Road to Emmaus

Look at the two disciples in the gospel story today.
They were grieving the loss of their friend.
They were trying to understand
what they had heard about the empty tomb.
They were walking with Jesus
– but they did not see him!
They were talking to Jesus, about Jesus
– but they did not see him!

They missed him in the darkness of the moment
and did not see the light of his presence
until he sat down with them at a table
to break bread.

And that is why we are here right now.
We have come to this table
to hear the voice of Christ in the scriptures
and to break bread with him in the Eucharist.

When Jesus broke the bread in the gospel story,
the two recognized him immediately.

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Recognizing Jesus

The two disciples in today’s gospel are making a journey from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. They are not doing well. They are grieving the death of Jesus whom they just saw crucified and buried. The text tells us that they are “downcast,” hoping that Jesus would be the one to free them. But now Jesus is dead, and their dreams are shattered. They stagger as much as they walk on that road, putting distance between themselves and Jerusalem, the city in which their lives fell apart. In the midst of their loss and grief, Jesus comes and walks with them.

It is key to the story that the disciples do not recognize Jesus. How can this be? Even though Jesus has been transformed by the glory of the resurrection, should not these two disciples who traveled with Jesus, ate with Jesus, and knew Jesus’s voice as they frequently heard him addressing the crowds, perceive who it is who is walking with them? It certainly must be that they are so caught up in their pain that they do not see what is before their eyes. They are so controlled by their fear that they do not sense their Lord. They are so focused on what they had lost that they are unable to see who is with them.

Emmaus and Genesis

Emmaus and Genesis - Word on Fire

There is a very interesting correlation between the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and the third chapter of Genesis.

Word on Fire

The Pattern of Love - Word on Fire

Like the two disciples walking towards Emmaus, a symbol of worldly power and security, and away from Jerusalem, the center of sacrifice, we need to be stopped in our tracks. Christ appears to them, but they do not recognize him. They do not recognize him because they are walking the wrong way. The recognition of the pattern of Christ’s life does come until the Eucharistic act which presents the pattern of sacrificial love. Then they immediately go back to Jerusalem, the place of suffering love.

Word on Fire

On the Road - Word on Fire

The story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus is one of the best-loved in the Biblical tradition. It speaks to us of the manner in which we come to see the risen Jesus. When we look through the lenses of the Biblical revelation and the Eucharistic mystery, Jesus comes into clear focus. This, of course, is the structure of the Mass, with its liturgy of the Word and liturgy of the Eucharist. The late great John Paul II understood this dynamic in his bones--which is why he travelled so widely to speak the word and make present the Eucharist.

Word on Fire

Emmaus and the Pattern of Redemption - Word on Fire

The story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus teaches us how to see. When we listen to Christ explain the Scriptures to us, we understand the pattern of his life and death. And when we eat his body and drink his blood, we see precisely who he is: God's love made flesh.

Word on Fire

The Sacramental Presence of Jesus Christ in the Breaking of Bread

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY, YEAR A

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY, YEAR A. 19th April 2020 Acts 2:42-47; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31. Today is the Divine Mercy Sunday! We rejoice in the risen Lord. The second reading of today reminds us that God

Sunday Homily

The sacramental presence of Jesus Christ in the Breaking of Bread is a profession of His death and resurrection. When we partake of the one bread and the one cup, we are proclaiming the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The sacramental presence conveyed through signs and symbols are perceptible to the sense, hence the two disciples on the road to Emmaus recognized Jesus Christ at the breaking of the bread.

Jesus Christ is truly risen! As the gospel of the day reads, something prevented the two disciples from recognizing Jesus Christ as he walked along with then on the road to Emmaus. They had all the facts about his teaching and arrest, but could not make sense of his resurrection. They aligned Jesus’ mission with the hope of gaining an independent Jewish state, but this too did not rhyme with the story of rising from the dead. They were surprised that Jesus Christ had been in Jerusalem ignorant of the recent happenings. ‘You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days’.

Confused Sunday

Last Sunday’s Gospel was the Gospel of Doubting Thomas. This Sunday’s Gospel is the Gospel of the Confused Disciples.

