Walking the Path - Day 5
Christ Still Walks Beside Us
Today's Theme
Jesus still walks with us through the people in our lives
In the garden, there were two things God asked of us: tend the garden, and rule and subdue creation.
I’ve always imagined that each of us has our own little patch of that garden. If you extend your arms out to your sides and twirl in place, the circle within is, in a sense, our own personal garden. Some might call it our bubble or our personal space.
What happens within that circle is ours. We have a responsibility for what we allow into it, what we nurture, and what we need to let go.
And like any garden, its condition depends on how we care for it. Have we neglected it and allowed weeds and dry patches to take over? Or have we tended it with care, doing the best we can with what we've been given?
But our gardens aren't meant to be hidden.
Every interaction is an opportunity to share what has been cultivated within us and to receive something from another person's garden as well.
And perhaps that's where something beautiful begins to happen. When our gardens become aligned with God's will, when we begin to share what we've been given and use it in service of one another, we begin to catch a glimpse of the Kingdom of God.
K. Cross
Scripture Reading
Matthew 25:40
And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Walk with Msgr. Don
The story of Emmaus isn't just something that happened long ago.
God still comes to us.
But today, He's more likely to come in the form of another person.
Think about the people who have walked beside you.
Your family.
Your friends.
The people who taught you.
The people you've loved.
Sometimes they're leading you.
Sometimes they're following you.
Sometimes they simply walk beside you for a little while.
Every day becomes another chapter in the journey, and every person becomes part of God's work in our lives.
Your Reflection Questions
Who has been Christ for you recently?
Who needs Christ through you today?
Today's Practice
Perform one intentional act of kindness without expecting anything in return.
Continue the Journey
There is no right or wrong way to make this retreat.
If a particular reflection stays with you, spend as much time with it as you need before moving on. The goal isn't to finish in seven days—it's to become more attentive to God's presence in your life.
If today's reflection spoke to you, consider sharing your thoughts or experience in the comments below. You may find encouragement in the reflections of others, and your own words may become a source of hope for someone else who is walking the same path.
We invite you to journey together.