Bishop's Friday Message: On The Road to Emmaus

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The Lord has risen. Alleluia! 

In this week’s gospel from Luke the setting is Easter Sunday when the Risen Christ meets two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus. In the scripture Jesus draws near to them and begins a conversation but “their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.”  

Jesus’ body was radically changed and transformed by the Resurrection. It is only when Jesus decides to reveal himself that the disciples are able to recognize him. These disciples possibly were present at the crucifixion and saw Jesus die on the cross.  Their hope was destroyed, and this is why they were leaving Jerusalem filled with disappointment and sadness.  It is in this precise moment that Christ begins to walk with them.

The Church has always understood this encounter with the disciples on the road to Emmaus as a Eucharistic moment. As with these disciples, at Mass, Christ reveals himself to us in scripture. Later, while Jesus is sitting 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…”  Not only that, “they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem…the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how the [Risen Christ] was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.”  

When we come to the Eucharist, we may be experiencing our own disappointment, disillusion and sadness.  You may hear a particular passage of scripture or the words in a homily that seem to be directed towards you and your situation.  It is during the Eucharist that Christ speaks to us through his holy word.  But it is in the breaking of the bread that Christ offers himself to us and he transforms our disappointment, disillusion and sadness to an encounter with him.  Not only that, Jesus gives himself to us.  He is truly present in the Eucharist – body, blood, soul and divinity.  The same Risen Christ who meets the two disciples on Emmaus meets us at every Mass. His ongoing presence in our lives is a sign of his profound mercy and love. Are we taking this message of the Resurrection to our brothers and sisters who may be experiencing their own disappointment, disillusion and sadness?

During this Easter season, may our eyes and ears be opened to encounter the Risen Lord!