He Took Bread, Gave Thanks, Broke It (Luke 24:30)

In today's Gospel Luke narrates the experience of two disciples who encounter the Risen Jesus 'on the road to Emmaus'. Jesus himself came up and walked with them. It is not the two disciples who invite Jesus to co-travel, but Jesus himself who enters their darkness and walks with them. Yet, "something prevented them from recognizing him." They were blind with disbelief and doubt, his death destroying their dreams and fancies.

"What are you talking about?" Jesus asks. Cleopas one of the two disciples is surprised that the stranger hasn't heard about the things that have been going on in Jerusalem. Perhaps he is only a recent visitor to the city and is just passing through. "What things are these?" Jesus asks, prompting these disciples to explain. The disciples describe Jesus as a "prophet, powerful in word and deed" (v24:19). Jesus of course is much more than a prophet, but in those days, a prophet was high praise indeed. It would be on par with Moses, Elijah, Elisha and the like, who were Israel's greatest miracle-working men of God.

The disciples expected Jesus to be "the one who was going to redeem Israel" a mighty Messiah and not a 'suffering Saviour'. However, Christ suffered and died. Now their hopes are dashed. The risen Christ rightly calls them "foolish" they had seen the signs, the fulfilled prophecies, even the witness of women seeing angels and yet, they couldn’t grasp the events that took place. Their minds were dull. Then Jesus, breaks the word, he explains the Scriptures to his disciples who had heard but not understood, read but not believed, that the “Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory.” The words of Jesus enkindled in the disciples an ardent flame. Perhaps we too have had similar experiences where God spoke specifically to us, maybe through a sermon or through a verse in Scripture. This was one of those precious times.

Though their hearts were burning, their vision remained cloudy. Only at the breaking of bread “their eyes were opened and they recognized him.” First Jesus broke the word to them and then the bread. Luke clearly uses Eucharistic symbols to describe this table-fellowship.

The disciples “rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem.” Jesus’ ‘Mass’ (Latin=sending) moves them to Jerusalem to proclaim the news of the resurrection. Pope Benedict XVI tells us: “Word and Eucharist are so deeply bound together that we cannot understand one without the other. The Eucharist opens us up to an understanding of Scripture, just as Scripture for its part illumines and explains the mystery of the Eucharist” (Verbum Domini, 55).

At every Mass Jesus is present in Word [Readings; Gospel; Homily] and at the breaking of the Bread [Holy Communion]. Let us take advantage of it and partake of His fellowship more often than not. May he enlighten our minds and capture our hearts. Then, like the Emmaus disciples, we too will be bearers of the Good News.

"Lord Jesus, forgive me for failing to grasp your teaching and not reverencing you at the breaking of bread. Thank you Lord for being there whenever, I approach this beautiful banquet."