Gospel: The Road to Emmaus

Today marks the Third Sunday of Easter, and the Gospel reading will be tsken from the passage taken from the solemn narrative of St Luke (tap here for today's Mass readings from USCCB).

On most Sundays during the Easter season in Cycle A, our Gospel is taken from St John. This week's Gospel passage, however, is taken from the St Luke's. As in last week's reading, today's Gospel shows us how the community of disciples came to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. In these stories we gain insight into how the community of the Church came to formed.

When we read today's Gospel, we may be surprised to learn that these friends of Jesus could work and converse with him at some length yet not recognize him. Again we discover that the risen Jesus is not always easily recognized. Cleppas and the other disciples walk with a person whom they believe to be a stranger; only later do they discover that the stranger is Jesus. We learn that the first community met and recognzed Jesus in the breaking of the bread, just as we meet Jesus in the Eucharist.

Wecan imagine the feelings of the two disciples in today's reading. They are leaving their community in Jerusalem. Their friend Jesus had been crucified. Their hope is gone. They are trying to make sense of what has occurred, so that they can put the experience behind them.

Jesus himself approaches the two men, but they take him for a stranger. Jesus asks them what they are discussing. He invites them to share their experience and interpretation of the events surrounding his crucifixion and death. When the two disciples have done so, Jesus offers his own interpretation of his crucifixion and Resurrection, citing Jewish Scripture. In that encounter we find the model of the Liturgy of the Word--what we do each time we gather as a commu ity for the Eucharist. We reflect upon our life experiences and interpret them in the light of Scripture. We gather together to break open the Word of God.

In the next part of the story, we find a model for our Liturgy of the Euharist. The disciples invite the stranger (Jesus) to stay with them. During the meal in which they share in the breaking of the dead, the disciples' eyes are opened; tjey recognized the stranger as Jesus. In the Eucharist too we share in the breaking of the bread and discover Jesus in our midst. Just as the disciples returned to Jerusalem to recount their experience to the other disciples, we too are sent from our Eucharistic gathering. Our experience of Jesus in the Eucharist compels us to share the story to others.

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Picture from Pexels.