Jesus Experience at Emmaus

A civil war, which is not much civilised, has broken out in Sudan. There are migrants, aid workers, international agencies, and Australian Sudanese visiting families stranded in Sudan due to the conflict there. While many Sudanese are feeling helpless, those who have a home outside the country are desperate to flee the darkness of the country. Imagine a migrant couple walking out of the insecurity and the bleakness of the war-torn city of Khartoum, such was the situation of the couple in the Gospel of Luke walking to Emmaus. They might have been husband and wife who had hopped that Jesus was the one to redeem Israel, but disappointed with the crucifixion of Jesus and the empty tomb thereafter.

     This couple knew their Bible well enough to have a good discussion about the Old Testament prophesies about the Messiah. Despite their deep knowledge about the Bible, they could not recognise resurrected Christ walking with them.  But they were still walking in dark and walking away from other disciples. Later when Jesus “broke bread” with them, they recognised him as the resurrected saviour. Then with enthusiasm, they rushed to the other disciples to join their company. The company of the disciples means the Church. The couple, representing the domestic Church was witnessing to the Church at large their Jesus experience from the Breaking of Bread—the Eucharist.

     It is the “breaking of the bread” (Eucharist) which can provide us an experience of Jesus with us. In fact, it is our participation in the Mass that makes us members of the Body of Christ, the Church. Without any participation in Eucharist, all our catholic schooling and other studies will be without Jesus experience,  and it would be like the discussion of those couple walking to Emmaus, before the breaking of bread. Let us continue to experience and celebrate Easter through Holy Communion in the Eucharist.