It was Easter Sunday evening. Two disciples were walking to Emmaus, a village seven miles from Jerusalem. Their discussion went something like this: How could it be that our master, Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet mighty in word and deed, could be put to death last Friday? He really seemed to be the long sought Messiah, the Christ. But He is dead. Now we hear about some women who claim that He has
risen from the dead. They told His closest followers; so they went to the tomb.

They found the tomb empty, neither Jesus nor His body. We don’t know what to make of this.” They talked. They questioned. They remained confused. Then Jesus started to walk with them. He explained the Scriptures, the Word of God, how the Messiah would first suffer and then enter into His Glory. He ate with them. During the meal He recreated the Last Supper. He took bread, blessed it and gave it to them. And they recognized Him in the Breaking of the Bread, the first Christian name for the Eucharist

The Law, the Prophets, and the Church

The law, the prophets, and the Church

Third Sunday of Easter, Year AFirst Reading: Acts 2:14, 22b-28Second Reading: 1 Pt 1:17-21Gospel Reading: Lk 24:13-35 “Christ was destined before the foundation of the world,” but he was not...

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God made five “old” covenants: with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. A covenant is like a contract, but it involves an exchange of persons instead of goods or services. Moreover, it is sealed with not just a promise, but an oath solemnized by a sacrifice. God used covenants to forge bonds of sacred kinship with his people: “I will be your God, and you shall be my people.”

Conducting Ourselves with Reverence

St. Peter, in the second reading, tells us to conduct ourselves with reverence during this time of sojourning.  It is important for us to stop and assess our priorities.  Are we truly living for God in this world?  Do we, as St. Peter recommends, have our faith and hope in God?  The two men on the way to Emmaus were hoping Jesus was the One to redeem Israel.  They had now lost hope in Him.  In a world like ours, it is easy to shift our hope to something other than Jesus.  It is also very easy to profess faith without living it very well.  This is why St. Peter is telling us that our profession of faith and our actions must align. 

In the second reading St. Peter reminds us that we are redeemed by the Precious Blood of Jesus and in the first reading he quotes King David to point out to the people that God had foretold the resurrection a thousand years before it happened.  This is the foundation of our faith.  These are not just objective events that happened 2000 years ago; they affect each of us personally today.  They define who we are and, therefore, how we are to live our lives.  If we do not understand, we need to make the effort to learn; if our faith has diminished, we need to work to augment it.  We are members of Jesus Christ; our faith and hope are in God!

The Road which Leads to the Eucharist

The Road which leads to the Eucharist

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We will recognise Him in the Breaking of Bread

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Clergy E-Notes

Pro-life reflections and intercessions related to the Sunday readings

Jesus, Your Companion for Life

Homily: 3rd Sunday of Easter A. Jesus, Your Companion to Emmaus

Emmaus, doesn't it represent our common experience when at one time we feel it's enough and we just want to pack and dispear? Jesus comes to walk with us

SINGLE HUMANITY

It happens often to many different persons, only God knows how many times. Ask your priest, even your bishop; they will tell you. Or is there a couple that you admire, as happy and settled? Talk to them and soon you will realise their life journey hasn’t been that rosy as you may imagine from a distance. In short, whatever is our state of life, no matter how much you love your job, no matter how intimate you are with your friends, at one time, you may have found yourself doing the luggage and ready to flee to your Emmaus. You just felt you had enough. Isn’t this Sunday’s Gospel a bit like that?

On the Road to Emmaus

The Easter story presented today is that of the Disciples on the road to Emmaus. Two people who had heard and seen the effects of Jesus’ alleged resurrection comment on it. It made what we will describe today as breaking news. A statement from one of these disciples, Cleopas, strikes our imagination immediately: “Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free”. Their hope now seems to have been lost. They had left the community they did not place much credence in the testimony of the women who heard angels declaring Jesus alive. They were surely walking away because other witnesses said they went to the tomb but did not see Jesus.

Answering Objections

Today’s first reading has powerful evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. I will frame that evidence with one of the earliest parts of the New Testament – St. Paul’s message to the Corinthians:

“I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.” Paul adds:

“After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me.”

