THEY RECOGNISED HIM IN THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD

III EASTER SUNDAY - Luke 24:13-35

On this third Sunday of Easter, we are called to reflect on our lives looking at the two disciples travelling to Emmaus. It sounds as if they were going back to the village. Were they ordinary people who had gone on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration and got interested in Jesus or were they close followers of Jesus who accompanied him to Jerusalem in the hope of seeing the great manifestation of the Messiah? They were disciples and one of them, Cleopas, was well known in the community for his name to be remembered. Being highly disappointed with the events that took place in Jerusalem, they went back to the village. Their hopes had been dashed. All people had looked upon Jesus as a great prophet and the miracles he performed were a guarantee that God was with him. But they were mistaken and the crucifixion proved it to be so. They were extremely perplexed and could not come to terms with Jesus’ demise on the cross. 

They talked about all the events, as they walked along. It was as if a dark cloud had taken away all light, leaving them in darkness. They were sad and in distress. It was then that Jesus came to make them company. We can remember His reassuring words: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Mt 11:28). They were so overburdened that they could not cry out to the Lord, and he took the initiative.

All of us go through difficult moments in life and may experience distress and disappointment. In life, there are moments of darkness that leave us hopeless. Then,  looking for a refuge, we may try to withdraw back to the old ways, as if that were possible. In such moments, if someone comes our way, it feels like a blessing. And Jesus is always nearby, ready to accompany us and speak to us with words of strength and courage. He speaks to us through the Scriptures, making it possible for us to understand God’s purpose for our lives. Listening to the Scriptures, explained by Jesus, those two disciples felt a change in their hearts and their attitude, making it possible to invite Jesus to remain with them: “Stay with us”. We must do the same and invite Jesus to come into our lives and spend time with us. Then, it is possible to celebrate, approaching the table of the Lord, and receiving the bread that he gives us. The communion with Jesus, which is a communion with his death and resurrection, is essential for us to recognise him and then to give witness to him. The two disciples could not spend the night in Emmaus. They were in a hurry to share with the others that He had risen from the dead and was alive. They had recognised him in the Eucharistic celebration: “Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.”