11/21/2023 0 Comments Daily homilyWhen they recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread, they get up and go back to Jerusalem. It was not safe to be walking outside after dark, particularly not in an age without flashlights or streetlights. Before they remembered Jesus, they were afraid. Once the disciples recognize Jesus they immediately leave Emmaus for Jerusalem. Remember for a moment who you are and who God is. As you say the prayer, turn to God in your heart. And do not let these prayers be just a jumble of mumbled words. Pray before you eat, pray after you eat, pray before you sleep, pray when you wake up in the morning, pray constantly. This is why it is so important to pray at specific times throughout the day. God is always there, but we have to remember sometimes. Sometimes, when you are watching TV, stop for a second and pray. He is on the couch next to you as you watch TV. Not because he would otherwise go somewhere else, but because we need to keep in mind that he is here with us. When we stop and take our rest, we should urge Jesus to stay with us. God is just as real when we are watching television as he is when we are praying. We turn to God throughout the day, but he is always turned toward us. It would be a mistake to think that Jesus is only with us when we are doing the holy things, as if he were just sitting in Church and has nothing to do with what happens outside of these walls. We alternate between doing holy things like going to Mass and praying and doing secular things like work and play. We too, should beg Jesus to stay with us. “Their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.” Yet, they do understand that this stranger is able to bring all the events of the past few days into light and they wish to speak with him further and so they beg Jesus to stop with them. They do not understand who they are with. They stop because they are afraid of the dark, but Jesus is the Light of the World. They stop because they cannot see their way any longer in the dark, but Jesus is the Way. They stop because they are seeking some rest, but Jesus is the true rest for our restless souls. When they reached Emmaus, they stopped for the night. Jesus is present here, even though he cannot see him. Just like in the Mass, Jesus was present even though the disciples could not see him. Luke uses very specific words to emphasize how this encounter with Jesus is like the Mass. Here we have a proof for how the Mass goes all the way back to the Apostles. Then they go and announce the Gospel of the Lord. Jesus is revealed in the breaking of the bread. When he is done explaining the Scriptures, he takes bread, says the blessing, breaks it, and gives it to them. How wonderful it would be if we could have Jesus preach to us now! Instead, you only have me. Then he preaches a homily, explaining how everything points to his death and Resurrection. “The Lord be with you.” Cleopas confesses the sin of the people for killing Jesus, and his own sin in failing to believe in the Resurrection. Joseph and so the uncle of Jesus, and his wife, who is one of the several women in the New Testament named Mary, are walking home after having come to Jerusalem with Jesus for the Passover. The story in our Gospel today takes the form of a Mass.
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