Wednesday in the Octave of Easter

1. Lectio

“With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him…”

And before that—

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

It is a curious order:

First, the Scriptures are opened.
Then, the bread is broken.
Then, the eyes are opened.

And all along—
He is already there.

Unrecognized.
Unmistakably present.

2. Meditatio

One of my favorite events each year at The Glenn
is when the peonies finally open.

It begins as something unimpressive—
a tight, waxy ball,
no larger than a marble.

Nothing about it suggests
what it will become.

And yet, within a matter of days—
with warmth, light,
and a little unseen help—

it bursts open
into something extravagant.

Petals upon petals.
Color upon color.
A kind of unnecessary beauty
that feels entirely necessary.

And I have learned—
perhaps more than I needed to know—
that there is an art
to helping them open.

Warm water.
Proper cutting.
Removing sap.
Providing light.

All these conditions,
all these adjustments,
to coax the bloom into being.

And standing there,
watching these peonies unfold,
I cannot help but wonder:

How much have I complicated
what Christ is trying to do in me?

For He walks with me—
as He did with them on the road.

He speaks.
He explains.
He breaks bread.

And yet, my eyes remain…
selectively closed.

As though I were a bud
insisting on remaining a bud.

Perhaps I am too tightly wound.
Too early cut.
Too shaded from light.

Or perhaps—
and this is more likely—

I have simply forgotten
that opening
is not something I achieve,
but something I allow.

3. Contemplatio (Chestertonian Synthesis)

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Chesterton might say that the greatest obstacle to revelation
is not ignorance—
but familiarity.

We do not fail to see Christ
because He is hidden—
but because He is ordinary.

He walks beside us
as a stranger.
He speaks
in words we think we already understand.

And so we miss Him—
not because He is absent,
but because we are closed.

The peony does not argue its way into bloom.
It does not analyze the sun.

It simply responds.

And here lies the paradox:

The more we try to force the opening,
the less it occurs.

But the more we receive
light, warmth, and presence—
the more naturally it happens.

So too with the soul.

Christ does not pry open the heart.
He warms it.
Speaks to it.
Breaks bread before it.

And then—
at the appointed moment—

it opens.

4. Oratio

5. Actio — In Light of Laudato Si’ and Synodality

In the words of this beautiful canticle, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs”.[1]

Laudato si’ §1

Growth—personal and communal—
requires openness: to God, to others, and to creation.

Today, I will:

• Remain attentive to moments where God may be present in the ordinary.
• Listen more deeply rather than assuming I already understand.
• Walk synodally—allowing others to help “open” my perspective.

For communion begins
when the heart opens.

6. Song Pairing 🎵

🎶 “Opened the Door” – Journey🎵

7. Movie Pairing 🎬

🎬Movie: “Gran Torino” (2008)

My Story

• Bishop Matthiesen, who rode the white horse of public activism even as he brought abusive priests into our diocese such as John Salazar—wounds that still mark us today. I spoke with him often, pleading with him to reconsider his “no regrets” about bringing those priests here…
• Bishop Yanta, who sought to enforce the Dallas Charter even when Bishop Matthiesen resisted him, and who bore the personal and pastoral cost of doing so. I met with Bishop Yanta about Bishop Matthiessen’s “no regrets” stance. He listened. He believed me. He acted where he could. And when he retired, he urged me—quietly but firmly—to keep speaking out.
• Bishop Zurek, who told the Diocese of Amarillo he had “no facts” about the Philadelphia report even as Amarillo’s connection to that tragedy was headline news. When I continued to speak out, as Bishop Yanta had once urged me to do, he later wrote that I was not among the faithful and loyal disciples whom the Lord Jesus desires.
• Bishop Daniel Cardinal DiNardo…

While we recognize your thoughtful suggestion for a renewed dialogue on Bishop Matthiesen, the present circumstances do not present an opportunity for it. I think it would foster division not dialogue. We remain confident in God’s providence and hopeful for what the future may bring.

from a letter dated March 5, 2026