GOSPEL MESSAGE & RECORDING
There is a lot to say about this Gospel portion, but the most exciting point that hits most readers is that two of the 72 Evangelists could not recognize Jesus, even though they talked about Him. After having received the news that the tomb is empty and that the women received a vision from the angels that Christ had risen, Sts. Luke and Cleopas traveled from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Christ meets them on the journey, but they do not recognize Him. To be more specific, Scripture states that their eyes were held fast or shut from seeing Christ. What was the reason why these two could not recognize Jesus? It was due to their preconceived notion as to who Jesus was. For those two Evangelists, Jesus was merely a great Prophet, not the Son and Word of the Father. As it states in this Gospel portion, these two Evangelists were hoping for an earthly ruler, not the Ruler of all creation.
Because of the image that they had in mind of who Jesus is, they could not see their Lord. They were, in a sense, blinded by their imagination. They were able to walk with Christ for a few hours and have Him teach them about Himself. And yet, they still could not get over their assumptions. St. Luke even mentioned how their hearts burned while Jesus taught them the Scriptures. These two men were only able to know who Jesus Christ is through learning the Scriptures and, more importantly, through the breaking of the bread, which was a Eucharistic meal.
The moment that the bread was broken, their eyes were opened, and Christ “left” their midst. In reality, Christ never left them but was with them in the bread. For that same bread was His very Body, and similarly, the bread that is placed upon the Altar is the Body of Christ. Therefore, the two men could only get rid of that thing that clouded their eyes through the correct interpretation of Scriptures and a Eucharistic meal. I wish it were so easy to just come to the Holy Qurbana, receive it, and from a simple reception of it know who Jesus Christ is. In this day and age, we all love simplicity and shortcuts, but this does not work concerning Spiritual life, for the two men celebrated a version of the Holy Qurbana on their way towards Emmaus. For three to four hours, Christ opened up the Scriptures and taught them throughout that whole journey. Once they were Spiritually prepared through Christ’s teachings, they went to receive the Body of their Saviour.
If you hadn’t realized this yet, our very Qurbana Service is tailored according to this encounter. Many of us may complain about how long it is, but we should all be glad that it does not include a 7-mile walk. Many of us cannot see Christ on the Altar, for just as the two men were blinded, we have become blinded through our imagination. This inability to see Christ is because we are not always attentive throughout the whole Service. For the entire Holy Qurbana Service is the Scripture fully revealed. And remember, Sts. Luke and Cleopas walked with Christ for a few hours in rapt attention, never once letting their minds or thoughts wander away from Christ. Because of their undivided attention, the two men were able to see Christ in the Bread. Therefore, we must follow these Evangelist’s footsteps and, with undivided attention, participate in this Holy Service so that Christ may be fully revealed to you.