Scholars agree that Paul wrote this letter around 55 AD – that is, 20 some years after Jesus’ death. He cites official witnesses to the resurrection: Peter, the Twelve Apostles. Paul had personally met with Peter and James. Paul also mentions “500 brothers”.

Attitudes Healed on the Road to Emmaus

When the disciples met Jesus on the road it was a gentle meeting. He walked by their side. He listened to their story. He met them where they were at. He met them at their own level. We too meet Jesus in people who treat us like that, who listen to our stories even if they don’t make sense to them. We meet Jesus in people who have the time to talk to us and listen to our troubles without being patronizing. We meet Jesus in the people who accept us with all our faults and failings. We meet Jesus in the people who help us to have a positive attitude towards life, and by helping us in that way they help us to stop on the road to the depression of Emmaus and return to the joy of our everyday tasks in Jerusalem.

The Road to Emmaus

There is a famous painting of the road to Emmaus experience by the artist Robert Zund (posted above).  In the painting you see three men walking through a towering forest.  Their backs are to you – almost as if the viewer is walking the path behind them.  The man in the middle (the risen Lord) is talking and gesturing while the other two are in rapt attention.  You can almost hear Jesus explaining the Scriptures and feel the breeze of the day as you enter into the scene. 

In my vocation work I have often thought that a good vocation/discipleship poster would be to cut out the images of the three men walking, then find some black and white photos of everyday life (i.e. a busy city street scene, people going to a ball game or attending a fair or festival, etc.) and splice (keeping proportions correct) the image of the risen Lord and two disciples into the heart of the crowd.  Then add a catchy phrase like: “The call continues.” or “Do you also want your heart to ‘burn within you’?”

Witnesses to the Truth

In today’s First Reading we hear part of Peter’s speech to the crowd present in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish feast of Pentecost. Peter and his companions had just had an extraordinary experience of the presence and power of Jesus’ Spirit. Peter speaks of Jesus’ ministry and of his crucifixion on the occasion of the feast of Passover. He goes on to testify that he and his companions are witnesses to the truth that ‘God raised Jesus up’. He then adds the words which I would like to reflect on with you today, telling the crowd that the risen and glorified Jesus ‘received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit’(Acts 2:33), the Spirit that, as the crowd could witness for themselves, was inspiring and encouraging the small band of apostles. What Spirit is this that can be received by Jesus and given by him to his disciples only after his resurrection?

The Testing of Faith

The story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus presents a strange state of affairs indeed.

Jesus was more with them on their journey, even in their doubt and unbelief, than when they actually saw and recognized him and finally believed.

And it was only in retrospect that they could see that their hearts were enkindled as they were walking and talking on the road—even though they did not know that it was he who was explaining the scriptures to them.

I find this paradox of faith, of distance and closeness, of belief and unbelief, repeated over and over again in people’s lives. Although I cannot see when or if it happens to me, it is startlingly clear when I witness it in others.

A man tells me he feels distant from God. He is unhappy about the sense of separation.

The Road to Emmaus and Back

It says our two disciples turn around and go back to Jerusalem. They go back to St. Peter and the other disciples. They go back to the apostolic Church. And this is what happens during the Mass doesn’t it? At the end of Mass, when the priest says “go in peace” we are invited to go out into the world, glorifying the Lord with our lives. What is therefore the most important
symbol the church offers? You guessed it, the exit sign. Once we are purified, grown in discipleship, and received Christ’s body and blood, we are to become Christ to the world as part of his apostolic Church. Do you find this interesting? I sure do. What this Gospel reading tells us is that the way we worship dates back to the very beginning of the Church.

And so, do we dare? My friends, do we dare welcome Jesus into our hearts in the breaking of the bread? Do we dare allow ourselves to become Christ in the manner by which we live our lives? Do we dare allow ourselves to be transformed on the road we travel through life? Do we dare allow Jesus to accompany us in life, even if we are going the wrong way? If we have wandered far from the Apostolic Church, do we dare take up the invitation to return? My friends, there are many directions we can travel in this life. The Gospel calls us to consider, which direction should we be going?