Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, that we hear in the gospel this week, gives us a wonderful opportunity to reflect on some profound truths of our faith. After the resurrection of Jesus, we see in the stories in the gospels that the disciples sort of don’t know what to do. They seem a little aimless. The two disciples are walking away from Jerusalem towards Emmaus. We don’t know why they are going there, but we do know that they are discussing all the things that have happened. Jesus comes along and walks with them. In this scene in the gospel, Jesus does two things: He explains the scriptures and he breaks bread. These
are the very things we do at Mass: We read and reflect on the scriptures and we break bread together in the sacramental feast.

Pope Francis, in a reflection on the Eucharist, said that going to Mass should be a life-changing event. He says that the Eucharist should transform us.

“A celebration may be flawless on the exterior, very beautiful, but if it does not lead us to encounter Jesus Christ, it is unlikely to bear any kind of nourishment to our heart and our life.”

Let’s pray that as we enter into the great feast of the Eucharist, we would truly encounter Jesus and be transformed by his grace.

God bless,
Fr. Tony