| Bread From Heaven Meditations on the Sunday Gospel for the Year of the Eucharist |
| Third Week of Easter Beginning Sunday April 10th, 2005 |
| The Word of the Lord |
| That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?" They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?" And he replied to them, "What sort of things?" They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazorean, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see." And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures. As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?" So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!" Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread. - Luke 24:13-35 |
| THE BACKGROUND |
| These disciples we are told were “conversing and debating” about the death and reported resurrection of Jesus. They were torn between two things. On one hand they could believe the testimony of the women who had reported a vision of angels proclaiming that Jesus was alive. On the other hand they could write it off as an emotionally-induced hallucination. Both sides had their strengths and weaknesses. Their experience with death told them that it was a hallucination. Their high expectations of Jesus made them want to believe the story of the women. They had expected Jesus to “redeem Israel,” probably interpreting this to mean that he would drive the Romans out of Jerusalem. This was the interpretation that nearly all of Israel had of the predicted Messiah at the time of Jesus. A redemption from death and sin was not even dreamed of. Everything about Him had pointed to him being the Messiah, but now all seemed lost. |
| Jesus the Apostles and You |
Place yourself on the road to Emmaus. Dusk is falling, a breeze is picking up dust in your
path. You are emotionally drained from the events of the past week. You remember back to
last Sunday, when you along with thousands of others hailed the entrance of Jesus into
Jerusalem you fast forward in your mind to Friday when the crowds shouted “crucify him.” It
was now the third day since his death, and you are struggling to make sense of it all. What
do you experience as this man meets up with you and begins to make sense of the
confusion you were just in? He reveals to you that all of this had been predicted? And
more, that the Messiah would rise from the dead. Could the women be right then? Who is
this? As you get the impression that he is going on, do you reflexively invite him to stay?
Why? Why not? What do you experience when he breaks the bread?
path. You are emotionally drained from the events of the past week. You remember back to
last Sunday, when you along with thousands of others hailed the entrance of Jesus into
Jerusalem you fast forward in your mind to Friday when the crowds shouted “crucify him.” It
was now the third day since his death, and you are struggling to make sense of it all. What
do you experience as this man meets up with you and begins to make sense of the
confusion you were just in? He reveals to you that all of this had been predicted? And
more, that the Messiah would rise from the dead. Could the women be right then? Who is
this? As you get the impression that he is going on, do you reflexively invite him to stay?
Why? Why not? What do you experience when he breaks the bread?
| TALKING WITH GOD - Lord, the walk of my life is a walk to Emmaus. I spend time trying to figure out why things didn’t quite go the way I expected them. I debate with others or within myself whether or not these accounts are true. Whether the choices I have made are right. Help me Lord to see your presence as you walk so close along with me. Help me to realize you are here now and enable me to speak those words of invitation: Stay with us Lord. Lift the veil from my eyes in the “breaking of the bread,” in the very presence of the Eucharist. |
| Conversation Starters with God: Lord, it was when the disciples spoke to you of their confusion that you were able to reveal to them that all of this had to take place. Right now I’m struggling with confusion over this [tell God any areas of your life that are in confusion, be as descriptive with him as possible] Jesus, you will never force yourself on anyone. You so respect our freedom that you await the invitation to “Stay with us.” Lord, allow me to just “stay with you” here in silence. [spend five or ten minutes just being with Him] Lord, it was in the celebration of the Eucharist, “the breaking of the bread” that things finally came together for the disciples and the veil was dropped. Help me be faithful in encountering you in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Confession. Reveal to me ways I can make more fruitful use of these, for these are the areas I struggle with. [tell God the areas you struggle with involving these Sacraments and then listen] |
| QUOTES ON THE EUCHARIST |
The image of the disciples on the way to Emmaus can
serve as a fitting guide for a Year when the Church will be
particularly engaged in living out the mystery of the Holy
Eucharist. Amid our questions and difficulties, and even our
bitter disappointments, the divine Wayfarer continues to
walk at our side, opening to us the Scriptures and leading
us to a deeper understanding of the mysteries of God.
When we meet him fully, we will pass from the light of the
Word to the light streaming from the “Bread of life”, the
supreme fulfilment of his promise to “be with us always, to
the end of the age” (cf. Mt 28:20). – Pope John Paul II
Mane Nobiscum Domine – Stay With Us Lord (par. 2)
serve as a fitting guide for a Year when the Church will be
particularly engaged in living out the mystery of the Holy
Eucharist. Amid our questions and difficulties, and even our
bitter disappointments, the divine Wayfarer continues to
walk at our side, opening to us the Scriptures and leading
us to a deeper understanding of the mysteries of God.
When we meet him fully, we will pass from the light of the
Word to the light streaming from the “Bread of life”, the
supreme fulfilment of his promise to “be with us always, to
the end of the age” (cf. Mt 28:20). – Pope John Paul II
Mane Nobiscum Domine – Stay With Us Lord (par. 2)
LET US PRAY - Here, O good and gentle Jesus, I kneel before you, and with
all the fervor of my soul I pray that you engrave within my heart lively sentiments of
faith, hope, and love, true repentance for my sins, and a firm purpose of
amendment. While I see and I ponder your five wounds with great affection and
sorrow in my soul, I have before my eyes those words of yours that David
prophesied about you: "They have pierced my hands and feet; I can count all my
bones." (Ps 22, 17) Amen.
all the fervor of my soul I pray that you engrave within my heart lively sentiments of
faith, hope, and love, true repentance for my sins, and a firm purpose of
amendment. While I see and I ponder your five wounds with great affection and
sorrow in my soul, I have before my eyes those words of yours that David
prophesied about you: "They have pierced my hands and feet; I can count all my
bones." (Ps 22, 17) Amen.
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