Jesus appears on the road to Emmaus in today's Gospel to two disciples. We know one is named Cleopas but we do not know the other. They do not recognize the risen Lord and are quite puzzled that this companion seems non-plused about the events of the past few days, from Crucifixion to Resurrection.
Jesus challenges them: did not the whole of Scripture point to Jesus, the Messiah? He knows they still do not recognize Him but He puts it bluntly: any good Scripture believing person should believe too in the Resurrection! After all, it has been wtitten and prophesied through the whole of the Old Testament, the only Scriptures written up to this date.
As evening draws closer the two offer Jesus hospitality, and perhaps safety by encouraging Him to stay with them. And we read that in the meal, as Jesus takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it and gives it to them, their eyes are opened and they recognize the risen Lord Jesus.
While it is the Scriptures that testified to Him and should have enforced for them that Jesus was the One and that He truly had risen, it was in the Breaking of the Bread that He was recognized.
How is our Emmaus journey? We have the benefit of all of Scripture, the New Testament, the Gospels and all the Epsitles and letters. We can know Jesus by these writings. And we have the Eucharist. Just like the Last Supper, just like this evening appearance on the road to Emmaus, at every Mass, every day, celebrated throughout the world, the Priest takes bread, blesses it(and through the words and actions of the Priest in obedience to Jesus command is trnasubstantiated into His body), breaks it and gives it for all who believe: Holy Communion.
And we leave Mass eyes wide open, recognizing Him, Jesus the Risen Lord, in the breaking of the bread.
But we leave Mass and face the everyday world we live in. We journey with many, we endure quite a bit during the week. The further we get away from Mass and our last Holy Communion, do we still recognize Him. As we transition to Monday and the week ahead, as we transition to all that the world throws our way, can we remind ourselves that we are simply walking on the road to Emmaus and we are prepared to show Jesus hospitality and we will remember as our hearts are burning.
Stay with us Lord, stay with us! He will !! Will we stay with Him? How's your walk on the road to Emmaus?
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