On The Road To Emmaus

“The road to Emmaus becomes the way of purification and maturation of our belief in God…”
–Pope Benedict XVI

Homily For The 3rd Sunday Of Easter. April 23, 2023

Sunday Readings

My dearest brothers and sisters in the Lord. We have gathered once more to celebrate the Risen Lord who will manifest Himself today by opening our eyes to understand the scriptures and to reveal Himself at the breaking of the bread as He did to His disciples.

Our Wrong Choices Often Lead Us to Sin

In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we saw the testimony of Peter on the Risen Lord. Peter courageously proclaimed Jesus before the Jews. Peter also reports how Jesus was raised from the dead and fulfilled all the Messianic prophecies. The Jews may have acted in ignorance in the preference of a criminal to the anointed Son of God. Many times, in our lives we act in ignorance and make wrong choices; just as the preference of the Jews resulted in the crucifixion of Jesus. Often our ignorant choices in life have caused us to sin and hurt others. Now whether you acted in ignorance or not, are you ready to make amends? Are you ready to repent so that your sins may be wiped away? Jesus paid the price of our sins on the cross. We need to turn to Him with a repentant heart. This is what we are called to witness to the world.

His Death and Ressurection In Part Of God’s Plan and Now The Center of Our Christian Faith and Hope

In the second reading, Peter exhorts the early Church, made up of Hebrew and pagan converts, to place their faith and hope in God Who has saved them through the Precious Blood of His Son and Who has raised Jesus from the dead. Peter repeats the assertion made in Acts, that Jesus’ death and resurrection were part of God’s plan from all eternity. Hence, Jesus’ sufferings and subsequent glorification by God should serve to center the Christian’s faith and hope in God Who has accepted those sufferings as an act of Redemption for all mankind. From this reassuring truth, Christians should sense God’s Providence, both in their own current situations and in the whole of their lives. They should understand the place of their present struggles in a wider context.

Discovering Christ In Moments Of Disappointment Like The Emmaus Disciples

The Gospel bears the central message of the Resurrection that Jesus is alive and active. This story was told and retold and recorded by Luke for at least three reasons: (1) Jesus’ death and Resurrection fit God’s purpose as revealed in Scripture. (2) the Risen Jesus is present in the breaking of bread. (3) the Risen Jesus is also physically absent from the disciples.

The journey of the two disciples to Emmaus, which we heard in the Gospel, represents many Christians who feel that God and the Church have disappointed them. They are now on their way returning to their former way of life as unbelievers. It is very clear that these two disciples, after Good Friday, lost every hope in Jerusalem and in the Eucharist because they had expected that Jesus a “prophet mighty in deed and word” would deliver them from their sovereign enemies (especially the Romans). They personally felt He was their hope to a better future (career-wise) and now had been shamefully condemned to death on the cross. It was for them the “darkest night” of their experience as disciples and so they embarked on the journey to return home to start life over again. It is in the darkest nights of our human experience when we feel all hopes have been dashed that the Resurrected Lord manifests Himself to restore our hope. It was their ignorance, not God who disappointed them. Likewise, many of we Christians today feel disappointed by God. We often do not understand the deeper meaning woven into the narratives of our human experiences, especially in the presence of what we see to be evil or disappointments. The mystery of Good Friday remained a monumental failure for the duo, whereas deeper than they thought, was the reality of their liberation and new life.

In those seemingly bad experiences of life, our eyes are often blinded from seeing the deeper picture of our salvation and liberation. Jesus reprimanded the two (“Oh, how foolish you are” ) disciples, as He does to us, for our foolishness in fixing our minds on the ordinary experiences of life and falling to understand their spiritual import. This is why many today feel abandoned and disappointed by God.

The Word of God Our Source Of Faith and Belief In the Eucharist

Jesus sensed their dejection and crises of faith and joined them on that journey. It was in explaining the scriptures that He first engaged their minds to understand all that had happened in Jerusalem. Then in the Eucharist, He first revealed to them who He was. It is difficult to come to the knowledge of God and to understand deeply our religious experiences in life without anchoring our faith in the Word of God. Their eyes would have remained closed even to the Eucharist if their hearts were not open to the Word of God. For the Fathers of the Church the details of the Emmaus episode, match our process of coming to faith in Jesus Christ. First, there are questions and a search for answers. Then comes a moment of discovery when our eyes are opened and our hearts within begin to burn with longing. Finally, there is the desire to tell the story to all who will listen.

Beware of This Anomaly and Non-Pious Attitude

Have you asked why the Mass is structured in such a way that the readings come before the Eucharist? It is because you cannot receive Who you do not know nor do not believe in. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God. The Word of God inspires our faith and nourishes it. Our deeper appreciation of the Eucharist comes from our faith in God’s Word. Today God still reveals Himself to us in His Word and in the sacraments (breaking of the bread). This is why we must always approach these sacred mysteries with a holy and pious disposition.

It is very unfortunate to observe that today people come to Mass after the readings and homily and still present themselves to receive Holy Communion. This is absolutely wrong. Please desist from it!!

Sad Experiences and Disappointments Have A Lesson Behind Them

My dearest, that sad experience of your life is not yet the end. God has deeper lessons to teach you through it. Do not give up yet. Believe in His Word and you will understand someday that everything that happened was for your liberation and salvation.

Conclusion

God may be physically absent from us but He is present to us daily, especially in the breaking of the bread. He is present in His Words and sacraments. He is present during our difficult moments. He is always there for us. May God always be there for you in times of difficulties.

May He fill you with the grace never to feel disappointed in Him even when you go through bitter experiences in life. May God stay among us today and never depart.

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