Luke 24:35-48

Acts 3:11-26

Psalm 8:2ab and 5, 6-7, 8-9

Luke 24:35-48

The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way,

and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread.

While they were still speaking about this,

he stood in their midst and said to them,

“Peace be with you.”

But they were startled and terrified

and thought that they were seeing a ghost.

Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled?

And why do questions arise in your hearts?

Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.

Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones

as you can see I have.”

And as he said this,

he showed them his hands and his feet.

While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,

he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?”

They gave him a piece of baked fish;

he took it and ate it in front of them.

He said to them,

“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,

that everything written about me in the law of Moses

and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.”

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

And he said to them,

“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer

and rise from the dead on the third day

and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,

would be preached in his name

to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

You are witnesses of these things.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, open my mind today to understand your life-giving Word. Conform my life to that of your Son, Jesus Christ. Help me to follow the way of the Cross, suffer with Christ, and be raised to heavenly glory with you.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Recognizing Jesus in the Breaking of Bread: Cleopas and the other disciples returned to Jerusalem from Emmaus and told the others about their encounter with the risen Jesus. Their hearts burned as Jesus opened their minds to understand the scriptures about himself. When they sat at table with Jesus and saw him take bread, say the blessing, break the bread, and give it to them, their eyes were opened and they finally recognized him. The phrase “breaking of bread” was a way of referring to the celebration of the Eucharist in the early Church (Acts 2:46). This is a lesson for us. Every week we encounter the risen Jesus in the same way. The Liturgy of the Word is our walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus. We hear from the Old Testament and the New and an explanation, instruction, and exhortation is given in the homily. The Liturgy of the Eucharist is our sitting down at table with Jesus. The priest takes the bread, says the blessing, breaks and distributes the Bread of Life. And like the two disciples, we leave Emmaus, with our hearts on fire, to announce to everyone that Jesus is Lord and has been raised from the dead. 

2. Not a Ghost: The Gospel of Luke stresses that Jesus truly rose from the dead. He rose from the dead, body and soul. A ghost does not have flesh and bones as did the risen Jesus. Jesus ate the fish, not because he was hungry, but to show that he was not a ghost. Jesus has a real body In fact, it was the same body that was crucified – it bears the marks of the crucifixion in the hands and feet and side – and yet it is a glorified body. “An important part of the risen Jesus’ identity is his continuity with his corporeal existence during the ministry” (Brown, Christ in the Gospels of the Liturgical Year, 233).

3. Where was it written that the Christ would Suffer? If we look for a single passage in the Old Testament that says: “that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day

and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem,” we will not find it. But if we read the Scriptures together, we can piece together all that Jesus said. Isaiah spoke at length in four songs or oracles of an anointed servant of the Lord who would suffer and save the people of Israel from their iniquity (see Isaiah 42, 49, 50, 52-53). The prophet Daniel spoke about the anointed one – the Messiah – being cut off (Daniel 9:26). Finally, the prophet Jonah was indicated by Jesus as the sign of his resurrection from the dead (Matthew 12:38-42 and Luke 11:29-32): Just as Jonah died and was restored to life after three days and preached repentance to Nineveh, so also Jesus would die and be raised to new life after three days and would send his disciples to all nations to preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins 

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I welcome you as my savior. You continue to work through your Spirit and your disciples to draw all peoples into the family of God. Inspire me today to know how I can share in that work and help to bring those I meet today into communion with you.

Living the Word of God: How can I be a better witness to Jesus and the power of his resurrection? Do I need to spend more quality time with God’s word and in prayer? Do I need to eradicate any sinful habits so that I can be a better example to others?