As the two disciples walked along the road to Emmaus we hear that their main topic of conversation was about all that had happened in the previous days. When Jesus joins them they fail to recognise that it is him. He notices that they seem disappointed or discouraged and asks them what they have been discussing. They are amazed that he appears to know nothing of what has happened to ‘Jesus of Nazareth’. He listens and then scolds them for not believing the Prophets and he begins to instruct them using the passages of scripture that were about himself.

Later in the evening, although they sat at the table and Jesus had said the blessing & broken the bread, it was only when he had disappeared that the disciples realised what they had just experienced. Suddenly their eyes are opened and their hearts begin to burn from the realisation that they had just encountered the risen Lord. They instantly set out for Jerusalem to share the good news with their fellow disciples.

Every day we are invited to gather around the table of the Lord to be nourished by scripture and receive the Eucharist. Just as Jesus met the disciples on the Road he also meets us on our Emmaus road in the ordinary experiences of our lives. He journeys along the road of companionship with us. He listens to our worries, concerns, anxieties, fears and gives us the encouragement we need to continue.

Today’s story promises us that Jesus will come to support and strengthen us when we least expect the risen Lord.

Fr Gerry