An Unexpected Meeting

Mission Blog

Easter Sunday

Newark Airport lounge, Easter Sunday Evening

Dear Missionaries,

A great big thank you and hug for a job well done last week.  Your joy, love, and thirst for souls shined through every minute of a long arduous week, from those first tentative steps onto the streets on Holy Monday, to the overwhelming crowds at St Patrick's on Wednesday,  and then those last two incredibly productive days on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. 

As promised, we not only re-introduced thousands of souls to Jesus last week, He also transformed us in the process.  From uncertain, broken vessels to shiny, joyful and determined evangelists, from "likers" to "lovers", and from disciples to Apostles.

By 7:30 on Friday night, I literally had to pry some of you off the street.

In this morning's glorious Easter Mass, the pastor unexpectedly  chose to read the Vigil Mass's Gospel, from Mathew. I was struck by Jesus' meeting with Mary Magdalen on her way back to the Upper Room. At the empty tomb itself, the angels transmitted to Mary Jesus' message to travel to Galilee, where he would meet them.  (Mt 28:7) Yet, a few minutes later He unexpectedly appeared to them on the road itself!  (Mt 7:9)  And in that unexpected meeting, they were transformed. 

As I tried to imagine how moved Mary Magdalen, Jesus's mother,  and the other women were overcome with both fear and joy at that moment, especially as they were caught so unaware, I reflected on the similarity of our unexpected meetings last week with lost souls we found on the streets.  All of them were out and about, heading to dinner, shopping, or even in some cases, church. None expected to run into one of us. And certainly none expected to run into Jesus,  operating through us and especially through our priests en persona Christi in the confessional.  

And even more unexpectedly,  what they encountered was not what they would have expected from a street missionary.

What they would have expected was a speech from a soap box. debate. Judgement. Condescension. Pride.  And Fear.

But that's not what they got.  What they got was humility.  Listening. Joy. Love.  Very unexpected. Very disarming.

For we missionaries also, the conversations were similarly unexpected-- especially this year. We expected "hit rates" of 60 to 1; we got 10 to 1, and on Good Friday, 3 to 1.  We expected scorn, or at least indifference, but instead got thousands of "Happy Easters".  And we expected resistance to our offer of confession or at least a church visit, and instead got "Where?"

We expected hate.  And we got loved instead.

All from an unexpected meeting.

Alleluia!  Alleluia!  The Lord is Risen!  Alleluia!

A missionary

Easter Sunday, 2026