- I was thinking about this episode, I thought of it quite often. And I though also that they definitely had faith inside their hearts. Because they had a Meeting in their lives. If a person meets Christ at least once – not in an artificial way, not by the influence of circumstances, not by the impulse which forces him to seek refuge or just a consolation, but when he recognizes Christ with all his soul, this state, this new feeing is the beginning of a new life for him, of a new perception of life & the world itself. Also, I heard the expression that a soul is a Christian by its nature (and it makes sense, as it is given to us by God), and when a person meets anyone who carries inside him the fire of God’s love, he will recognize it, and will try to keep relations with such a person, or at least be at his presence – in the extent the circumstances allow; and will be grateful to God or this blissful opportunity. This is what I think these two apostles felt. They did not recognize Christ in the person who accompanied them, but they felt that flame, and their hearts were burning in His presence…

- When I think of it, I also remember Christ’s words that where 2 or 3 gather in honor of His name, He will be among them. Maybe this does not directly refer to this Gospel episode, but I remember these words when I read it or evoke it in my memory.

- “This seeing and experiencing can only be accomplished when we may a great effort to walk in the heat of the day, struggling against our hot passions”. Father, how I feel the truth of these words! How often we try to get everything & at once, unwilling to endure at least a little, having no patience, no humility. And we fall in disillusionment, even despair when we don’t get what we want. We forget that the Gifts of the Saint Spirit cannot be obtained from the “back entrance’. And if we are honest with ourselves, we can admit that this is what we seek…not to be forgiven & saved, but these Gifts – being totally unworthy not only of them, but of these 2 principal things…

- This episode also returns me to my perception of faith itself…I hear now that people speak much about upbringing of children in the faith, about attracting people to Orthodoxy, about Church “modernization”, trying to adopt it to their earthy needs & making it “convenient” to them (they express it all in another way, of course – “closer to people”. I hate this approach. WE have to be closer to the Church (of course, if we want to be saved & reign with Christ, and not just simply be enlisted as Orthodox members & enjoy our participation in “windowdressing”, treating Church as a “ceremony service center”) . I feel it another way (this is only my personal point of view, which I experienced): in the upbringing & attraction the main thing which is hard to underestimate is a personal example. A person should sea the light of Christ in the eyes of another person, and nothing attracts more than a godly life of another person. And if we speak about upbringing of anyone, and if we do not lead the life corresponding to what we try to put in into somebody’s head – it will be nothing but hypocrisy, and may lead to an opposite result. And all words & appeals will leave unheard if the one pronouncing them does not have a practical understanding of these words. If the words remain empty, they fade away with the wind quickly. These apostles, Luke & Cleophas, were near Christ, they heard His words, full of strength & wisdom, and this is why they believed, and their hearts were burning when He spoke to them. This is why they could not be mistaken. They recognized the Truth.

This gospel is really bottomless, and it’s possible to think & write about it so much more!

Thank you, Father!

If we live a worthy life, if we labour a little to extract thorns from our heart, if we fight without fear for our soul, looking always at our Lord, Who is always with us, but Whom we do not notice due to our spiritual blindness, – some day He will join us on our way, and we’ll see Him.

You’ve provided me with another metaphor/analogy for my recent experiences. Throughout the process of my baptism I was experiencing it almost as a spectator, listening and watching, with my heart burning inside, but still as one who doesn’t quite grasp what is happening. It was not until in the presence of the Eucharist for the first time that I became suddenly aware of the purpose for all that had gone before, all my long journeying and struggles, and was overwhelmed by the recognition of the Presence of Christ–catching a very brief but brighter and clearer glimpse of Him than ever before.

Now I return to the journey, running along the Path in the night to tell others what has happened–some will know what I am talking about, some will believe and others will think I am ‘on something’ —it does not matter. The memory of that moment remains and is renewed in each new encounter with the precious Savior.