?

For many of us, our religious education stopped when we were young.

We learned the basics—but we never went deeper.

And so we try to live an adult faith…
with a child’s understanding.

And it doesn’t work.

My brothers and sisters, Scripture is not optional for a Christian life.

Prayer is not optional.

Time with God is not optional.

If we say we don’t have time for God…
then we are too busy.

Not successful—too busy.

Because a life without God at the center is a life that is out of order.

We find time for what we value.

And if we want a real relationship with Jesus Christ,
we have to make time for Him.

Every day.

In Scripture.

In prayer.

In silence.

Because that is where He speaks to us.

That is where our hearts begin to burn.

And yes—sometimes we only turn to God when things go wrong.

When we are suffering.
When we are overwhelmed.
When we run out of solutions.

And in those moments, we pray.

And often, our prayer sounds a lot like the disciples:

“Lord, do You not see what is happening? Do You not understand how difficult this is?”

And what does Jesus do?

He listens.

He asks us to speak.

Because when we bring our struggles to Him…
we grow closer to Him.

But He invites us to something more than occasional prayer.

He invites us into relationship.

A real relationship.

And maybe the simplest way to understand that… is through something we already know.

Marriage.

As a married deacon, I can tell you this:

The more time I spend with my wife…
the more I listen to her…
the more I understand her…

the stronger our relationship becomes.

The love I had when I married her—I thought it was strong.

But it is nothing compared to what it is today.

Because love grows through time.
Through attention.
Through commitment.

And the same is true with God.

If we treat God like someone we check in with once a week…
our relationship will stay shallow.

But if we make Him the center of our lives—
if we spend time with Him daily—
if we listen to Him and speak to Him—

then that relationship will grow.

It will deepen.

It will transform us.

In fact, if most people had the same relationship with their spouse as they do with God…
many would not be married.

Or they would be living in a distant, disconnected relationship.

And that’s not what we are called to.

We are called to something deeper.

Something real.

Something alive.

We are called to a relationship with Jesus Christ that sets our hearts on fire.

And so this Easter season, as we reflect on His Resurrection…
as we hear again the truth of His victory over sin and death…

let us ask Him for one thing:

To open our hearts.

To help us recognize Him.

To draw us closer.

And then—we take the first step.

We make time.

We pick up Scripture.

We pray.

We begin.

Because a life centered on God…
is not just a better life.

It is the life we were created for.

And it is a life that leads us—
not away from hope…
but toward it.

Just like those disciples…
who turned around…
and ran back to Jerusalem—

with hearts on fire.