3rd Sunday of Easter year ’A’
On the same day, two disciples were making their way to a village called Emmaus, two days walk from Jerusalem, and they were speaking about everything that had happened to them. Now as they were having this conversation and were asking questions, Jesus Himself drew close tot hem and was waliking with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognising Him." These men are walking to Emmaus, evoking therir sovenirs with Jesus,especially his Crucifiction! ’Three days have gone by’ thyey say. How long these days have been for them, these days after the scandal, the drawn-out ordeal. ’What were you teling about whilst you were walking? asks the stranger walking with them. ’What! You don’t know!’ they say, all sad. Jesus of Nazareth was nailed to the wood of the Cross! This rigteous man in whom we put all our hope! We had really believe that he was the one who would save Israel. After everything that has gone on, we have no more hope. The disciples are suffering greatly! We can understand quite well how many people revolt over wars, and the torture of so many innocent people in the world!’ It is truely a serious objection for an act of faith in a God who is Good. Jesus said to them’What were you taling about as yu were walking along?’ They stopped short, saddened.’ One of them, named ’Cleophas’ answered him ’You’re the only foreigner from Jerusalem who doesnét know anything about the events these past days.’ He said to them’What events?’ They answered him ’What happened to Jesus of Nazareth, that man who was a prophet and powerful in his acts and words before God and all the people : how the high priests and our leaders gave him up and delivered him, had him condemned to death and crucified Him. We had hope he would be the one going to deliver Israel. But there it is, three days now since all this came about." The man walking with them takes the time to listen to them and he has hope in his heart. When they have finished speaking they begin to find some spark of hope once more. His presence prevents the anguish of yet another night; It’s true, they say, we were overcome by the presence of some women saying they hd been to the tomb , that was open without Jesus lying in it. People even say that the apostles came and found things just as these women had said. And so Jesus takes up the world’ So you havne’t understood a thing! How slow are your hearst to come round to believe everything announced by the prophets, and he explained everything in the Scriptures that had anything to do with Him.’ " And so he said to them ’Minds without any intelligence! How slow your hearts are to believe all that the prophets said! Didn’t Chrsit have to suffer so as to enter into his Glory?’ And speaking about Moses and all the Prophets he interpreted from Scripture evryting tha concerned Him. As they drew near to the village where they were going Jesus made as though he was going on further, but they tried to hold him back :’Stay with us, for evening is drawing near and it is already getting dark." So he went in with them, sat down at table, gave a blessing and having taken the bread and broke it, he disappeared from their sight. He said to one another ’Were our hearts not burning witin us as he was speaking to us on the way, openeing us up to the Scriptures?’ At that very moment, they got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the eleven Apostles gathered there with their companions, and said to them ’The Lord is truely Risen, he appeared to Simon Peter.’ Then they recounted what had happened on the road, and how the Lord had become recognisable at the breaking of the bread.’ Peter who will declare Jesus’ resurrection will take up what happened :’Jesus came doing good; he spoke to the deef and dumb he had the blind see; He rose Lazarus to the dead, dn even so they put Jesus on the Cross! But he was made to come alove! He is risen and death has been overcome hatred has been overtaken, God is ictorious in His Love. Henceforth the victory of Love acts in our lives! Following the disciples of Emmaus we coem to recognise Jesus in th ebreaking of the Bread. Were overcome by the Love of Jesus who saves us, henceforth Jesus is risan in our hearts.