On the Road to Emmaus
[Luke 24:13 - 35]
This is my favorite reading from the Gospel of Luke, the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. I once attended a retreat at the Dominican Retreat at my home parish of St. Louis Catholic Church in Miami, many years ago, based on this scripture reading.
“Two disciples of Jesus that same day (the first day of the Sabbath) were making their way to a village named Emmaus, seven miles distant from Jerusalem, discussing as they went all that had happened. In the course of their lively exchange, Jesus approached and began to walk along with them. However, they were restrained from recognizing him, He said to them, “What are you discussing as you go your way?”
They halted in distress, and one of them, Cleopas by name, asked him, “Are you the only resident of Jerusalem who does not know the things that went on there these past few days?”
He said to them, “What things?”
They said, “All those that had to do with Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet powerful in word and deed in the eyes of God and all the people; however, our chief priests and leaders delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. We were hoping that he was the one who would set Israel free.
Besides all this, today, the third day since all these things happened, some women of our group just brought us some astounding news. They were there at the tomb before dawn and failed to find his body, but returned with the tale that they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our number went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see.”
Then he said to them, “What little sense you have! How slow you are to believe all that the prophets have announced! Did not the Messiah have to undergo all this so as to enter into his glory?” Beginning, then, with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted for them every passage of scripture which referred to him.
By now they were near the village to which they were going, and he acted as if he were gong farther. But they pressed him: “Stay with us. It is nearly evening–the day is practically over.” So he went in and stayed with them.
When he had seated himself with them to eat, he took bread, pronounced the blessing, and then broke the bread and distributed it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him; whereupon he vanished from their sight. They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning inside us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?”
They got up immediately and returned to Jerusalem, where they found the Eleven and the rest of the company assembled. They were greeted with, “The Lord has been raised! It is true! He has appeared to Simon.” Then they recounted what had happened on the road and how they had come to know him in the breaking of the bread.”
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Tantum ergo Sacramentum
Veneremur cernui:
Et antiquum documentum
Novo cedat ritui:
Praestet fides supplementum
Sensuum defectui.
