Gospel: Lk 24, 13 – 35
That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” And he replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together
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Homily
I remember many years ago on a visit to Europe standing outside the train station in Stuttgart, looking rather bewildered, I suppose when a gentleman approached me and asked where I wanted to go. I gave him the address and asked where I could get a taxi to take me there. The gentleman took me to the taxi stand, got in with me and took me to the address. He refused to allow me to pay for the journey, smiled and went off. As I read the Gospel reading for this weekend I was reminded of that incident.
The story we know very well. The disciples on the road to Emmaus, meet the risen Jesus on the road but do not recognize him. He inquires of them what their discussion is about and when they tell him that it was about Jesus of Nazareth and what had happened to him, he explains the events that had happened using the scriptures to show them that this event had to happen. The disciples are enthralled by all that they have been told and invite the unrecognized Jesus to stay with them. As is usual I suppose after a long journey, they sit to have supper and “he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them” and then they finally recognize Jesus. They return to Jerusalem and “recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.”
In the interpretation of this incident we have to remember two things. First of all, we the baptized are the present day disciples of Jesus and secondly, even today the presence of God is recognized in the breaking of bread. Bread however has to be understood not in the literal sense but more expansively as anything and everything which sustains and strengthens life, both physical and spiritual. It is therefore in the sharing of all that sustains life in this larger sense that the presence of the Risen Lord is recognized. When that gentleman treated me, a complete stranger, so generously, I remember thinking; this man has to be a Christian. It is when we break bread, understood in this more expansive sense, with others that they come to experience the presence of God. Disciples of Jesus, in imitation of their Master, break bread with others who are downcast because of problems in their lives; disciples of Jesus break with victims of crime and injustice; disciples of Jesus break bread with the poor and underprivileged. Like Jesus, his disciples, make the presence of God palpable to those with whom they break bread. To do this we have to distance ourselves from the dominant individualistic culture in which we live. This is what the saints did. Persons who met bl. John Paul II will say that they knew they were in the presence of God. Persons had the same experience with Padre Pio. As we thank God for those who have broken bread with us and have made God’s presence palpable to us, we remember that we too are called to be saints and therefore that we also are called to make God’s presence palpable to those with whom we break bread.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, we thank you for the lessons given to us as you met your disciples on the road to Emmaus. Help us to remember the obligation which we have to make your presence alive to those who are downcast because of the circumstances of their lives. Give us the generosity and courage to break bread with them so that they may have life and have it abundantly. We ask this through the intercession of Mary our mother and your Son Jesus who broke bread with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Amen
