Yesterday and today our Gospel readings tell of two different encounters with the Risen Lord. Yesterday (Jn 20: 11-18) we read of Mary Magdalene's meeting with Jesus at the site of Jesus' tomb. Today we have the wonderful story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus from Luke's Gospel (Lk 24: 13-35). Both stories are beautiful, brilliant pictures of an encounter with Christ, and both are filled with insights into our lives with the Lord. But one thing in particular struck me as I reflected on the two together: in both stories the encounter happens because the believers (Mary Magdalene or the two disciples) are seeking answers, searching for the Lord. In neither case does Jesus simply force Himself on them. In Mary Magdalene's case it is easy to see that dynamic. She is going to the grave to complete the process of caring for Jesus' dead body, something that there wasn't time to finish on the day He died. When the body isn't there, Mary Magdalene gets pretty aggressive. She goes up to a man she doesn't know and engages him in conversation-- highly inappropriate for a young woman in those days-- and asks him if took the body away so that she can get it and care for it. Only then does Jesus reveal Himself to her. A similar thing happens on the road to Emmaus. The disciples raise the subject of the things that happened in Jerusalem, and engage Jesus in conversation about them, not knowing who He is. Then, after He has explained "what referred to him in all the Scriptures" to them, He apparently intends to keep traveling as they are preparing to stop for the night. They urge Him to stay with them and only then, when He is at table with them, does He break the bread and they recognize Him. If they hadn't insisted that He join them in the meal, presumably they never would have known His real identity. So at least one point of both stories is the necessity of seeking out the Lord. That means taking risks, asking questions, debating-- even disagreeing-- and engaging our brains and our wills. There is effort and work involved. If we think Christianity is just a set of dogmas and rules, we're missing the point. Sure there are those things, because the Scriptures and our common experince cause us to believe some fundamental things in common. But at the heart of our faith is the great mystery of the life, death and resurrection of a human being who was also divine. Sure, we can never really understand that mystery (that's why it is called a mystery, after all). But we can probe it, reflect on it, ask about it, and grow more deeply engaged with it. We can learn some things around the edges of it. We can find those places where reasonable, well-intentioned people come to different conclusions, and that's ok. But that means we have to seek Jesus out, ask Him to stay with us, engage Him and our fellow seekers in conversation. It may take some time and effort, but if we seek Jesus, we will find Him. After all, He wants to be found.