Jesus walked in the "wrong direction" with the disciples who left Jerusalem and were headed to Emmaus. They followed their disappointment, frustration and discouragement. He did not call them back or stop them forcefully but walked with them in the "wrong direction" explaining the Scripture to them patiently and the meaning of these events. He shared Himself with them. He loved them. This experience opened their eyes to the meaning of what was going on in their lives and provoked their decision to go back to Jerusalem, to rejoin their community.

 

Evangelisation often means walking with people who are confused and broken. With sinners, tax collectors and those who need Him - people like us. It means an accompaniment without 

judgement and without an expectation that they will change their ways immediately. It means prioritising the person in his or her situation over dogma. It is not the letter that saves but Love.

 

Our friend and Pastor, Fr. Alvaro Grammatica highlights this beautifully in his book Journeying with Pope Francis.

 

“God walks with us, and with us he weaves a relationship of salvation (…). We don’t start from the summit to descent, but from the bottom to ascend (…) as people transfigured by the relationship.”

 

What transforms us is relationship of love that meets us exactly where we are. Not where we would like to be or we think we are but the reality of our lives where graces mingle with sins and fears with hopes.

A beautifully written book reflecting on what the Holy Spirit is speaking to His people through the Magesterium, thought and spirituality of the Pope. It is a journey through Francis's letters to the church, exploring the Pontiff's ecclesiology and pastoral vision. Fr Alvaro is currently the pastor of the House of Koinonia John the Baptist community in Camparmò, Italy