Third Sunday of Easter Year A

Gospel Reading: Luke 24: 13-35

13 That very same day, the first day after the sabbath, two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem,

14 and they were talking together about all that had happened.

15 Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side;

16 but something prevented them from recognising him.

17 He said to them, "What matters are you discussing as you walk along?" They stopped short, their faces downcast.

18 Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, "You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening these last few days."

19 "What things?" he asked. "All about Jesus of Nazareth " they answered "who proved he was a great prophet by the things he said and did in the sight of God and of the whole people;

20 and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified.

21 Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And that is not all: two whole days have gone by since it all happened,

22 and some women from our group have astounded us; they went to the tomb in the early morning,

23 and when they did not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive.

24 Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothing."

25 Then he said to them, "You foolish men! So slow to believe the full message of the prophets!

26 Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?"

27 Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.

28 When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on,

29 but they pressed him to stay with them. "It is nearly evening" they said "and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

30 Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them.

31 And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight.

32 Then they said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?"

33 They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions,

34 who said to them, "Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon."

35 They they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.

Meditation

It is Easter morning, and Jesus leads the two disciples along the slow, painful journey to wisdom. God is inviting us to remember with gratitude times when he led us along a similar journey to the stage where we understood what was happening in our lives. We celebrate the teachers who did for us what Jesus did for the two disciples.

The story unfolds in several stages:

Verses 13 to 16 : The disciples walk aimlessly along, unable to make sense of the events of Good Friday. Jesus the teacher is discreet, patient and content to walk silently alongside them.

Verses 18 to 24 : Jesus invites them to tell their story, a long one, with many ups and downs, great hopes all dashed. Jesus listens in respectful silence. What a teacher!

Verses 25 to 27 : Jesus' long silence bears rich fruit - as always happens with great teachers. Now fully in tune with the experience of the disciples, he takes up the dialogue, showing that the teaching of the scriptures is not complete until it is experienced in the reality of their lives. As he teaches, what had seemed senseless to the disciples now appears not only meaningful, but in accordance with age-old laws of life.

Verses 28 to 32 : What Jesus taught them on the road now becomes a reality in the context of a community meal.

Prayer 

Lord, there have been times when we were totally discouraged. We walked aimlessly along the road, our faces downcast, as we remembered the sad events of previous days:

a project which we thought would change our country had failed;

we were disappointed in a relationship that had seemed destined to fulfill all our longing;

a Church community we had hoped would be a true body of Christ was torn apart by conflict.

Then, quite suddenly, unexpectedly, you sent your son Jesus to walk with us, even though we did not recognise him. He came in the guise of a friend, a spiritual guide, a grandparent, who listened in silence as we told our story once more.

Then, when the moment was right, that Jesus whom you sent showed us how foolish we were, how slow to believe the full message of the prophets; he explained the passages throughout the scriptures that were about ourselves while we listened in silence, our hearts burning within us.

We remember with gratitude how we were able to set out

that instant and return to Jerusalem .

Lord, our contemporaries are walking the road, their faces downcast, unable to make sense of their lives. Forgive us, Church people, that we come arrogantly to them labeling them materialistic, or unbelievers, or atheists, and telling them our own stories.

Help us rather to be like Jesus,

to walk alongside them so discreetly they don't even recognize who we are;

to ask them what matters they are discussing as they walk along;

to invite them to relate their stories, even if they are impatient with our questions;

to listen respectfully for as long as their stories last.

How else will we be able to explain the scriptures at work in their lives so that they can return to Jerusalem , their hearts burning within them?

Lord, send us bible teachers like Jesus who will make our hearts burn within us as they talk to us on the road and, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, explain the passages throughout the scriptures that are about ourselves.

We thank you for those special Eucharists that we experience from time to time, when we recognise your presence in the breaking of bread and feel no need to linger there, but return to the Jerusalem of our daily occupations, our hearts burning within us.

Lord, we would prefer to grow in wisdom quickly and painlessly by taking courses or reading many books. But there is no way to wisdom except by going through times when we cannot understand what has happened to us; only when we have told our story many times over, experiencing again and again how senseless it is will we reach down into the roots of our traditions and discover with surprise that what we have gone through is nothing new but the fulfillment of ancient prophecies.